Is It Illegal To Scatter Someone’s Ashes In Minnesota?

It's inescapable. It happens to everyone. Death. In life, they say the two constants people face in their lives are taxes (thanks Minnesota) and death. When someone you love passes away, you want to honor the wishes they had when they were alive, but is it illegal to scatter someone's ashes in Minnesota? Luckily we found the answer, and it's a simple one, at least for now. The answer is no, it is not illegal.

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According to The Living Urn's website,

"No state-wide laws exist in Minnesota that restrict storing or scattering ashes. The resulting ash from cremation is harmless and does not pose any health threat to people who come in contact with it. Cremated ashes in Minnesota can be held in a grave, niche, crypt, urn, or any other type of container that a family prefers."

You can scatter someone's ashes in a lake, or even scatter them from a plane (as long as no one can be harmed by the falling remains).

The Living Urn's website states that federal law restricts the scattering of ashes to 3 or more nautical miles from land and you should let the  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency know as they "require that [they are] notified within 30 days of ashes being scattered in the water."

In terms of being scattered from a plane "In Minnesota, along with many other U.S. states, no state-wide laws are in place that prevent people from scattering cremated ashes from an airplane. Federal aviation law only requires that whatever is dropped from the sky does not potentially harm people or property - ashes are fine, however, be sure to hold on to the urn or other container used to scatter."

You can learn more about what is and isn't allowed in Minnesota, by heading here.