Everything specific to Maine 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.
Maine at a glance
| Certified death certificate (state fee) | $15 first copy, $6 each additional |
|---|---|
| Decides the funeral if nobody was named in advance | Spouse |
| Can you name someone in advance? | Yes |
| The law | Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 22, § 2843-A |
Funeral cost calculator for Maine
Pick the kind of arrangement and what it includes, and the estimate updates line by line, using Maine funeral homes’ own prices where we have them. Every line shows its source.
Funeral costs in Maine
We are collecting Maine funeral homes’ own published General Price Lists, and state figures will appear here once there are enough of them to be reliable. Until then, the most recent national figure is the National Funeral Directors Association’s 2023 median of $8,300 for a funeral with viewing and burial, and $6,280 with viewing and cremation. Those are national midpoints, not Maine prices.
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 Maine
Certified copies come from Data, Research, and Vital Statistics (DRVS), Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Maine CDC: "The average processing time for applications submitted through the mail is 5-7 business days from the date the application is received"; walk-ins get same-day service, with occasionally up to a 24-hour turnaround. Full guide: getting a death certificate in Maine.
Who decides the funeral in Maine
Maine law sets the order. The first people in line are: Designated person (written and signed document); Spouse; Domestic partner; Adult children. The full order, ties, deadlines and disputes.
Help paying for a funeral in Maine
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 Maine 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.