The Crematory Regulation Act licenses crematories (the Comptroller issues those licenses). We found no Illinois license or permit for a boat operator who scatters ashes for a fee. We did not confirm whether the Cemetery Oversight Act or funeral-director licensing could reach a paid scattering service.

Not stated for scattering services.

410 ILCS 18/40(b) lists where cremated remains may go: a grave, crypt or niche; a 'scattering area' (a cemetery area or designated IDNR land); 'in any manner whatever' on private property with the owner's consent; and, under Public Act 104-0124, an Illinois river without an IDNR permit, but only when the person's religion requires water scattering, for one person, spread widely, out of sight of public areas, and with only the ashes (no ID disc or metal parts). Lake Michigan is not mentioned. No distance-from-shore rule exists because the statute does not authorize lake scattering at all.

The law mentions scattering 'at sea' only in the rule against mixing different people's ashes, which suggests it was written with water scattering in mind but does not grant permission for it. We found no Illinois EPA rule, IDNR rule, or Chicago Park District rule that addresses ashes on Lake Michigan. The bed of Lake Michigan in Illinois is state-owned public land, managed by IDNR.

In the ocean, cremated remains can be scattered at least 3 nautical miles from land, at any depth. No permit is needed in advance; the captain reports each scattering to the EPA within 30 days.

Not applicable. Illinois has no ocean coast. Lake Michigan is inland water, so the EPA 3 nm rule and the 30-day EPA report do not apply.

We couldn’t confirm these from official sources yet. Ask the agency before relying on them.