Scattering rules / Washington
Scattering ashes in Washington
Yes. Washington expressly allows scattering on 'public navigable waters under state control, including Puget Sound', so no 3 nm run is needed inside the Sound. However, a captain who scatters for families as a business must hold a Final Disposition of Human Remains permit from the Department of Licensing (Funeral and Cemetery Board). The captain must also give each family a certificate of disposition and keep records for 7 years.
Captain license
Required
Final Disposition of Human Remains Permit (cremated remains disposition permit)
Bays and inland waters
Allowed
Ocean
3+ nautical miles from land
Federal rule. Report to the EPA within 30 days.
Final Disposition of Human Remains Permit (cremated remains disposition permit)
RCW 68.05.195 says anyone other than the persons listed in RCW 68.50.160 (the family members and others with the right to control disposition) who 'buries or scatters human remains by land, air, or sea' must have a permit. WAC 308-47A-020 says that a designee who regularly or occasionally disposes of remains for others must register for this permit, unless the disposition happens in a dedicated cemetery. Apply on form CEM-650-008, which has a 'Boat' checkbox, or online through DOL. The fee is $95 per the DOL form (the state ORIA permit handbook lists $70). The permit is valid for 1 year and is renewed each year. The renewal form must report the number of dispositions done in the past year, or the permit is automatically suspended. Contact: funerals@dol.wa.gov, (360) 664-1555.
Not reporting the annual count automatically suspends the permit (WAC 308-47A-040). The form warns that false information can lead to denial, suspension or revocation. No specific criminal penalty for unpermitted scattering was confirmed.
Washington State Department of Licensing - Funeral and Cemetery Board · Official page
Before the scattering
Final Disposition permit (held by the captain or business)
Who: Captain · From: WA Department of Licensing, Funeral and Cemetery Board
Source
Written authorization from the person with the right to control disposition (RCW 68.50.160), designating the captain to scatter
Who: Family / authorizing agent · From: Family
Source
Burial-transit permit before cremation (handled by the funeral home or crematory)
Who: Funeral home · From: Local health officer / registrar (RCW 70.58A.210)
Source
After the scattering
Certificate of disposition given to the authorizing agent, listing the deceased's name, date, location and manner of disposition, the authorizing agent, and the arranging funeral home or crematory
Deadline: Not stated (give it after the scattering) · To: Authorizing agent (family)
Source
Annual count of dispositions, reported on the permit renewal form
Deadline: At each yearly renewal · To: WA Department of Licensing
Source
EPA burial-at-sea report, only for scatterings in the Pacific Ocean
Deadline: Within 30 days · To: U.S. EPA Region 10 (Seattle)
Source
Bays, harbors and inland waters
Allowed
WAC 308-47A-020 lists 'public navigable waters under state control, including Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, rivers, streams, and lakes' as places where remains may be scattered. No distance-from-shore rule and no per-event permit applies. The business-wide DOL disposition permit is still required for paid scattering.
Puget Sound is inland water, so the EPA 3 nm rule does not apply there. Commercial scattering services are NOT allowed on DNR-managed state trust lands (DOL FAQ). That rule covers land, not the water. No Department of Ecology rule on ash scattering was found.
In the ocean
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.
For the Pacific Ocean, WAC 308-47A-020 requires scattering beyond the mean lower low water mark, under the EPA General Permit for Burial at Sea (3+ nm), with a report to EPA Region 10 within 30 days. No other extra state rules were found.
Also know
Scatter only the contents. Do not drop or throw the urn. Dispose of the container, ID label and metal disc separately (DOL FAQ).
Keep disposition records for 7 years, available for Board inspection (WAC 308-47A-040).
Give each family a certificate of disposition (WAC 308-47A-040).
Comply with all other laws, such as Coast Guard security zones and local park rules.
City by city
Puget Sound
Inside waters: Allowed
Puget Sound (inland waters) from ports such as Seattle, Tacoma, Everett, Edmonds, Gig Harbor, Bremerton
Allowed anywhere on the Sound's public navigable waters (WAC 308-47A-020), so no 3 nm run is needed. Avoid Navy restricted areas and security zones (Naval Base Kitsap Bremerton and Bangor, Everett naval station), ferry lanes and terminals, and Coast Guard security zones. The disposition permit is statewide. The registrar depends on the county where death occurred, and the funeral home handles it.
Permits and filings: Local health jurisdiction vital records for the county of death (e.g. Pierce, Snohomish, Kitsap). Only the burial-transit permit before cremation goes through them; nothing is filed after scattering.
Seattle
Inside waters: Allowed
Elliott Bay and central Puget Sound
Allowed on Puget Sound (WAC 308-47A-020). Stay clear of the Elliott Bay ferry terminal and ferry lanes, cruise terminals, Port of Seattle shipping areas, and Coast Guard security zones. Nothing is filed with King County after scattering. Families give their certificate of disposition from the captain to whoever needs it.
Permits and filings: Public Health - Seattle & King County, Vital Statistics (burial-transit permits are issued before cremation)
Still being confirmed
We couldn’t confirm these from official sources yet. Ask the agency before relying on them.
The exact current permit fee: the DOL form says $95 and the ORIA handbook says $70.
The criminal or civil penalty for scattering for hire without the permit was not confirmed.
WAC 308-48 (funeral establishments) has no scattering section. Scattering rules now sit in WAC 308-47A, after WAC 98-60 was repealed in 2020.
Sources
RCW 68.05.195 - Burial or scatter of human remains, permit
RCW 68.50.160 - Right to control disposition
RCW 68.50.110 - Remains to be buried or cremated
WAC 308-47A-020 - Final disposition of reduced human remains, permit
WAC 308-47A-040 - Records and documentation
DOL form CEM-650-008 - Final Disposition of Human Remains Permit Application
DOL FAQ - Funerals and cemeteries
ORIA Permit Handbook - Final Disposition of Reduced Human Remains
U.S. EPA - Burial at Sea
Last checked October 15, 2026. This is a plain-language summary, not legal advice.