Texas funeral homes operate under a documentation system that requires careful attention to detail, steady accuracy, and familiarity with how the Texas Electronic Death Registration System works. TX-EDRS is mandatory for most filings in the state. While Texas allows more time than some states for filing the Death Certificate, small mistakes in any part of the paperwork can still cause serious delays. This guide covers the essential Texas Death Certificate Instructions and permit requirements for 2025 so that you can maintain a smooth workflow in every case.

Charon Compliance is building a simple tool that helps funeral homes complete Texas paperwork automatically, reducing retyping and preventing avoidable submission errors. You can join early access here!

 

1. Required Paperwork for Funeral Homes in Texas

 

Funeral homes in Texas must complete several core documents before final disposition. The process always begins with the Death Certificate and continues through the Burial Transit Permit if the remains will be buried, cremated, or transported across county or state lines.

 

A. Texas Death Certificate

The Death Certificate is the foundation of the entire case file. If the demographic information or the medical certification is inaccurate, everything that depends on it will be delayed.

 

Filing Deadline

 

Texas Health and Safety Code Section 193.003 requires the death certificate to be filed within 10 days after the date of death or the date the body is found. This timeline applies to all natural, accidental, and unattended deaths unless the Medical Examiner takes jurisdiction, which may add steps but does not change the filing deadline.

 

Filing System

 

Texas uses the Texas Electronic Death Registration System, often referred to as TX-EDRS. Almost all filings must go through this system. Only a few remote facilities that qualify for special exemptions may use alternate methods.

 

Common Causes of Rejection

 

Registrars in Texas often reject filings when the Cause of Death section is unclear or incomplete. This is one of the most common issues reported by funeral homes. Vague terms or missing intervals lead to immediate delays. Incorrect demographic information, mismatched dates, and incomplete facility names are also frequent problems. Since the Funeral Director portion and the Medical Certifier portion must align perfectly, even minor inconsistencies can slow the entire process.

 

B. Burial Transit Permit (BTP)

 

The Burial Transit Permit is the legal authorization for transporting or disposing of the body. It is required for burial, cremation, entombment, and any transfer out of the state.

 

Requirements

The funeral home cannot proceed with any final disposition until the BTP has been issued and verified.

 

Issuance

 

The local Registrar issues the BTP only after the Death Certificate has been fully filed and accepted in TX-EDRS. The permit relies entirely on the information entered into the electronic system.

 

Accuracy Requirement

 

The details on the permit must match the Death Certificate exactly. Errors in names, dates, or locations result in rejection until corrections are made in TX-EDRS. Because the permit is tied directly to the filed record, the only way to correct it is to correct the electronic filing first.

 

2. Cremation Requirements in Texas

 

Texas requires both a waiting period and, in specific situations, involvement from the Medical Examiner or Justice of the Peace.

 

A. Mandatory Waiting Period

 

Texas law requires a 48-hour waiting period after death before cremation may occur. This is stated in Health and Safety Code Section 716.003.

 

Waiver

 

The waiting period can be waived by either the Medical Examiner or the Justice of the Peace in the county where the death occurred. The waiver may be granted if there is no evidence of violence or suspicious circumstances. The waiver must be documented properly before cremation takes place.

 

B. Medical Examiner Approval Rules

 

Texas does not require ME approval for every cremation. Instead, approval is required only when the death falls under ME or JP jurisdiction. These situations include:

 

• unattended deaths

• deaths from trauma

• deaths from accidents

• suspected suicides or homicides

• sudden deaths where no physician is available to certify

• deaths that fall under any condition listed in Texas Health and Safety Code Section 711.002

 

If the attending physician has sufficient knowledge to certify the death and the death does not fall under ME or JP jurisdiction, cremation may proceed once the waiting period has passed and the permit is issued.

 

 

3. Local Variations in Texas

 

Texas uses a single statewide EDRS, but the procedures outside TX-EDRS vary by county. The largest variations occur in high-volume jurisdictions.

 

Harris County (Houston)

 

The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences manages an extremely high caseload. The office requires additional release procedures that are not part of TX-EDRS. Funeral homes often must complete internal forms or wait for separate ME clearance before the body is physically released.

 

Bexar County (San Antonio)

Bexar County also has strict rules for deaths under ME jurisdiction. The county requires certain documentation before the ME will release remains. These may include additional authorization forms, investigative summaries, or confirmation of identification.

These local rules do not replace state requirements. Instead, they add another set of steps that funeral homes must follow before disposition.

 

 

4. Filing Deadlines and Legal Requirements

 

Texas law sets clear deadlines for each stage.

 

• Death Certificate: must be filed within 10 days

• Cremation Approval: must be secured before cremation

• Burial Transit Permit: must be issued before burial, cremation, or transport

 

Missing the 10-day filing deadline can result in the certificate being labeled as a delayed filing. The Registrar may require added verification, and the case may be flagged for administrative review.

 

5. Texas Record Retention Requirements

 

Texas Administrative Code Section 203.25 requires funeral homes to retain records for a minimum of 7 years. This includes:

 

• arrangements

• authorizations

• disposition records

• signed cremation forms

• BTPs

• funeral service contracts

• preneed documentation

 

Records may be stored digitally if the funeral home maintains secure backups and can produce the documents promptly when requested.

 

 

6. Automating Texas Paperwork with Charon Compliance

 

The most challenging part of Texas documentation is the combination of electronic filing rules in TX-EDRS and the county-specific workflows that exist outside the state system. Funeral homes often retype the same information several times to meet different requirements. Errors are almost guaranteed when information is entered repeatedly.

Charon Compliance is building a tool that brings these steps together into a single workflow. With Charon, funeral homes will enter the data once. The system will then prepare the information for TX-EDRS, generate the necessary authorization forms, produce a consistent Burial Transit Permit, and flag cases where ME or JP approval is required.

If you want a simpler, faster way to handle Texas documentation, you can join early access here!