A Coast Guard burial at sea is a free committal of cremated remains performed by a Coast Guard crew during a vessel or aircraft’s regular operations. Active-duty members, veterans, retirees, dependents, and civilians can all request it, with military-connected requests given scheduling priority. The service accepts ashes only, families are not aboard for the ceremony, and the crew mails the exact burial coordinates to the family afterward.
Who Qualifies
The program is open to a broad group, though not everyone waits the same length of time.1U.S. Coast Guard. Burial at Sea Program Request Authorization Form Priority goes to:
- Active-duty members of any uniformed service
- Honorably discharged veterans and military retirees
- Dependents of active-duty personnel, retirees, and veterans
Civilians can also be accepted; there is no rule barring them. Whether a request is actually fulfilled depends on a Coast Guard cutter, boat, or aircraft having room in its operational schedule. Crews do not deploy specifically for burials. The committal happens while they are already at sea on assigned missions, so timing is unpredictable and no turnaround is guaranteed.
Ashes Only, and the Container Matters
The Coast Guard handles cremated remains exclusively.1U.S. Coast Guard. Burial at Sea Program Request Authorization Form Federal law allows whole-body burial at sea, but the Coast Guard program does not include it. Families who want a casketed committal need to look at the Navy program or a private charter, both covered below.
The urn must break down readily in seawater. It cannot contain plastic or metal, and it cannot float. Biodegradable urns made specifically for water burial meet the standard. Standard decorative urns of brass, ceramic, or plastic do not, and the crew will refuse remains in a container that could wash ashore or persist in the ocean.
The Paperwork You Need
The person who initiates the request is the Person Authorized to Direct Disposition, or PADD. For a service member, that is whoever the member designated on their DD Form 93 (Record of Emergency Data). If no one was designated, the role falls to the next of kin by law. For a civilian, the primary next of kin handles it.
The submission packet includes:
- The Coast Guard’s Burial at Sea Request/Authorization Form, obtained from the coordinator at the nearest base or district
- A photocopy of the death certificate
- The burial transit permit or cremation certificate
- For military-affiliated requests, the DD Form 214, discharge certificate, or retirement orders to verify service and discharge status2United States Coast Guard. Seventh Coast Guard District Burial at Sea Request Form
Where to Send Everything
There is no single national office. Each participating Coast Guard base has its own Burial at Sea Coordinator. To find yours, contact the nearest Coast Guard sector or base and ask for the coordinator, or reach out to the Coast Guard’s Office of Casualty Matters. Most coordinators prefer email submission for the paperwork, though mailing addresses are available.
Shipping the ashes themselves is governed by the Postal Service. Cremated remains must travel by Priority Mail Express, and no other service level is allowed. Use either the designated Priority Mail Express Cremated Remains box or your own box labeled on all six sides with the orange Label 139 marked “Cremated Remains.”3USPS.com. New Shipping Process for Cremated Remains Send the package with tracking so you can confirm delivery.
The burial itself is free. Cremation, the urn, and shipping are not covered. Those costs stay with the family.1U.S. Coast Guard. Burial at Sea Program Request Authorization Form
How Long the Wait Is
Once the coordinator confirms the packet is complete and the container meets requirements, the request enters a queue. There is no published wait time. It depends on when a vessel with room in its schedule leaves that port. For comparison, the Navy’s parallel program can run over a year from request to completion. The Coast Guard’s timeline is similarly open-ended.
The Ceremony and What Comes Back to the Family
Family members are not present. The Coast Guard performs the committal while the vessel is underway on its assigned mission, and civilians are not brought aboard for it. This is the hardest part of the process for many families. You hand over the remains and wait for confirmation.
For veterans and retirees, the crew conducts a ceremony with military honors. At minimum, Coast Guard funeral honors include the playing of Taps, folding of a United States flag, and presentation of that flag.4U.S. Coast Guard. Military Funeral Honors Guidance A chaplain’s remarks and a gun salute may also be part of it. For civilian burials, the crew typically performs a brief, respectful committal without formal military honors.
Afterward, the commanding officer sends the family a written notification with the date, time, and exact latitude and longitude of the committal site.
The EPA requires that every burial at sea be reported within 30 days. When the Coast Guard performs the burial, the crew files that report. Families do not need to handle it.5eCFR. 40 CFR 229.1 – Burial at Sea
The VA Burial Flag
A veteran buried at sea is eligible for a United States burial flag from the VA at no cost, provided they were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.6National Cemetery Administration. Burial and Memorial Benefits Only one flag is issued per veteran, and the VA does not replace it if lost or damaged.
To request it, complete VA Form 27-2008 (Application for United States Flag for Burial Purposes) and take it with a copy of the discharge documents to a funeral director, a VA regional office, or a United States post office.7U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Application for United States Flag for Burial Purposes – VA Form 27-2008 If you send the flag along with the remains to the coordinator, the crew can use it in the ceremony and return it to the family afterward.
If You Want a Whole-Body Burial or Want to Be There
Two situations rule out the Coast Guard program. If the family wants a whole-body committal instead of cremation, the Coast Guard cannot do it. If the family wants to witness the ceremony, no military service allows that.
The Navy runs a larger burial at sea program that accepts both cremated and casketed remains, which makes it the only military option for a whole-body committal. Eligibility mirrors the Coast Guard’s: active-duty members, honorably discharged veterans and retirees, Military Sealift Command civilian personnel, and dependents of eligible service members. The service is free, but expect about three months to assign the remains to a vessel, up to a year for that vessel to deploy and conduct the burial, then more time after the ship returns for the family to receive a video of the ceremony and a chart showing the coordinates.8Military OneSource. Military Funeral Honors Burial at Sea Program Call the MyNavy Career Center at 833-330-6622 to request a packet. Families still cannot attend.
A private charter is the option when you want to be present, need a faster timeline, or are handling remains of someone without military eligibility. Federal regulation 40 CFR 229.1, issued under the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act, automatically authorizes any person to transport and bury human remains at sea; no individual permit application is required.9United States Environmental Protection Agency. MPRSA General Permits Cremated remains must be released at least three nautical miles from shore. Whole-body burials require water at least 600 feet deep, with certain zones off Florida and the Gulf Coast requiring 1,800 feet.5eCFR. 40 CFR 229.1 – Burial at Sea The vessel operator files the EPA report within 30 days. Costs vary widely by vessel, location, and whether the burial is cremated or whole-body.