Who Decides About Your Body
RCW 68.50.160 — your own written wishes, witnessed, need no one else's consent
A person in Washington has the right to control the disposition of their own remains without anyone's consent before or after death. A valid written document expressing those wishes, signed in the presence of a witness, is sufficient legal authorization.
Prepaid plans hold. Prearrangements that are prepaid, or filed with a licensed funeral establishment or cemetery authority, are not subject to cancellation or substantial revision by survivors.
- A designated agent named in a written document signed and dated by the decedent in the presence of a witness.
- The surviving spouse or state registered domestic partner.
- A majority of the surviving adult children.
- The surviving parents.
- A majority of the surviving siblings.
- A court-appointed guardian at the time of death.
A person designated on a military emergency data form comes first for a decedent who died in military service. Anatomical gifts, the medical examiner's authority, the funeral home's own forms, and who pays for disposition when no one with the right will act are outside this page. A dispute between family members of equal rank is a question for a licensed Washington attorney, and in some states for a court.
Sources for this section (1)
- RCW 68.50.160 — Right to control disposition of remains
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Washington attorney.