Does delaying the funeral make embalming mandatory?

Under the FTC Funeral Rule, funeral providers generally must disclose that the law generally does not require embalming except in limited circumstances, and providers must obtain authorization when required before embalming. As part of the arrangement review, if a provider says an item is mandatory, ask for the law, cemetery rule, or contract term that creates the requirement. For this funeral planning decision, embalming is not universally required by law for every funeral. Have the provider document the prices item by item, then verify the source of any stated requirement so you know whether it is legal, cemetery based, or simply a provider rule.