Revised Code of Washington
2023 Archive

Chapter 68.50 RCW
HUMAN REMAINS
PDF of Chapter Digest
PDF of Complete Chapter
Sections
68.50.010Coroner's jurisdiction over remains.
68.50.015Immunity for determining cause and manner of death—Judicial review of determination.
68.50.020Notice to coroner or medical examiner—Penalty.
68.50.032Transportation of remains directed by coroner or medical examiner—Costs.
68.50.035Unlawful to refuse burial to non-Caucasian.
68.50.040Deceased's effects to be listed.
68.50.050Removal or concealment of body—Penalty.
68.50.060Bodies for instruction purposes.
68.50.070Human remains—Disposition.
68.50.080Certificate and bond before receiving bodies.
68.50.090Penalty.
68.50.100Dissection, when permitted—Autopsy of person under the age of three years.
68.50.101Autopsy, postmortem—Who may authorize.
68.50.102Court petition for autopsy—Cost.
68.50.103Autopsies in industrial deaths.
68.50.104Cost of autopsy.
68.50.105Autopsies, postmortems—Reports and records confidential—Exceptions.
68.50.106Autopsies, postmortems—Analyses—Opinions—Evidence—Costs.
68.50.107State toxicological laboratory established—State toxicologist.
68.50.108Autopsies, postmortems—Consent to embalm, cremate body, or make final disposition—Time limitation.
68.50.110Burial, cremation, alkaline hydrolysis, or natural organic reduction.
68.50.115Coroner and medical examiner liability—Release of information.
68.50.120Holding body for debt—Penalty.
68.50.130Unlawful disposal of remains.
68.50.140Unlawful disturbance, removal, or sale of human remains—Penalty.
68.50.160Right to control disposition of remains—Liability of funeral establishment or cemetery authority—Liability for cost.
68.50.170Effect of authorization.
68.50.185Individual final disposition—Exception—Penalty.
68.50.200Permission to remove human remains.
68.50.210Notice for order to remove remains.
68.50.220Exceptions.
68.50.230Human remains that have not been disposed—Rules.
68.50.232Remains—Entrusting to funeral homes or mortuaries.
68.50.240Record of human remains to be kept.
68.50.270Possession of human remains.
68.50.290Corneal tissue for transplantation—Presumption of good faith.
68.50.300Release of information concerning a death.
68.50.310Dental identification system established—Powers and duties.
68.50.320Procedures for investigating missing persons—Availability of files.
68.50.325Indigenous persons—Identification of remains—Spiritual practices.
68.50.330Identification of body or human remains by dental examination—Comparison of dental examination records with dental records of dental identification system.
68.50.645Skeletal human remains—Duty to notify—Ground disturbing activities—Coroner determination—Definitions.
68.50.900Effective date—1987 c 331.
68.50.901Application—1993 c 228.
68.50.902Application—Construction—1993 c 228.
68.50.903Severability—1993 c 228.
68.50.904Short title—1993 c 228.
NOTES:
Burial-transit and disinterment permits—Final disposition of human remains: RCW 70.58A.210.
Coroners to submit blood samples to state toxicologist—Analysis—Utilization of reports: RCW 46.52.065.
County commissioners to dispose of remains of indigents: RCW 36.39.030.
Fetal deaths: Chapter 70.58A RCW.
Reports of death—Filing and registration requirements: RCW 70.58A.200.
Veterans and relatives: Chapter 73.24 RCW.