Instructions for Shipping Ashes

Click to View Video  - How to package and ship cremated remains, sending ashes by mail

Your Funeral Home, Mortuary, or Crematory can assist you in shipping ashes. They may also be able to help you in mailing ashes to us directly for scattering ashes at sea. Please see below.

Items to Mail to our Office:

• If we are obtaining the permit for you, we will need an original death certificate & any disposition papers you received from your Funeral Home or Mortuary so that we may obtain a California Burial Permit. If you already have the California Burial Permit that states disposition as "At sea off the coast of Marin County" then we don't need a death certificate. 
• A Letter of Authorization (the Next of Kin Authorization letter is included below and may be emailed) 

Cremated Remains may only be shipped using Priority Mail Express. This will ensure you have a tracking number from the post office. No other service is permitted. We are not responsible for ashes during transit. 

Pack the cremains in a siftproof container. The original plastic bag provided by the crematory is sufficient for a siftproof container. Put the siftproof container in a padded shipping box – Cremated Remains Kits can be ordered Free of Charge from the Postal Store on usps.com. You can visit your local post office to have the package shipped.

The US Postal Service is now requiring the use of label 139 on all shipped Cremated Remains. You may use any box of your choice but are required to apply Label 139 to the package (available for order on The Postal Store® or from a retail counter) on all sides including the top and bottom. The use of Label 139 is required to ensure visibility and importance of the package contents.

Information that must be included in your package:

• Your name
• Your relationship to the deceased 
• Your complete address 
• A phone number where we can reach you 
• Your e-mail address if you have one  
• Any other information you feel we need to know 

Mail the cremated remains to:  

          Ashes On The Bay

          3001 Bridgeway K-172

          Sausalito, CA. 94965

Visit your local post office to have the package shipped. 

Your loved one's ashes will be scattered at sea usually within 2 weeks of receipt. California law requires ashes be scattered within 60 days of receipt. We will send you the coordinates when we have dispersed the ashes. If you wish to be called before scattering ashes, please let us know prior to mailing ashes.