USPS now mandates its own $100+ shipping kit for cremated remains

As of March 1, 2025, USPS requires that all cremated remains — human or animal — be shipped using the Postal Service's own Cremated Remains Kit (BOX-CRE) via Priority Mail Express only. Customers can no longer use their own packaging, even if it meets identical protective standards. Priority Mail Express costs approximately $100+ depending on distance and weight, making it the most expensive USPS shipping tier. For families who had a loved one cremated in another state (common for snowbirds, military families, or people who die while traveling), this creates a forced cost of $100+ just to get the ashes home. Private carriers like FedEx and UPS refuse to ship cremated remains entirely, making USPS a legal monopoly for this service. The regulation was prompted by a Department of Commerce audit finding noncompliance with acceptance and labeling procedures, but critics argue the mandate is disproportionate: rather than fixing labeling enforcement, USPS created a mandatory product that extracts revenue from grieving families. The funeral industry has called the regulation 'ridiculous' given that the underlying problem — remains occasionally being lost in transit — could be solved with better tracking, not proprietary packaging.