Burial at Sea in Oregon
Oregon has 363 miles of open Pacific coastline and almost no sheltered water — which makes it unusual among US states. There is no Puget Sound or Chesapeake Bay here to complicate the rules; every burial at sea off Oregon happens in federal ocean water under a single set of EPA regulations. What varies is the port you leave from, how far you have to travel to reach legal depth, and how rough the crossing is on the day.
Oregon Burial at Sea: Legal Requirements
Federal EPA Rules
All burial at sea off the Oregon coast falls under the EPA's Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA), administered here by EPA Region 10 in Seattle, which covers Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Alaska. The authorization is a general permit, meaning there is no application to file in advance — but there is a mandatory report afterward.
- Cremated remains: scattered at least 3 nautical miles from land, at any depth. Beaches, tidepools and the surf line do not qualify.
- Non-cremated remains: at least 3 nautical miles from land and in water at least 600 feet deep, prepared so the body sinks rapidly and permanently.
- Both: report the burial to EPA Region 10 within 30 days. Only biodegradable flowers, wreaths and urns may go into the water.
Oregon State Law
Oregon takes an unusually light touch. There is no state law controlling where cremated remains may be kept or scattered — the general cemetery and disposition statutes in ORS 97 apply, but they do not restrict scattering location the way some states do. On private land you need the owner's permission; on public land, city, county and federal land-management rules may apply.
The state's role is licensing, not location. Anyone in the business of scattering remains, selling interment rights, or establishing a permanent memorial must be licensed with the Oregon Mortuary and Cemetery Board (OMCB). If you are paying a company to scatter on your behalf, that company should hold an OMCB license — it is worth asking, and the Board will confirm.
Paperwork
Disposition is recorded through the death certificate rather than a separate sea-burial permit. The person signing as sexton — which may be the funeral service practitioner or a family member acting in that role — returns the second page to the County Registrar in the county where the death occurred. Do not send the death certificate to the EPA; the EPA wants only its own burial-at-sea report, filed within 30 days. Carry a copy of the death certificate aboard for the captain's records.
Full Body Burial at Sea from Oregon
Full body burial at sea is a different undertaking from ash scattering, and it cannot be booked as a simple charter. It requires a licensed funeral director, specialized preparation of the remains, and a vessel capable of reaching water at least 600 feet deep — which, off much of Oregon, is a long way out.
The continental shelf is the constraint. Off the central and southern Oregon coast the shelf runs broad and shallow, so reaching 100 fathoms can mean a substantial offshore passage; national operators quote runs of anywhere from a few miles to many tens of miles depending on the port. The one clear exception is at the northern end: the head of the Astoria Canyon cuts in toward the mouth of the Columbia River, putting legal depth roughly 6 nautical miles offshore. That is why the northern Oregon coast and southwest Washington, either side of the same river bar, are the practical center of full-body sea burial in the Pacific Northwest.
How the fees work
Expect two bills. The funeral home is contracted and paid separately for permits, preparation of the body, the shroud or weighted casket, ballast, transportation and documentation. The vessel operator supplies the boat and crew and conducts the committal. Ask both parties for a written breakdown, and establish which of them is filing the EPA Region 10 notification. Nationally marketed packages commonly land north of $12,000 once the shroud, ballast and administrative fees are added; the nearest local alternative, across the river in Washington, is roughly half that.
Attendance
Family attendance is optional and is often declined. Many providers will carry out the burial with no family aboard and return the log entry, chart coordinates and photographs afterward. Where families do attend, numbers are limited by the vessel — six is common on a sportfishing boat — and by the weather. The Columbia River Bar is not called the Graveyard of the Pacific for nothing, and winter crossings are genuinely rough.
Oregon Burial at Sea Providers
Operators serving the Oregon coast. Listings are informational only — OceanFarewell has no commercial relationship with any of them, and no endorsement is implied. Prices shown were published by the providers and may have changed; verify licensing, OMCB registration where applicable, EPA compliance and current pricing directly.
Full Body Burial at Sea
New England Burials at Sea — Oregon Service Area
A national burial-at-sea operator founded in 2006, sailing Oregon from Astoria, Newport and Depoe Bay. It does not employ its own funeral directors — full body burials are coordinated through a network of participating "sea burial certified" Oregon funeral directors, so expect a separate funeral home bill on top of the charter fee. Charters run out to 100 fathoms. Published rates list the burial shroud and ballast weights as separate items, plus an 18% administrative fee. Booking for every port, Astoria included, goes through its Massachusetts office on the toll-free line below — there is no local Oregon number, and the main office keeps Eastern hours, so an afternoon call from the coast may not be answered.
Published: full body from about $9,750 unattended · shroud $2,675–$2,875 and ballast about $375–$395 extra · ash scattering from $1,375 unattended · plus 18% admin fee · call (877) 897-7700
Ashes on the Sea
Operating since 1997, with ash scattering roughly 3 nautical miles west of Newport and full body burial at sea offered on the West Coast. Also arranges memorial reef placement and pet memorial services, and provides photography of the ceremony. Full body availability varies by port — confirm for Newport specifically when you call.
Call for pricing: (877) 277-2799
Penttila's Chapel by The Sea (Washington — same river bar)
Worth including on an Oregon page because it sits fifteen minutes across the Astoria–Megler Bridge and buries over the same canyon. A family-owned funeral home of more than 60 years, committing about 6 nautical miles offshore using a chartered vessel out of Ilwaco. The unembalmed body is wrapped in a 100% biodegradable custom shroud and weighted with roughly 160 lb of stone ballast; up to 20 guests can attend. Currently the least expensive full-service option on this stretch of coast.
Published: full body burial at sea $6,900 · see our Washington page · call (360) 642-8885
U.S. Navy Burial at Sea Program
Open to active duty members, retirees, honorably discharged veterans, and eligible dependents. The Navy performs the committal from a ship at sea at no charge, and afterward returns the flag, photographs, and a chart showing the position. Family members cannot attend, and the timing depends on the ship's schedule — this can take months. The family arranges transport of the remains; a local funeral home handles preparation.
No cost to eligible families · Naval Base Kitsap: (360) 475-4313 · national Mortuary Affairs line: (866) 787-0081
Ash Scattering Charters
Cremated remains are far simpler, and Oregon has a good spread of USCG-certified charter operators along the coast who will run the required 3 nautical miles out and provide coordinates afterward. Several also offer an unattended service where the captain scatters on your behalf and the family watches from shore.
Sea Services
Ash scattering and cremated-remains urn committals from three Oregon ports, with attended private family charters running about 1.5–2 hours dock to dock, and an unattended captain's service with documentation. Can expedite within 24–48 hours where a religious timeline requires it, and has a dedicated veterans' service. Cremated remains only — not a full body burial provider.
Published: captain's service from $325 · family charter on request · call (888) 404-9880
Garibaldi Charters
Scattering aboard the Alaska Sunrise, a working fishing vessel with indoor seating, a head, and life jackets for all passengers — up to 22 passengers plus crew, which makes it one of the larger-group options on the north coast. Standard trip runs 3 miles offshore in about 1.5 hours; longer runs to Oceanside or Cannon Beach are available. A written record with the release coordinates is provided. Season runs July–September, with April–June weather permitting.
Published: $800 standard (~1.5 hrs) · Oceanside $1,200 (~3 hrs) · Cannon Beach $1,600 (~4 hrs) · call (503) 812-8224
Newfin Charters
Private memorial services aboard the Bluefin, taking up to six family members and friends out past the required three nautical miles, typically two hours or more depending on the location chosen. A memorial certificate and the GPS coordinates are provided afterward. An unattended option is also offered which can be watched from the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse.
Published: $450 for up to 6 passengers · call (503) 910-5649
Dockside Charters
The largest-capacity memorial option on the Oregon coast, with certified vessels carrying up to 40 passengers and the ceremony held on the after deck. Services run roughly 30–45 minutes on the water. Specific locations along the Depoe Bay coastline can be requested within limits, and the crew will scatter for families unable to attend, with the option to watch from shore. Captains provide exact latitude and longitude of the memorial site.
Call for pricing: (541) 765-2545
Tradewinds Charters
A long-established Depoe Bay operator running memorial charters from its own dock, with families able to choose a location along the coast or a spot of personal significance. Coordinates of the scattering are provided. Tradewinds is also the vessel used by Portland Cremation Center for its Depoe Bay scattering service, so you may encounter them under either name.
Call for pricing: (541) 765-2345
Funeral Homes and Coordination
- Ocean View Funeral & Cremation Services · Astoria, OR · (503) 338-7200
Serving the northern Oregon coast and lower Columbia since 2008. A starting point for the funeral-director side of a sea burial at the deep-water end of the coast. - Portland Cremation Center · Portland, OR · (503) 665-4200 / (877) 812-1900
Collects the cremated remains from your funeral home, transports them to Depoe Bay, charters the vessel, handles the EPA notification and returns a certificate with the vessel name, date, time and coordinates. Useful if the family is inland and does not want to make the drive. Cremated remains only. - Affordable Burial & Cremation · Newport, OR · (541) 265-7111
A central-coast funeral home close to the Newport charter fleet.
Know an Oregon provider that belongs on this page? Let us know.
Departure Ports Along the Oregon Coast
Oregon's coast is a working coastline, and almost every service leaves from a commercial fishing port. Which one you choose usually comes down to the family's connection to a place, how far you are willing to drive, and whether you need deep water.
- Astoria — the mouth of the Columbia, and the only Oregon port with genuinely close deep water thanks to the Astoria Canyon. The natural choice for full body burial, and the crossing of the Columbia River Bar makes it the most weather-dependent departure in the state.
- Garibaldi — Tillamook Bay, roughly 90 minutes from Portland. The most accessible port for a large family group from the metro area.
- Depoe Bay — the world's smallest navigable harbor, and the busiest memorial port on the coast, with several established operators working from the same small basin. Grey whales are resident offshore through the summer.
- Newport — Yaquina Bay, with a substantial charter fleet, the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse as a shore vantage point for unattended services, and easy road access on US 20.
- Coos Bay / Charleston — the largest port on the southern coast, and the practical option for families in Roseburg, Bandon or the southern interior.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I scatter ashes from an Oregon beach or from shore?
Not into the sea, no. The EPA's rule is 3 nautical miles from land, and it specifically does not permit scattering on beaches or in tidepools. Oregon's entire shoreline is public beach under the 1967 Beach Bill, which sometimes leads people to assume scattering there is unrestricted — the state may not restrict it, but the federal marine rule still does. If the family cannot go out on the water, the standard alternative is an unattended service where the captain scatters offshore and the family watches from a headland or lighthouse.
Do I need a permit to scatter ashes in Oregon?
Not a state permit. Oregon has no law controlling where cremated remains may be kept or scattered, so a family scattering privately does not apply for anything. Two obligations still bind: the scattering must meet the federal 3 nautical mile rule if it is at sea, and the EPA must be notified within 30 days. If you are hiring a company to do it, that company must hold an Oregon Mortuary and Cemetery Board license.
What is the best time of year for a service on the Oregon coast?
July through September, comfortably. The Pacific off Oregon is exposed with no sheltered alternative, and the northwest swell from October through April regularly cancels charters — several operators simply do not run memorial trips in winter. Summer brings calmer seas, longer daylight for a late-afternoon ceremony, and the resident grey whales off Depoe Bay. Book with slack in the schedule; a weather cancellation is common enough that most operators will rebook rather than sail in bad conditions.
Is a full body burial at sea from Oregon cheaper than a conventional funeral?
Sometimes, but not reliably. The vessel time required to reach 600 feet of water off Oregon is the cost driver, and nationally marketed packages typically exceed $12,000 once the shroud, ballast and administrative fees are counted — comparable to or above a conventional burial. The exception is the northern end of the coast, where the short run to the Astoria Canyon brings the total down substantially. Ash scattering is a different matter entirely, running from a few hundred dollars for an unattended service to around $1,600 for a long attended charter.
Can a family from Portland or the Willamette Valley arrange this without going to the coast?
Yes, for cremated remains. Portland Cremation Center and several coastal operators will collect the remains, run the service, file the EPA notification and return a certificate with the coordinates — the family never has to make the drive. For a full body burial the family still needs a funeral home, but that firm handles the transport to the port.
Legal & Regulatory Contacts
- EPA Region 10 (Pacific Northwest): epa.gov — Ocean Burial Notification
- Oregon Mortuary & Cemetery Board: oregon.gov/mortcem · (971) 673-1500
- Oregon Health Authority — Vital Records: oregon.gov/oha
- NOAA Marine Sanctuaries: sanctuaries.noaa.gov
- NFDA (National Funeral Directors Association): nfda.org
Explore Pacific Northwest Neighbors
- Burial at Sea in Washington State — the other side of the Columbia bar
- Burial at Sea in California
- Burial at Sea in Canada (BC Coast)
- View All US States