Update: March 1st, 2025
USPS has announced a revision to the shipping of cremated remains. All shipments must now use the USPS Priority Mail Express Cremated Remains box (BOX-CRE). This special box will make identifying cremated remains in transit easier and ensure careful and swift delivery. It will replace the Label 139 system with effect from March 1st.
It should also be noted that USPS has refined the definition of shipping cremated remains to include remains being shipped, including jewelry, blown glass, or other artistic cremation artifacts.
The United States Postal Service introduced a labeling system in 2013 to make identifying parcels containing cremated remains easier. Before introducing label 139, customers would generally mark a package as “containing human cremated remains” to ensure postal workers handled the package with care.
This was partly in response to the increasing cremation rate and the ‘mishandling’ or loss of parcels mailed containing cremated remains.
Using BOX-CRE to Ship Cremated Remains
The introduction of the new BOX-CRE packaging and processing for shipping cremated remains should improve the handling of transporting such sensitive items. USPS offers 2 Cremated Remains postal kits, which can be ordered from the website for free.
Handling cremated remains is sensitive, and the United States Postal Service is the only carrier service by which you can mail them. As the cremation rate continues to increase and more families use USPS to ship remains, introducing improved labeling and packaging should help improve the careful handling of these ‘sensitive’ packages.
Mailing services for cremated remains
Cremated remains can be mailed through the United States Postal Service using the Priority Mail Express Cremated Remains Box.
Read our post about mailing cremated remains within the continental United States or internationally for more detailed information.
I have been researching and writing about the death care industry for the past fifteen years. End-of-life services and experiences are topics most people avoid thinking about until they must face them. My work provides comprehensive and independent resources for families, explaining the workings of the funeral industry, the laws governing funeral practices, and the death care trends that impact consumers. With a BA in Cultural Studies, I bring a unique perspective to analyzing cultural death care rituals, complemented by a career background in Business Management. The death care industry is undergoing significant changes, which I find fascinating. The shift towards cremation services and the emergence of sustainable alternatives like aquamation and human composting are of particular interest. I am also intrigued by how technology is reshaping the funeral planning process and experience. I write for US Funerals Online and DFS Memorials LLC, and contribute to various forums and publications within the death care industry.
