Everything specific to Missouri 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.
Missouri at a glance
| Certified death certificate (state fee) | $14 first copy, $11 each additional |
|---|---|
| Decides the funeral if nobody was named in advance | Surviving spouse (unless a dissolution action is pending) |
| Can you name someone in advance? | Yes |
| The law | Mo. Rev. Stat. § 194.119 |
Funeral cost calculator for Missouri
Pick the kind of arrangement and what it includes, and the estimate updates line by line, using Missouri funeral homes’ own prices where we have them. Every line shows its source.
Funeral costs in Missouri
These are medians from 11 Missouri funeral homes’ own published General Price Lists (8 cities, dated 2024-06 to 2026-08), 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) | $1,495 | 10 |
| Basic services fee | $1,460 | 11 |
| Embalming | $712.50 | 10 |
| Transfer of remains to the funeral home | $395 | 11 |
The 11 price lists behind these figures
- Newcomer St. Louis (St. Peters Chapel), St. Peters, 2026-08-31
- Holden Cremation and Funeral Service, Sparta, 2026-01-01
- Bi-State Cremation & Funeral Service, St. Louis
- Kutis Funeral Home Inc., St. Louis, 2025-11-11
- Cremation Society of Missouri, St. Charles, 2026-02-19
- St. Louis Cremation, St. Louis, 2026-08-01
- Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home, Springfield, 2024-12-23
- Southwest Cremation, Springfield, 2024-06-05
- Ford & Sons Funeral Home, Cape Girardeau, 2025-11-01
- Cremation Society of Kansas & Missouri, Kansas City, 2025-09-08
- Speaks Suburban Chapel, Independence, 2026-02-01
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 Missouri
Certified copies come from Bureau of Vital Records, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. DHSS application: "Mail-in requests to Jefferson City can be processed within approximately 4-8 weeks"; DHSS says requesting locally is usually fastest. Full guide: getting a death certificate in Missouri.
Who decides the funeral in Missouri
Missouri law sets the order. The first people in line are: Attorney-in-fact under a durable POA that specifically grants the right of sepulcher; DD Form 93 designee (active duty at death); Surviving spouse (unless a dissolution action is pending); Surviving children (a minor child may act through a guardian). The full order, ties, deadlines and disputes.
Help paying for a funeral in Missouri
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 Missouri 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.