To mail cremated remains in the United States, you must use the U.S. Postal Service’s Priority Mail Express service and pack the remains in a USPS-issued BOX-CRE container with a sealed, sift-proof inner vessel inside. This has been mandatory since March 1, 2025, for both human and animal ashes. FedEx and UPS do not accept cremated remains at all, so USPS is the only legal shipping option.
Why USPS Is the Only Carrier That Will Take Them
FedEx and UPS list cremated remains as prohibited items across their networks. There is no premium tier or special-handling service at either carrier that changes this. UPS’s terms warn that shippers who slip prohibited items into the system face an administrative fee and full liability for anything that goes wrong.
Within USPS, only Priority Mail Express (for domestic shipments) or Priority Mail Express International qualifies. You cannot use Priority Mail, First-Class Package, Ground Advantage, or any other service tier. Stamps are not accepted for these shipments either.
Who Can Send Cremated Remains
Any individual can mail cremated remains. USPS Publication 139 addresses its instructions to “you” and to “mailers,” with no requirement that you be a funeral director or hold any professional license. USPS does recommend consulting a licensed funeral director when choosing an inner container, and many funeral homes will handle the whole packing and shipping process for a fee that typically runs $135 to $150.
What to Gather Before You Pack
- BOX-CRE. The mandatory USPS Priority Mail Express Cremated Remains box. Order a free box kit through the online Postal Store at usps.com. Using your own box is no longer permitted.
- A sift-proof inner container. Strong, durable, and sealed so no loose powder can escape. A sturdy screw-top plastic or metal urn works. USPS defines sift-proof simply as a vessel that will not let loose powder out.
- A sealable plastic bag. The inner container goes inside this bag before it enters the BOX-CRE.
- Cushioning. Bubble wrap, packing peanuts, or similar material to fill every empty space in the box.
- An identification slip. A piece of paper listing the sender’s and recipient’s full names and addresses along with the words “Cremated Remains.” It goes inside the sealed bag as a backup if the outer label is torn off.
How to Pack the Box
Put the ashes into the sift-proof inner container and seal it. Place that container into the plastic bag along with the identification slip, and seal the bag. Set the bagged container inside the BOX-CRE and pack cushioning around the bottom, sides, and top. Shake the closed box. If anything shifts, add more padding. Write the complete return address and delivery address in the areas marked on the box.
The old orange Label 139 that once had to be affixed to all four sides is no longer required. The BOX-CRE is itself branded to identify its contents, which is why USPS moved to a dedicated box in the first place.
Getting Postage and Handing It Off
You can generate a shipping label online through USPS Click-N-Ship or an approved PC Postage provider. Select Priority Mail Express as the service and add “Cremated Remains Shipping” as an extra service. You can also buy postage at a Post Office retail counter.
USPS directs customers to bring these packages to a Post Office rather than dropping them in a collection box, and that is the safer path. A clerk can look at the box before it enters the mail stream and flag any obvious problem. Priority Mail Express automatically includes USPS Tracking and up to $100 of insurance. The only additional services available on cremated remains shipments are extra insurance and return receipt. Signature confirmation is not automatic; add it separately if you want it.
What It Costs
Priority Mail Express pricing starts at roughly $33 at a Post Office counter. Your actual price depends on the weight of the package and the distance between the origin and destination ZIP codes, since USPS uses zone-based pricing. The Retail Postage Price Calculator at usps.com will give you a current figure for your specific route. The BOX-CRE itself is free.
Insurance and Filing a Claim
The included $100 of insurance covers the replacement value of the container, not the sentimental value of the remains. You can buy additional coverage at the time of shipping. Keep your mailing receipt; you will need it for any claim.
Either the sender or the recipient can file a claim if a Priority Mail Express shipment is damaged, missing contents, or never arrives. Damage claims can be filed immediately but must be submitted within 60 days of the mailing date. For a lost package, the window opens once the expected delivery date has passed and closes 60 days after mailing.
You will need the tracking number, the mailing receipt showing insurance, and proof of value such as a receipt for the container and the cremation services. For damage, photograph everything and keep all packaging until the claim is resolved. File online through a usps.com account, or call 1-800-332-0317 to request a paper form.
One thing to sit with before you ship: cremated remains are irreplaceable, and no insurance payout makes you whole if they are lost. The dedicated box requirement exists to reduce that risk, but it does not eliminate it. Additional insurance and dropping the package off in person are the two levers you have.
Mailing Cremated Remains Internationally
International shipments must use Priority Mail Express International, and this service is not offered to every country. Even where USPS can deliver, the destination country may prohibit importing cremated remains. Check both: USPS availability through the Individual Country Listings on the Postal Explorer website, and the destination country’s import rules through its embassy or consulate.
Packaging for international shipments differs in one important way. The inner container must be a funeral urn, not just any sift-proof vessel. The urn goes into the BOX-CRE with cushioning, the same as a domestic shipment.
Write “Cremated Remains” on the customs declaration. If you have a cremation certificate, USPS recommends attaching it to the outside of the box or keeping it easily accessible. Some countries require additional paperwork such as permits, death certificates, or translated documents, so contact the embassy well before your planned ship date. A package that clears U.S. customs can still be refused at the destination if local requirements are not met.
Pet Ashes Follow the Same Rules
Since March 1, 2025, animal cremated remains are subject to the identical requirements as human remains. Same BOX-CRE, same Priority Mail Express service, same sift-proof inner container, same packing procedure. There is no lighter option for a small keepsake amount of pet ashes. The rules apply regardless of quantity or species.
What Happens if You Try to Skip the Rules
A package of cremated remains that is not in a BOX-CRE has no visual marker telling postal workers to handle it carefully. It goes through automated sorting equipment built for ordinary parcels, and containers that are not built for that environment can be crushed or torn open. If contents spill and neither the sender nor the recipient can be identified from what remains, the package ends up at the USPS Mail Recovery Center, sometimes permanently.
Attempting to ship through FedEx or UPS carries its own risk. If the carrier discovers the contents, the package is pulled. UPS charges an administrative fee and holds the shipper liable under its terms. Neither carrier will hand the package off to USPS for you. You would have to retrieve it and start over, assuming the packaging is still intact.