Are there laws governing cremation?
Yes. The Commonwealth of Virginia has very strict laws governing cremation. Under Virginia Law, no dead human body may be cremated without (i) permission of the medical examiner and either (ii) visual identification of the Decedent by his/her next of kin or an authorized agent or an agent named in advance directive or (iii) a twenty-four-hour waiting period between the time of death and the cremation.
