Everything specific to Montana 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.
Montana at a glance
| Certified death certificate (state fee) | $16 |
|---|---|
| Decides the funeral if nobody was named in advance | Surviving spouse |
| Can you name someone in advance? | Yes |
| The law | Mont. Code Ann. § 37-19-904 |
Funeral cost calculator for Montana
Pick the kind of arrangement and what it includes, and the estimate updates line by line, using Montana funeral homes’ own prices where we have them. Every line shows its source.
Funeral costs in Montana
We are collecting Montana 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 Montana 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 Montana
Certified copies come from Office of Vital Records, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. Full guide: getting a death certificate in Montana.
Who decides the funeral in Montana
Montana law sets the order. The first people in line are: DD Form 93 designee (military); Person designated by notarized affidavit or instrument; Surviving spouse; Children (majority). The full order, ties, deadlines and disputes.
Help paying for a funeral in Montana
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 Montana 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.