Burial transit permit (also referred to as a removal permit) is a requirement under state law for the deceased to be transferred to the place of burial or disposition. A burial transit permit may be a separate document from a burial permit, which is the permit that allows for a body to be buried, or the permit may include both transit and burial together. The permit will not be issued before the physician or other official completes a certificate of death. Once this happens, the burial transit permit can be completed which typically includes details about the identity of the body, cause of death, funeral directors, and place of burial.
The permit often is issued by an official within the health department or a clerk, but the requirements vary between jurisdictions with many allowing funeral directors to issue the permits. The funeral director typically handles acquiring the necessary permits, but a person seeking an at-home burial or otherwise not using a funeral director may have to acquire the burial transit permit.
In some states, a burial transit permit can only be issued to individuals with a license or registration with a state agency. For example, Maryland requires those transporting bodies to go through certain education requirements and either work for a registered transporter service or be registered as a transporter (see this set of Maryland rules for registered transporters). In some states, a person can receive a burial transit permit without being registered as a transporter. Typically, states require registration and heightened requirements for the transfer of bodies if the death was caused by a communicable disease.
[Last updated in September of 2023 by the Wex Definitions Team]