# Lying in state - are the people put back in the fridge at night?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lying-in-state-are-the-people-put-back-in-the-fridge-at-night/971670>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 16, 2022, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lying-in-state-are-the-people-put-back-in-the-fridge-at-night/971670 "2022-09-16T12:45:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 19

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**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2022, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lying-in-state-are-the-people-put-back-in-the-fridge-at-night/971670/19 "2022-09-17T18:50:14Z")

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> [@Bootb](#):
>
> > [@Broomstick](#):
> >
> > There are quite a few funeral directors who will tell you embalming is required, not the least because they make money from the procedure. While it may be legally required if transporting a body across state lines in most instances embalming is actually optional.
> 
> At least some airlines have a corporate policy of requiring bodies to be embalmed. But I am not aware of any law that requires it.

As with so many things in the US it varies by state, it’s not (apparently) a Federal statute. [See here](https://funerals.org/2007/11/26/what-you-should-know-about-embalming/). Airlines making it a rule probably makes it more convenient for them, and eliminates the risk of accidentally breaking a state law.

Only Alabama and Alaska make it a firm law, five others require it when moving a body by “common carrier”. It is not always required, depending on state(s) and transport. If I recall correctly, [the chief pilot in this accident was not embalmed when transported for a funeral on a private airplane between Kentucky and Indiana.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-id-rather-be-wrong/156529). After a Hindu funeral he was cremated and his ashes taken back to India by his parents. So it’s not always required, but likely with commercial carriers often required.

People probably don’t want to know how often there are deceased passengers in the cargo hold of passenger airlines. It’s not like the folks downstairs would be making a lot of noise, right?

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