Here’s what you need to know
What to do immediately after a death
Follow these steps, in order:
Get a legal pronouncement of death from a medical professional.
Arrange for transportation of the body. Based on the state, you may remain with the body for a period of time:
Washington DC: Body can remain in the home for 1 week maximum before disposition
Virginia: Body can remain in the home for 48 hours before disposition
Maryland: No preservation or disposition time requirements, though there is a 12 hour wait time for cremation
Call the person’s physician, as well as family, friends, and employer.
Make sure children, pets, or any other dependents the person was responsible for are taken care of.
within a few days after death
Obtain a death certificate with at least 4 copies, which will be needed by banks, insurance companies, and the government. The following fees are charged for a death certificate:
Washington DC: $18
Virginia: $12
Maryland: $10
Find out if the deceased has a letter of wishes outlining a funeral and burial plan, and determine if they had a prepaid burial plan.
As best you can, plan the funeral associated services if there is a plan.
Notify religious, military, or fraternal group to which the person belonged. Religious groups may be able to offer ritual support, burial benefits, or funeral services.
Take care of maintaining the deceased person’s home: throw out trash, clean out the refrigerator, water plants, and gather any bills.
If there is a legal will, take it to the town hall or city office for probate. The executor should start taking steps to execute the will, which may require opening a bank account for the deceased person’s estate.
Information needed for the death certificate
Full name
Social security number
Date and place of birth
Date and place of death
Occupation and highest level of education
Address of residence at time of death
Marital status and surviving spouse’s name, if applicable
Father’s full name
Mother’s full name, including maiden name
Veteran discharge papers, if applicable
Link to Washington DC Death Certificate Application
Home funerals
What is a home funeral? A home funeral is a service you conduct in the home, which is often more intimate for a funeral with a small number of attendees and allows you to avoid the cost of a service provided by a funeral home.
DMV area cemetery guide
Coming soon in downloadable PDF form!
caskets, flowers, urns, and other funeral products
This guide tells you where in the DMV area you can find funeral products and gives a price breakdown where possible. Coming soon in downloadable PDF form!
green funerals
What is a green burial? According to the Green Burial Council, “Green, or natural burial is a way of caring for the dead with minimal environmental impact that aids in the conservation of natural resources, reduction of carbon emissions, protection of worker health, and the restoration and/or preservation of habitat. Green burial necessitates the use of non-toxic and biodegradable materials, such as caskets, shrouds, and urns.”
the death positive movement
The death positive movement is a national movement that encourages people to talk openly and frankly about death, the dying process, and the funeral industry. This is a growing movement in DC, and there are a number of local resources getting off the ground. Even if you are not dying or close to someone who is, there is a growing community of people who gather for death-positive events such as death cafes (use this link to search by your zip code), where people of all ages and spiritualities meet to have conversations about death (for free!) or death positive book clubs. There is also a local podcast to share stories relating to death called The Death Diaries—if you or someone you know have a story you would like to be featured on the podcast, send us a note on our contact page.
For a general overview of the death positive movement, there are a number of websites, Youtube videos, podcasts and other resources available. You can find out more at The Order of the Good Death.
Death doulas
What is a death doula? A death doula (or death midwife/end of life guide) is somebody who supports a dying person and their family and loved ones in the dying process.
You may have heard of a birth doula, which is a person who offers support to a pregnant mother to guide them through the birthing process. A death doula plays a similar role for the person at end of life, which can encompass a wide variety of services, but mostly focus on emotional support.
There are a number of death doulas in the DC area, and they can be found by searching your zip code in this directory.