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Funeral homes in New Mexico are regulated by The Regulation & Licensing department, Board of Thanatopractice. Strict guidelines are in place requiring compliance with standards for mortuary establishments, crematories, direct disposers, and licensed individuals themselves. The following represents just a few of the statutes that effect the families that we serve: title 16.64.4.12 Refrigeration requirements:All bodies which are refrigerated in lieu of, prior to, embalming shall be stored at a temperature not to exceed 40 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius) and shall NOT be taken out of refrigeration until such time as the dead body is being prepared to be embalmed, upon final disposition, or for identification purposes only not to exceed 30 minutes.16.64.10.8 New Mexico law provides that all bodies not disposed of within twenty-four hours after death must be embalmed or refrigerated (interred or cremated). If you do not want embalming, we provide refrigeration immediately. Our charge for refrigeration is a per-day charge. CREMATION PRACTICES: No cremation shall take place until all necessary documentation is obtained or a court order has been issued authorizing the cremation;"Authorizing Agent(s)" means the person(s) legally entitled to order the cremation. The order for legal next of kin status is as follows: Spouse (legally married), common -law cohabitation does not constitute a legal marriage. Children; age 18 or older, or legally adopted. Parents; both if living. Siblings, grandparents, nephews/nieces, caregiver. Our funeral home will-not perform cremation without all paperwork/authorizations being in order, or if any false or misleading statements have been made. We appreciate your patience.
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For acceptance by the crematory, a dead human body must be enclosed in an acceptable cremation container and identification of the dead body must be noted on the outside of the cremation container. (1)A cremation container is considered acceptable if it meets or exceeds the following minimum standards: (a)is composed of a suitable combustible material; (b)is rigid and secure for handling with ease, which includes a rigid bottom and full dome enclosure; (c)provides for complete covering of the enclosed dead human body.
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Death certificate copies?
Our funeral home secures the completion & filing of the permanent death record as follows: Specific biographical information is obtained from the legal representative of the decedent during the arrangement conference. This information is filed electronically with The New Mexico Department of Health-vital records office located in Santa Fe. The first step is for our funeral home to produce the actual death certificate and deliver it to the attending physician for the "Medical Certification of Death" (required by a medical doctor). The death certificate is then reviewed by our knowledgeable staff to ascertain if it will meet the criteria required for acceptance by the heath department, to help avoid delays. That original death certificate is then turned in to vital records for certification by their representatives and will become a pemanent record retained by them. From that original document, legal copies are produced referred to as "certified copies of a death record" (Photocopies are to be considered counterfeit, and it is illegal to reproduce a copy of the death certificate). We obtain certified copies for the family member accepting responsibility for the funeral arrangements as a courtesy only, however in cases of dispute, we will direct individuals to vital records for assistance. Certified copies cost 5.00 dollars each, plus tax, and are NOT public records, therefore they are only made available to immediate family members. About 2 weeks or less is typically the amount of time required to obtain certified copies, unless the Office of The Medical Investigator is involved and an autopsy has been performed, then the delay can take many weeks. Please contact our office for specific questions.
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