Vermont Funeral Resources & Education
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  • How To
    • Get Help Now
    • Learn the Law
    • Have a Home Funeral
    • Perform Body Care >
      • Cooling Techniques
    • Complete Paperwork
    • Arrange Disposition
    • Transport the Dead
    • Create Ceremony
    • Go Out Greener
    • Pay for a Funeral
    • Work with Professionals
  • Learn More
    • VT Funeral Home Price Survey
    • Shop Local
    • Resources for Professionals
    • Tools for Community Education
    • Books, Articles, Organizations
    • Glossary
    • Sample Forms
    • Pandemic Care Guide >
      • Pandemic Care Guide
      • Practical Guidelines
      • Ceremony Resources
      • Articles
      • Covid-19 FAQs
  • FAQs
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Get Help Now

At-a-Glance Information

If this is the first time you have had to arrange a funeral, this page is designed to help you get straight to the most critical information about what to expect and whom to call for help. There are several steps that must be followed, but taken one at a time they are all achievable.

On This Page

  • Step-by-step family-led funeral planning
  • List of local authorities with contact info
  • Death certificate worksheet​

Step-by-Step Family-Led Funerals in Vermont

Detailed descriptions of the following can be found on the How-To pages:
  • Determine who has the legal authority to make funeral arrangements.
  • Care for the body by bathing, dressing, and cooling.
  • Purchase or make burial containers such as caskets or shrouds.
  • Arrange for burial plot purchase if desired.
  • Obtain, complete, and file the death certificate.
  • Obtain the metal tag that goes with the body.
  • Obtain the transit/burial permit.
  • Design and conduct ceremonies in the home, other facility, or graveside, if desired.
  • Hire professionals (clergy/celebrant, funeral director, transport company, etc.) as needed.
  • Transport the body as necessary to the home, place of worship, other facility, or place of disposition.
  • File for Social Security and Veteran’s Benefits.
  • Obtain and distribute copies of certified death certificates to banks, insurance companies, etc.

Funeral Goods and Services, Options and Opportunities

To be able to compare prices of professional funeral services, go to the 2021 Vermont Funeral Home Price Survey.
Picture

State Authorities Contact Info

Families wishing to handle the paperwork (filing the death certificate) without hiring a funeral director must:
1. Obtain and file a Preliminary Report of Death (PROD) from one of the following 
sources
  • Download and print a PROD from this website
  • Download and print a PROD from the Vermont Department of Health website
  • Pick one up at the Town or County Clerk's office in the location where the death occurred
  • Fax, mail or deliver a copy (save the original) of the completed PROD to:
    • ​Vermont Department of Health, Vital Records Office, 108 Cherry Street, PO Box 70, Burlington VT 05402-0070
2. Obtain a Burial/Transit Permit
  • Download and print a VT burial/transit permit from this website
  • Pick one up from the Town or County Clerk, a funeral home, or a law enforcement officer after you have filed the PROD (you will need a copy of the PROD to complete this step)

Death Certificate Completion Worksheet and Instructions

  • Download the Vermont Death Certificate Worksheet to capture information that will be transferred to the actual death certificate
  • Download the Death Certificate Completing and Filing Instructions

Resources and Online Links

Vermont Death Certificate Worksheet
Vermont Burial/Transit Permit
Death Certificate Completing and Filing Instructions
​
2021 Vermont Funeral Home Price Survey
Learn How To:
Perform Body Care
Complete Paperwork
Arrange Disposition
Transport the Dead
Create Ceremony
Go Out Greener
Work with Professionals
​Pay For a Funeral
Learn About:
How to Get Help
Vermont Funeral Law
Professional Education
Community Education
Home Funeral Resources
FAQs
​Glossary of Terms
Stories
(coming soon)oon)
Vermont Funeral Resources
​and Education
 

vermontfuneral@gmail.com

​Contact
Vermont Funeral Resources and Education is a non-commercial public interest site dedicated to helping Vermont consumers care for their own dead with or without the assistance of a funeral director. All rights reserved  © FuneralPartnership.org
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Jim Thompson

Vermont Lenses
jim@vermontlenses.com
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  • Home
  • How To
    • Get Help Now
    • Learn the Law
    • Have a Home Funeral
    • Perform Body Care >
      • Cooling Techniques
    • Complete Paperwork
    • Arrange Disposition
    • Transport the Dead
    • Create Ceremony
    • Go Out Greener
    • Pay for a Funeral
    • Work with Professionals
  • Learn More
    • VT Funeral Home Price Survey
    • Shop Local
    • Resources for Professionals
    • Tools for Community Education
    • Books, Articles, Organizations
    • Glossary
    • Sample Forms
    • Pandemic Care Guide >
      • Pandemic Care Guide
      • Practical Guidelines
      • Ceremony Resources
      • Articles
      • Covid-19 FAQs
  • FAQs
  • Contact