
Received by:
It is the responsibility of the person presenting the Certificate of Death, and obtaining the Burial-Transit Permit, to assure that the fully
completed Certificate of Death is filed with the local registrar as soon as possible. A permit number may be assigned by the Local
Registrar as needed. There is no fee authorized for the issuance of a Burial-Transit Permit. The local registrar upon completion shall
retain the canary copy of the Burial-Transit Permit for three years.
[HSC §193.008, 25 TAC §181.2, §181.3]
A Burial-Transit Permit is required to ship or transport a body out of Texas, or to transport a body by common carrier within Texas. A
Burial-Transit Permit is also necessary for cremation.
In accordance with state statute, before a dead body can be lawfully cremated, a Cremation Authorization must be signed and issued by
the medical examiner or justice of the peace of the county in which the death occurred showing that an autopsy was performed or that no
autopsy was necessary. If an inquest is being conducted by the medical examiner or justice of the peace, authorization for cremation
from the medical examiner or justice of the peace is required. If an incomplete death certificate is used to obtain the Burial-Transit
Permit, the local registrar will validate that the body is no longer needed by the certifier of cause of death before issuing the permit, to
ensure that a complete death certificate will be received.
The Burial-Transit Permit will bear the name of the local registrar of the district in which the death occurred or the district in which the
body was found and is issued by the local registrar, the registrar's deputy, or some other authorized officer. The local registrar shall not
issue a Burial-Transit Permit until the Certificate of Death, completed in so far as possible, has been presented.
"Completed in so far as possible" means the information relating to the deceased, including the name, date of death, place of death,
funeral director's information and manner of death is completed. In a few instances, the cause of death may not be completed.
State
Print – Name of Funeral Director or Person Acting as Such
Date
TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Print-Name of Local Registrar
BUREAU OF VITAL STATISTICS
City - County
Name of Cemetery or Crematorium
The penalty for knowingly making a false statement on this form can be 2-10 years
in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. (Chapter 195, Health and Safety Code)
Place of Death
Address City State Zip Code
Date
Signature - Local Registrar
A certificate of death having been completed in so far as possible and presented to the Local Registrar; permission is hereby given for final disposition,
transport, or removal of the body from the state of Texas.