nor education 9 min read

By TerraCare

The FTC Funeral Rule and Terramation (colloquially referred to as human composting)

When you contact a funeral provider about natural organic reduction (NOR) — also called terramation — you have specific legal rights. The Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule gives every consumer in the United States the right to receive written, itemized pricing from any funeral provider, including providers offering terramation. You cannot be required to buy a bundled package, and you cannot be required to provide personal information before receiving price information. These protections apply whether you’re asking about burial, cremation, or NOR. Understanding them before you make any decisions can protect your family and help you find the right provider.

What rights does the FTC Funeral Rule give me when asking about terramation?

The FTC Funeral Rule requires any funeral provider — including NOR providers — to give you a written General Price List on request, disclose prices by phone without requiring your name, and allow you to select only the specific services you want rather than a bundled package. These rights apply in all 50 states. A provider who refuses to supply a General Price List or claims NOR is only available as part of a required package is violating federal law.

  • The FTC Funeral Rule (16 C.F.R. Part 453) applies to all funeral providers offering NOR — it is a federal baseline enforceable in all 50 states.
  • You have the legal right to receive a written General Price List from any NOR provider without giving your name, address, or other personal information first.
  • Providers cannot legally require you to purchase a bundled package — itemized selection is your right, with the only non-declinable charge being the basic services fee.
  • You can comparison-shop NOR providers by phone without identifying yourself — a particularly useful right given NOR's limited state availability.
  • Cash advances (fees paid to third parties on your behalf) must be disclosed, including whether the provider is marking them up.
  • Red flags include refusal to provide a GPL, pressure to decide before receiving written pricing, and NOR pricing that only appears inside a required package.

What Is the FTC Funeral Rule?

The Funeral Rule — formally the Funeral Industry Practices Rule, 16 C.F.R. Part 453 — was established by the Federal Trade Commission in 1984 following an investigation into deceptive practices in the funeral industry. Before the Rule, some funeral providers pressured grieving families into purchasing more expensive services than they wanted or needed, withheld pricing, or misrepresented what was legally required.

The Rule creates a floor of mandatory consumer protections that applies nationwide to any “funeral provider” — defined as any person or business that sells funeral goods or services to the public. If a funeral home, green burial service, or terramation provider offers NOR and accepts payment, they are covered.

The Funeral Rule does not require any funeral provider to offer terramation. But if they do offer it, the pricing transparency and itemization requirements apply in full.

The FTC enforces the Rule through inspections of funeral providers and can impose civil penalties for violations. The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) notes the Rule is one of the most consistently audited areas of funeral service compliance.

What Rights Does the Funeral Rule Give You When Asking About Terramation?

The Right to a General Price List

Any funeral provider must give you a printed General Price List (GPL) when you visit their location to discuss arrangements, or as soon as you begin the arrangement discussion if it begins without a visit. The GPL must list all goods and services the provider offers and their prices. You cannot be turned away or asked to schedule a separate appointment before receiving it.

If a provider offers terramation, NOR services must be listed on the GPL with their prices. This is your legal baseline — the first document you should request when contacting any NOR provider.

The Right to Telephone Price Disclosure

You can call any funeral provider and ask for prices on any item or service, and they must provide that information. They cannot require you to give your name, address, or any other personal information as a condition of receiving price information by phone.

This matters for terramation because NOR is not yet available everywhere. Many families research providers in multiple states before making a decision. You have the right to comparison shop by phone without identifying yourself.

The Right to Itemization — You Cannot Be Forced Into a Package

This is one of the Rule’s most important protections. Funeral providers cannot require you to purchase a bundled package. You have the right to select only the specific goods and services you want and to pay only for those items.

In practice, this means you can ask an NOR provider for the terramation service alone (or with specific add-ons you choose) without being required to purchase a visitation, reception, transportation, or other service you don’t want. The provider may offer packages — and you may find a package convenient or cost-effective — but you cannot be legally required to accept one.

The one exception the Funeral Rule allows: providers may charge a non-declinable “basic services fee” that covers overhead such as facility costs, staff time, and compliance. This fee must be clearly disclosed on the GPL, but it can be included in any arrangement regardless of which specific services you select.

The Right to Know What You’re Actually Paying For

When a provider pays third parties on your behalf — such as fees for obtaining death certificates, transportation permits, or other items — and then passes those costs to you, these are called “cash advances.” The Funeral Rule requires providers to disclose whether they are marking up cash advances. If they are, they must say so. This protects you from hidden charges disguised as pass-through costs.

How Do You Use These Rights When Contacting an NOR Provider?

When you contact a terramation provider, here is how to put the Funeral Rule to work:

Request the General Price List first. Before discussing anything else, ask for the GPL. A compliant provider will provide it immediately. If they delay or redirect you before producing it, that is a warning sign.

Ask specifically about NOR pricing. Confirm that the service you’re being quoted — terramation — is itemized on the GPL and that you understand exactly what is and is not included.

Ask what you can decline. Once you have the GPL, ask the provider to walk through which services are optional and which (if any) are non-declinable. The only non-declinable charge a provider may impose is the basic services fee; everything else must be offered on an itemized basis.

Get the price quote in writing. The Funeral Rule requires providers to give you an itemized written statement of the goods and services you’ve selected before you pay.

Ask about cash advances upfront. If there are third-party fees — permits, transportation, death certificates — ask whether the provider is marking them up and by how much.

Beyond the legal minimums, ask any NOR provider to document: what the process includes from receipt of remains to soil return, the estimated timeline (NOR takes several weeks to a few months, depending on the system), soil return options and volume, and their protocol for medical devices or implants. A transparent provider will be glad to answer in writing.

For an overview of how death certificates work in NOR, see our article on terramation and death certificates. For answers to common consumer questions about the NOR process, visit our NOR FAQ.

What Red Flags Should You Watch for When Evaluating an NOR Provider?

The Funeral Rule exists because deceptive practices have occurred. Watch for these warning signs:

Refusal to provide a General Price List. This is a direct Funeral Rule violation. Any legitimate NOR provider must provide the GPL on request, without conditions.

Pressure to decide before you have written pricing. A provider who urges you to commit before giving you a written price list is not complying with federal law.

Claims that a package is “required.” Itemized selection is your legal right. The only non-declinable charge is the basic services fee — everything else is optional.

NOR pricing that appears only inside a package. NOR should be available as a line item on the GPL. If it’s only bundled, ask for itemization.

Vague descriptions of what’s included. NOR has meaningful variables — timeline, soil volume, implant protocols. A provider who won’t specify is not giving you the transparency you’re entitled to.

Yes. The FTC Funeral Rule is a federal regulation that applies in all fifty states, regardless of local law. The fourteen states where NOR is currently legal — Washington, Colorado, Oregon, Vermont, California, New York, Nevada, Arizona, Maryland, Delaware, Minnesota, Maine, Georgia, and New Jersey — all have funeral service providers who must comply with the Rule. Note that California, New York, and New Jersey have passed NOR laws but are not yet operational.

State law may impose additional consumer protection requirements on top of the federal baseline. Washington’s NOR regulatory framework, for example, addresses consumer disclosure requirements specific to NOR services. Where state law provides stronger protections than the Funeral Rule, state law applies. Our complete guide to natural organic reduction summarizes how state-level law interacts with federal consumer protections.

For state-specific details on where NOR is legal and which providers operate there, visit our state guides to NOR laws.

FAQ

Does the FTC Funeral Rule require funeral providers to offer terramation?

No. The Funeral Rule establishes how funeral providers must behave when they offer services — it does not determine which services they must offer. A funeral home is not required to offer NOR. But any provider that does offer terramation must price it transparently, provide it on an itemized basis, and comply with all other Funeral Rule requirements.

Can I get NOR pricing by phone without giving my name?

Yes. The Funeral Rule explicitly protects your right to receive price information by telephone without providing personal information. You can call any funeral provider offering NOR and ask for pricing without identifying yourself. This is particularly useful when comparing multiple providers in different states.

What should I do if a provider refuses to give me a General Price List?

A refusal is likely a Funeral Rule violation. You can file a complaint with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. Most states also have a funeral regulatory board that accepts consumer complaints against licensed providers.

Is the Funeral Rule the same in every state?

The federal Funeral Rule is a nationwide minimum standard. Some states have enacted stronger consumer protections for funeral services — where state law is more protective, it applies. Washington, for example, has additional regulatory guidance specific to NOR providers.

Does the Funeral Rule cover pre-need (pre-arranged) terramation contracts?

The Funeral Rule primarily governs at-need arrangements. Pre-need contracts are regulated at the state level and vary significantly. If you’re pre-planning terramation, ask specifically which consumer protections apply to the contract in your state. See our article on how to pre-plan a terramation for more detail.

Learn more about terramation providers near you

Ready to explore terramation options? Contact TerraCare Partners

Sources

  1. FTC Funeral Industry Practices Rule (16 C.F.R. Part 453) — https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/rules/funeral-industry-practices-funeral-rule
  2. FTC Consumer Guide: Shopping for Funeral Services — https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/plain-language/pdf0070-shopping-for-funeral-services.pdf
  3. FTC Funeral Rule Compliance Information for Providers — https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/complying-funeral-rule
  4. Funeral Consumers Alliance — Your Rights When Arranging a Funeral — https://funerals.org/your-rights/
  5. National Funeral Directors Association — https://www.nfda.org
  6. Washington State Department of Health — Vital Records — https://doh.wa.gov/licenses-permits-and-certificates/vital-records
  7. Washington SB 5001 (2019) — Natural Organic Reduction Authorization — https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5001&Year=2019
  8. FTC — Filing a Complaint About a Funeral Provider — https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/
  9. NFDA — 2025 Cremation & Burial Report — https://nfda.org/news/statistics
  10. Colorado SB 21-006 — Natural Organic Reduction — https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb21-006