Cash advance items
Charges the funeral home pays to a third party on the family's behalf and passes through — death certificates, clergy honoraria, obituary placement, flowers.
By federal law, the funeral home cannot mark up cash advance items without disclosing the markup in writing. In practice, most homes do mark them up — typically 10–30% — and the disclosure is buried in small print. Families can almost always pay these third parties directly and skip the markup.
Common cash advance items: certified death certificates ($5–$30 each in 2026, varies by county), clergy or celebrant honorarium ($150–$500), obituary placement in a newspaper ($100–$1,500 depending on paper and length), flowers, musicians, and police escort for the funeral procession.
- GPL (General Price List)— The itemized price list every funeral home in the US is legally required to give you on request — in person, by phone, or by email.
- Death certificate— The official government document recording the death. Required for almost everything that comes after — bank accounts, insurance, Social Security, probate, transferring property.
This definition is general consumer information, not legal, medical, or financial advice. Industry practices and regulations change occasionally; verify before relying on anything here for a specific decision.
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