Everything specific to Arizona in one place: what a death certificate costs and how to get one, who has the legal right to arrange the funeral, and where to find official help. Each section links to a full guide with its sources.
Arizona at a glance
| Certified death certificate (state fee) | $20 |
|---|---|
| Decides the funeral if nobody was named in advance | Surviving spouse (unless legally separated or a divorce/legal-separation petition was pending) |
| Can you name someone in advance? | Yes |
| The law | Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 36-831 |
Funeral cost calculator for Arizona
Pick the kind of arrangement and what it includes, and the estimate updates line by line, using Arizona funeral homes’ own prices where we have them. Every line shows its source.
Funeral costs in Arizona
These are medians from 10 Arizona funeral homes’ own published General Price Lists (7 cities, dated 2025-02 to 2026-09), collected in September 2026. Each figure counts only the price lists that show that item. Direct cremation and immediate burial are the lowest option each home lists; some include a basic container or the crematory fee and some do not. Your funeral home’s own price list is the only figure that counts for your bill.
| Item | Median | Price lists |
|---|---|---|
| Direct cremation (lowest listed option) | $1,537.50 | 10 |
| Basic services fee | $1,745 | 10 |
| Transfer of remains to the funeral home | $427.50 | 10 |
The 10 price lists behind these figures
- Bunker Family Funerals & Cremation, Mesa, 2026-09-14
- Adair Funeral Homes – Dodge Chapel, Tucson, 2026-04-29
- Legacy Funeral Home, Chandler, 2026-05-13
- Oasis Cremation & Funeral Care, Tucson, 2026-04-29
- Gilbert Memorial Park (funeral home), Gilbert, 2026-08-17
- Whitney & Murphy Funeral Home, Phoenix, 2026-02-01
- Menke Funeral & Cremation Center, Sun City, 2026-01-05
- Phoenix Cremation Society, Phoenix, 2026-04-15
- Tempe Mortuary, Tempe, 2025-02-15
- Accu-Care Cremations & Funerals, Phoenix, 2025-11-19
Under the FTC Funeral Rule every funeral home must give you its prices over the phone, so calling two or three is the fastest way to a real number. How much a funeral costs, line by line.
Death certificates in Arizona
Certified copies come from Bureau of Vital Records, Arizona Department of Health Services. ADHS apply page: "The average processing time for applications submitted through the mail is five business days from the date the application is received in Vital Records." Local county offices may offer same-day service. Full guide: getting a death certificate in Arizona.
Who decides the funeral in Arizona
Arizona law sets the order. The first people in line are: DD Form 93 designee (if the decedent died in military service); Surviving spouse (unless legally separated or a divorce/legal-separation petition was pending); Agent under a health care or durable power of attorney that specifically grants disposition authority; Parents (if the decedent was a minor). The full order, ties, deadlines and disputes.
Help paying for a funeral in Arizona
Federal help is the same in every state: Social Security’s one-time $255 payment to an eligible spouse or child, VA burial benefits for eligible veterans, and FEMA help only after a declared disaster. What each pays and how to apply.
Some Arizona counties and cities also help low-income families with burial or cremation costs. Ask the social services office in the county where the person died.
More official links for every state: funeral resources · all states.