If you are working out what to do when someone dies, the one thing that has to happen right away is a legal pronouncement of death by someone with the authority to make it, such as a doctor or a hospice nurse. Almost everything else in the first 24 hours, including choosing a funeral home, can wait a few hours, which is long enough to compare prices by phone.
If the death was sudden or unexpected, the first call is to 911. This guide covers the first day in order: who to call first, what you can safely leave, and which early decisions affect the bill later.
What to do when someone dies: your first call depends on where
The National Institute on Aging says that what to do after someone dies depends on where the person died. The death must be officially pronounced as soon as possible by someone in authority, like a doctor in a hospital or nursing facility or a hospice nurse. That person also fills out the forms certifying the cause, time and place of death, which is what makes the official death certificate possible.
| Where the death happened | Who usually pronounces death | Your first call |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital or nursing facility | A doctor or facility staff | No call needed. Staff will start the process and may ask which funeral home to use. |
| At home, under hospice care | A hospice nurse | The hospice agency’s number. A plan for what happens after death is usually already in place. |
| At home, expected, no hospice | Depends on local rules | The person’s doctor, or the local medical examiner or coroner, or the health department |
| Sudden, unexpected or after an accident | Emergency responders, then the medical examiner or coroner | 911 |
The medical examiner or coroner normally takes over when a death happened without medical attendance, when the cause is unknown, or when there was an accident, suicide or homicide. That is according to the CDC’s Funeral Directors’ Handbook on Death Registration. In those cases the body may go to the medical examiner’s office first. The funeral home you choose collects it from there.
You do not have to move the body right away
If someone dies at home, the NIA says there is no need to move the body right away. Many families use this time to sit with the person, pray, or carry out religious or cultural customs. You can also call relatives who may want to come before the body is moved.
One practical step: the NIA suggests having someone make sure the body is lying flat before the joints stiffen, because rigor mortis begins sometime during the first few hours after death.
If the death happened in a hospital or nursing home, tell the staff early about any rituals that matter to your family. Ask how long the body can stay before it has to be moved, because facilities set their own limits.
Organ, tissue and brain donation: decided in hours, not days
Donation is the one decision that cannot wait. Hospitals that take Medicare must have an agreement with an organ procurement organization and must notify it in a timely manner of patients who have died or whose death is imminent (42 CFR 482.45). The hospital also has to make sure the family is told it can donate or decline.
The NIA notes that if the person did not record a wish to donate, the decision has to be made quickly, and there is no cost to the donor’s family. Brain donation is separate from organ donation. If the person registered as a brain donor, their contact point needs to be notified within two hours after death.
Choosing a funeral home: two phone calls before you commit
A hospital or hospice may ask you which funeral home to call. You do not have to name one on the spot. Under the Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule, a funeral home must give accurate price information to anyone who asks by telephone (16 CFR 453.2). The FTC adds that you do not have to give your name, address or phone number first.
📨 Get Free Funeral Cost Guides Alerts
Free · No spam · Unsubscribe anytime
The FTC’s own advice is to compare prices from at least two funeral homes. Useful questions for each call:
- What does your direct cremation (or immediate burial) price include, and what is extra?
- What is your basic services fee?
- What do you charge to transfer the body from where it is now?
- Do you have refrigeration, and do you charge for it by the day?
- Are there added costs for transportation, death certificates or obituaries? The FTC suggests asking about exactly these.
When you meet a funeral home in person, it must hand you a written General Price List that you can keep. For what that list must show, see the FTC Funeral Rule in plain English. For typical line items, see how much a funeral costs.
You may not need a funeral home at all. The FTC notes that in most states you are not legally required to use one, and the NIA says a home funeral is legal in most states. Rules differ, so check your own state before going that route.
Embalming is not a first-day decision
Families are sometimes asked about embalming within minutes of the first call. According to the FTC’s compliance guide for funeral homes, federal law does not require embalming under any circumstances. The FTC’s consumer guidance adds that no state law requires routine embalming for every death. Some states require embalming or refrigeration if the body is not buried or cremated within a set time, and refrigeration is an acceptable alternative in most cases.
A funeral home can charge for embalming only in limited situations: state or local law requires it, a family member gave express permission, or the home could not reach the family after real effort. Permission cannot be implied. A simple way to protect yourself on the first call is to say: “Please do not embalm without my permission.”
Find these documents on day one
The funeral director fills in the death certificate’s personal details with the family and must verify them with you, according to the CDC handbook. It helps to have these to hand before your arrangement meeting:
- The person’s full legal name, Social Security number, date and place of birth
- Their parents’ names, including a mother’s maiden name, and a spouse’s name if married
- Highest level of education and usual occupation (both appear on the certificate)
- Any prepaid funeral contract, cemetery deed or written funeral wishes
- The will, if you know where it is
- Military discharge papers (a DD214) if the person was a veteran. The VA uses them to confirm eligibility for burial in a national cemetery.
- Life insurance policies or the names of insurers
Secure the home and hold off on the money
If the person lived alone, lock the home, remove valuables and medication from view, and arrange care for pets. Throw away perishable food and forward or collect the mail.
Do not pay the person’s bills from your own money in the first days. The FTC explains that family members usually don’t have to pay a deceased relative’s debts from their own money. The debts are paid from the estate, with some exceptions, such as co-signers. The details are in what debts die with you.
What can wait until tomorrow, or next week
| Task | When | Why it can wait |
|---|---|---|
| Telling Social Security | Days | Social Security says a funeral home will usually report the death once you give it the Social Security number. |
| Ordering death certificates | At the arrangement meeting | The funeral director files the certificate. See how to get a death certificate. |
| Obituary | 1 to 3 days | Timing depends on the service date. |
| Banks, insurers, credit bureaus | The next few weeks | The NIA lists these as tasks within a few weeks of death, and most need a certified death certificate. |
| Final income tax return | By the normal filing deadline | The IRS says to report all income up to the date of death on a regular Form 1040 or 1040-SR. |
The full order of calls for the days after is in who to call when someone dies.
One money task is time-sensitive. If the person received Social Security, the payment for the month of death has to go back, along with any later payments. Social Security’s guide says to ask the bank to return direct-deposit funds for that month, and not to cash a paper check. Because benefits are paid a month behind, a death in July means the deposit that arrives in August must be returned, as USA.gov explains. Tell the bank before that deposit lands.
Sources
- National Institute on Aging (NIH): What To Do After Someone Dies
- CDC National Center for Health Statistics: Funeral Directors’ Handbook on Death Registration and Fetal Death Reporting
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations: 42 CFR 482.45, Organ, tissue, and eye procurement
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations: 16 CFR Part 453, Funeral Industry Practices
- Federal Trade Commission: The FTC Funeral Rule
- Federal Trade Commission: Shopping for Funeral Services
- Federal Trade Commission: Shopping for Funeral Services by Phone or Online
- Federal Trade Commission: Choosing a Funeral Provider
- Federal Trade Commission: Complying with the Funeral Rule
- Federal Trade Commission: Debts and Deceased Relatives
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Schedule a Burial for a Veteran or Family Member
- Social Security Administration: Survivor Benefits
- Social Security Administration: How Social Security Can Help You When a Family Member Dies (Publication 05-10008)
- USAGov: Report the Death of a Social Security or Medicare Beneficiary
- Internal Revenue Service: File the Final Income Tax Returns of a Deceased Person