Aquamation essentially does what it says on the tin: it disposes of a body using water instead of flame. It is, therefore, deemed a more natural, ethical, and environmentally friendly alternative to cremation or burial.
It is also referred to as water cremation, hydro cremation, or bio cremation. The scientific term for this process is alkaline hydrolysis, which was developed in the late 19th century for use on livestock.
Alkaline hydrolysis is currently legal in 28 states. However, this number is constantly in flux as statutes change or are repealed. Bills to pass approval for Alkaline Hydrolysis are presently pending in an additional six states.
To find availability of Aquamation in your State/city and water cremation prices – visit our U.S. directory of Aquamation Providers.
We expect to see more states enact aquamation legislation as demand for a greener alternative to flame cremation increases. Not to mention that gas prices continue to rise.
Although aquamation is legal in 28 states, not all have funeral service providers that have adopted the technology.
To learn more about aquamation, read our post “Aquamation or Resomation: A ‘Green’ Alternative to the traditional Funeral”.
| State | Current Status 2026 | Further Details |
| Alabama | Legal and available in the state | Alkaline hydrolysis was legalized in California in 2017, and the law went into effect in 2020 (Section 7611.9 of the California Business and Professions Code). |
| Alaska | No legislation passed | Currently, there are no laws or regulations governing alkaline hydrolysis in Alaska. |
| Arizona | Legal | Funeral Homes offering – unknown |
| Arkansas | No legislation passed | Currently, there are no laws or regulations governing alkaline hydrolysis in Arkansas. |
| California | Legal and available in the state | Alkaline hydrolysis is legal in Connecticut, as evidenced by Substitute Senate Bill No. 142. It is available in some funeral homes. |
| Colorado | Legal without explicit statute | Alkaline hydrolysis was legalized in 2011 in Colorado when the state changed the definition of cremation (Colorado Statutes § 12-54-102.) |
| Connecticut | Legal and available in the state | Alkaline hydrolysis is legal in Connecticut, as seen in the Substitute Senate Bill No. 142. It is available in some funeral homes. |
| Delaware | No legislation passed | State Gov. David Y. Ige passed legislation and made alkaline hydrolysis legal in Delaware |
| Florida | Legal and available in the state | Florida was one of the first states to legalize alkaline hydrolysis by gradually expanding its definition of “cremation” to include methods not pertaining to incineration (Florida Statutes § 497.005.). |
| Georgia | Legal without explicit statute | Alkaline hydrolysis was legalized in 2012 in Georgia when they changed the state’s definition of cremation (Ga. Code Ann. 43-18-1.). However, not many funeral homes still offer aquamation. |
| Hawaii | Legal as of July 2022 – HB 1894 signed into law | Currently, there are no laws or regulations governing alkaline hydrolysis in Hawaii. |
| Idaho | Legal but not available in the state | Although alkaline hydrolysis was legalized in Idaho in 2014, when the Senate Commerce & Human Resources Committee amended the Rules of the State Board of Morticians, no funeral homes currently offer aquamation. |
| Illinois | Legal and available in the state | Alkaline hydrolysis was legalized in 2012 in Illinois when they changed the state’s definition of cremation to include the process (See 410 ILCS § 18/5.). Several funeral homes now offer aquamation. |
| Indiana | No legislation passed | Currently, there are no laws or regulations governing alkaline hydrolysis in Indiana. |
| Iowa | No legislation passed | No legislation has been passed, but is pending |
| Kansas | Legal but not available in the state | Alkaline hydrolysis was legalized in Kansas in 2011 when the state expanded its definition of cremation to include other methods than just “direct exposure to intense heat and flame” (Kansas Statutes § 65-1760.). No funeral homes in Kansas currently offer aquamation. However, it is offered in Kansas City, Missouri. |
| Kentucky | No legislation has been passed, but it is pending | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis in Kentucky. |
| Louisiana | No Legislation passed | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis in Louisiana. |
| Maine | Legal without explicit statute | No legislation has been passed, but it is pending |
| Maryland | Legal but not available in the state | Alkaline hydrolysis was legalized in Maryland in 2010 when the state changed the definition of cremation to include processes other than heat and flame (Maryland Business Regulation Code § 5-101.). However, there is currently no facility in Maryland offering the process for human remains. |
| Massachusetts | No Legislation passed | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis. |
| Michigan | Legal | Alkaline hydrolysis was legalized, but it has not been adopted by funeral homes yet. |
| Minnesota | Legal and available in the state | Alkaline hydrolysis was legalized in 2003. |
| Mississippi | No legislation passed | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis in Mississippi. |
| Missouri | Legal without explicit statute | There are no laws/ statutes explicitly allowing alkaline hydrolysis in Missouri. However, the process is considered a legal final disposition method as it falls within the state’s definition of “cremation” (See 20 CSR 2120-2.071). Several funeral homes offer aquamation in Missouri. |
| Montana | No legislation passed | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis in Montana. |
| Nebraska | No legislation passed | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis in Nebraska. |
| Nevada | Legal and available in the state | Alkaline hydrolysis was legalized in Nevada in 2017 when Assembly Bill 205 was passed, which included a specific definition of alkaline hydrolysis. Several funeral homes offer aquamation in Nevada. |
| New Hampshire | Alkaline hydrolysis was legalized in Nevada in 2017 with the passage of Assembly Bill 205, which included a specific definition of the process. Several funeral homes offer aquamation in Nevada. | Alkaline hydrolysis was legalized in New Hampshire in 2006 before being repealed in 2008. An attempt was made to pass a new bill in 2013, but it failed. One funeral home in Jaffrey currently works with a facility in Maine and sends human remains there to be legally processed. |
| New Jersey | No legislation passed | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis in New Jersey. |
| New Mexico | No legislation passed | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis in New Mexico. |
| New York | No legislation passed | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis in New York. |
| North Carolina | Legal and available in the state | Alkaline hydrolysis was legalized in North Carolina in 2018 when N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-210.136 came into effect. |
| North Dakota | Legal | Funeral Homes offering – unknown |
| Ohio | No legislation passed | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis in Ohio. |
| Oklahoma | Legal | As of October 2025, a bill has been introduced in the Pennsylvania Senate to legalize alkaline hydrolysis. |
| Oregon | Legal and available in the state | Alkaline hydrolysis was legalized in Oregon in 2009 when the state changed its definition of “final disposition” to include the dissolution of human remains (Oregon Revised Statutes § 692.010(4).) Aquamation is regulated by the state’s Mortuary and Cemetery Board, and several funeral homes currently offer aquamation in Oregon. |
| Pennsylvania | No legislation was passed, but pending | No legislation was passed, but pending |
| Rhode Island | No legislation passed | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis in Rhode Island. |
| South Carolina | No legislation passed | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis in South Carolina. |
| South Dakota | No legislation was passed, but pending | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis in South Dakota. |
| Tennessee | Legal | Funeral Homes offering – unknown |
| Texas | No legislation passed, but pending | Senate Bill 1487 passed in February 2023 |
| Utah | Legal and available in the state | No legislation was passed, but pending |
| Vermont | Legal but not available in the state | Alkaline hydrolysis was legalized in Vermont in 2014 (26 V.S.A. 21 § 1211). To perform the process, individuals must obtain a license from the state and are thus subject to rules by the state licensing board. However, there are currently no funeral homes offering aquamation in Vermont. |
| Virginia | Senate Bill 1487 was passed in 2023, but was not approved by the House. Similary | Senate Bill 1487 was passed in 2023, but was not approved by the House. Similarly, in 2024, HB52 was introduced but defeated in the Senate. |
| Washington | Legal and available in the state | Alkaline hydrolysis was legalized in Washington in 2020 when the state passed a law allowing for it (See RCW 68.50.110). It is currently available in Seattle for both humans and pets. |
| Washington D.C. | No legislation passed | No legislation was passed, but pending |
| West Virginia | Legal | Funeral Homes offering – unknown |
| Wisconsin | No legislation passed, but pending | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis in Wisconsin. |
| Wyoming | Legal but not available in the state | Wyoming changed the Funeral Services Practitioners Act in 2014 to include “chemical disposition” (Wyoming Statutes § 33-16-502.) However, there is currently no facility offering the process for human remains in Wyoming. |
