- An urn in not required by California law to store human remains. Hence, a sealed urn is not required. It is not clear that any legal rulings have called these points into question.
- California law does require that cremated remains be stored in a durable container and be treated responsibly. It isn't clear that a sealed container is required by law, although one might think that using a sealed container would be the responsible way to proceed. It is not clear that any California cases have addressed this point, nor is it clear who would bring a case to court about non-sealed urns.
- California law requires that places where remains are stored be registered with the County Health Department.
Ashes may also be scattered, but that is a separate legal situation. In that case there are special regulations to think of, requiring for example permission from landowners. Ask the crematorium about current California regulations, if you are interested in scattering the ashes of a loved one.
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