Tracker: Where Is Human Composting Legal In The US?

Updated: August 4th, 2026

Note: The table on this page is kept up to date to reflect the legal status of human composting in each state in the US. It can be considered an accurate snapshot of the legislative landscape at any given time.

Human composting is currently legal in fourteen states: Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, Maine, Vermont, Georgia, Minnesota, and New York. Several other states are actively considering legalization, and bodies can also be legally transported across state lines, which makes this option available to more families.

Human composting is referred to as natural organic reduction in legislation, and is commonly known elsewhere as soil transformation. As an environmentally-friendly alternative to cremation and burial, it appeals to individuals and families looking for a gentle return to nature and a funeral choice that supports land restoration.

This guide is for people planning now or ahead who want clear information on where human composting is legal, how the soil transformation process works, what legislation is pending, and how to arrange services through Earth Funeral, including transport options when needed.

Bills can be proposed multiple times. If a bill does not pass in a legislative session, it can simply be reintroduced in the next session. This has been the case with human composting bills in multiple states.

What is Human Composting (Natural Organic Reduction)?

Human composting is one of several end-of-life care options, offering an alternative to traditional burial methods and burial or cremation. human composting involves placing the human body in a vessel with wood chips, alfalfa, and straw, where microbes break it down into organic matter that is transformed into nutrient-rich soil over several weeks..

The cubic yard of fertile soil produced from human composting is well suited for conserving and restoring land. This means that families can use some of the soil for memorialization, though certain returned soil is not permitted for food crops, while the rest can nourish plants such as flower gardens or be used for conservation projects. Soil health is fundamental for reforestation, erosion control and revitalizing challenged ecosystems. When using returned soil for planting, potting, or spreading on public or private land, we recommend verifying and following all local laws and regulations, as these vary by location.

Human composting is therefore friendly to the environment both during and after the actual process. The environmental benefits include using fewer resources than traditional methods, making it a more sustainable option than traditional burial or cremation. Typical costs are about $5,000–$7,000, compared to a starting cost of $7,000 for cremation services and $10,000–$15,000 for traditional burial.

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Where is Human Composting Legal?

All disposition methods are strictly regulated in the US. State laws must expressly provide for Natural Organic Reduction, making human composting legal only where providers can offer it, and the process must occur in licensed, state-regulated facilities.

In states where the process is legal, operators must obtain a license from the state's funeral regulator before providing services.

In states where the process is not yet legal, human composting may still be available to residents. Families can often arrange interstate transport of remains through a funeral home or trusted partners to a licensed facility in a neighboring state where the process is permitted.

Washington State was the first state to legalize human composting in 2019, with the law taking effect in May 2020. This relatively new concept in the funeral industry continues to evolve, and states regularly introduce bills to legalize human composting and bring human composting to more residents.

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The table below outlines where human composting is legal, and separately, where Earth’s human composting services are available.

Even if your state hasn’t passed human composting laws yet, we may still be able to help. In many states, we can arrange transport to one of our licensed facilities and return the soil to your family.

Use the “Availability” column to check if services are:

• Available from Earth Funeral
• Not available yet in your state

About Earth

At Earth, we call our proprietary human composting process ‘soil transformation' as part of a changing funeral industry focused on greener death care options. We operate from the largest and most advanced facilities in the world, and our services are currently available in Arizona, California, Idaho, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, and Washington.

We offer services for those who have an immediate need, as well as those looking to plan ahead for the future. The U.S. funeral service industry generates about $20 billion annually, which helps explain growing demand for new sustainable services.

If you are interested in our human composting services, you can get a personalized quote here. We also have a number of useful articles in our Guide, covering green funeral practices, end-of-life planning and more.