Transporting the body yourself
Yes, you can. Here's how.
In Australia, you are legally allowed to transport a body in a private vehicle — to a funeral home, a crematorium, a cemetery, or between homes. Most people don't know this. Here are the practicalities.
The legal position
There is no law in any Australian state that requires a licensed funeral director to transport a body. You can transport a body in any vehicle — a station wagon, a ute, a van. You need a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (or Coroner's order) with the body.
Some crematoriums and cemeteries may have their own policies about how the body arrives. Check in advance.
How
- Wrap the body in a clean sheet or shroud
- Place on a flat surface inside the vehicle — the back of a station wagon, a van, or a ute with a canopy
- Secure so the body doesn't shift during transport
- Drive gently
- Have the death certificate or MCCD with you
- Two people makes the physical work safer
It is gentler than it sounds
Many families who transport the body themselves describe it as one of the most meaningful parts of the whole process — a final journey together, in their own car, at their own pace. It is not morbid. It is love doing the last practical thing it can.
See all 27 guides in When someone dies →
From bluetulipco.com/library/after-death/transporting — printed 1 October 2026.
General information only — not a substitute for legal, medical, financial, or therapeutic advice. Read the full disclaimer.
Spotted something wrong, or out of date? Tell us.