Scattering Ashes in Louisiana — A Complete Guide

Everything Louisiana families need to know about ash scattering laws, the Mississippi River, bayous, the Gulf of Mexico, and verified cemetery options across the Pelican State.

Author's Note: While I haven't visited Louisiana yet, the official song, "You Are My Sunshine," has been a central part of my entire family's memory bank. My mom used to sing that to my brother and me all of the time. When my little cousin, Sean, was born, we altered the song to say, "You Are My Son, Sean". When my own kids were little, I reverted to the original wording. I expect they will sing it to their kids as well. 

If you are thinking of scattering ashes in the state of Louisiana, it may be helpful to know the official symbols:

  • State Flower: Magnolia 🌸
  • State Tree: Bald Cypress 🌲
  • State Bird: Brown Pelican 🐦
  • State Gemstone: Cabochon Cut Oyster Shell 💎
  • State Song: "You Are My Sunshine" 🎶
  • State Motto: "Union, Justice, Confidence" ⚖️

Note: Louisiana's official State Gemstone is the cabochon cut gemstone derived from the Crassostrea virginica mollusk — the eastern oyster shell, cut and polished — as designated by Louisiana RS 49:163 (Acts 2011, No. 232). Agate, which had been the state gemstone since 1976, was redesignated the State Mineral by the same 2011 act. The eastern oyster is extraordinarily abundant in Louisiana's coastal waters, and the polished shell was chosen to honor the oyster's cultural and economic significance to the state. Louisiana has no officially designated State River. The Mississippi River is the defining geographical and cultural feature of Louisiana — it forms the eastern border, splits to form the Atchafalaya and other distributaries, and finally fans into the Gulf of Mexico through a vast bird's-foot delta — but it has never been enacted as an official state symbol by the Louisiana Legislature. The complete list of Louisiana state symbols, codified in Title 49 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes, contains no river designation.

"You Are My Sunshine" — written by former Louisiana Governor Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell — has been an official Louisiana state song since 1977 (RS 49:155) and remains the official state song today following 2021 amendments that added "Southern Nights" by Allen Toussaint as the state cultural song.

How Prevalent Is Ash Scattering in Louisiana?

The practice of scattering ashes has grown steadily in Louisiana, reflecting national trends toward cremation and personalized memorials. In 2020, the cremation rate in Louisiana was approximately 40% — one of the lower rates in the country, reflecting the state's deep Catholic and Creole burial traditions, especially in south Louisiana — but it continues to rise. As more Louisiana families choose cremation, many seek meaningful settings in the state's extraordinary natural and cultural landscapes.

Louisiana's geography is unlike any other state in the American South. The Mississippi River — the greatest river system in North America — enters Louisiana from the north, then slows and fans through a vast alluvial plain before splitting into distributaries and finally reaching the Gulf of Mexico through the bird's-foot delta below New Orleans, depositing a million tons of sediment daily and building land even as coastal erosion claims it elsewhere. The Atchafalaya River, a distributary of the Mississippi, forms the heart of the Atchafalaya Basin — the largest river swamp in the United States, a 1.4-million-acre expanse of cypress-tupelo wetlands, bayous, and backwater lakes that stretches across south-central Louisiana. Bayou Country — the interconnected web of slow-moving waterways threading through the marshes and swamps of the Louisiana coast — is home to Cajun and Creole cultures whose roots trace directly to 18th-century Acadian refugees. Dragonflies skim the still water; Spanish moss drapes ancient bald cypress trees; great blue herons stand motionless in the shallows. Lake Pontchartrain, the vast brackish lake north of New Orleans, is crossed by the longest bridge over water in the United States. Caddo Lake in the northwest, Toledo Bend Reservoir on the Texas border, and the Kisatchie National Forest in central Louisiana all offer very different landscapes for those seeking a natural setting for a final farewell. The Gulf of Mexico coastline — marshes, barrier islands, and open water — stretches across the entire southern edge of the state.

Louisiana Laws on Scattering Ashes

Louisiana is one of the most permissive states in the country for ash scattering. Key provisions:

  • No state restrictions on scattering location: Louisiana has no state laws restricting where families may keep or scatter cremated remains. This remarkable flexibility means Louisiana families have broad latitude in choosing scattering locations — on land, on the water, or from the air.
  • Cremation permit required: Louisiana law requires a cremation authorization before a body may be cremated. A licensed funeral director typically arranges this documentation.
  • Death certificate: Must be filed before final disposition of the body.
  • Private property (your own): No restriction.
  • Private property (someone else's): Common sense and courtesy call for the landowner's permission, though Louisiana has no specific statute mandating it.
  • Public land: No Louisiana law restricts scattering on public lands. For state parks and wildlife management areas, contacting the relevant office is always courteous. For federal lands (Jean Lafitte National Historical Park, Kisatchie National Forest, etc.), contact the managing agency for guidance.
  • Gulf of Mexico and coastal waterways: The federal Clean Water Act governs navigable and coastal waters. For Gulf scattering 3+ nautical miles from shore, the EPA must be notified within 30 days. Louisiana's bayous, rivers, and estuaries are all accessible for scattering without state restriction, though federal Clean Water Act provisions may apply to navigable waterways.
  • Aerial scattering: No Louisiana state law restricts aerial scattering. Federal aviation regulations (14 CFR 91.15) apply — ashes must be removed from any container before release.

Cemetery Cremation Options in Louisiana

Lake Lawn Metairie Cemetery — New Orleans (Southeast Louisiana)

Location: 5100 Pontchartrain Boulevard, New Orleans, LA 70124 Phone: (504) 486-6331

Lake Lawn Metairie Cemetery encompasses two of New Orleans' most historic and distinctive burial grounds on a single, remarkable campus on Pontchartrain Boulevard — Metairie Cemetery and Lake Lawn Park — and is one of the most architecturally extraordinary cemetery complexes in the United States. Metairie Cemetery, established in 1872 on the site of the antebellum Metairie Race Course, is entered in the National Register of Historic Places (1991) and named by Forbes in 2003 as one of the 10 Most Interesting Cemeteries in the World. The oval layout of the original racetrack can still be traced in the curving roads and avenues of the cemetery. The grounds are home to the largest collection of marble tombs and funeral statuary in historic New Orleans, a breathtaking display of Victorian ambition, Beaux-Arts grandeur, and New Orleanian eccentricity — with private mausoleums designed in Egyptian Revival, Moorish, Byzantine, and Gothic styles, many created by the finest architects and sculptors of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Adjacent Lake Lawn Park Cemetery was established in 1949 as a 25-acre companion property offering modern burial and cremation options alongside the historic cemetery. When Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home opened in 1979 as the first funeral home in New Orleans built on cemetery grounds, it created one of the most comprehensive memorial campuses in Louisiana, now part of the Dignity Memorial network.

The Dignity Memorial page for Lake Lawn Metairie explicitly confirms their expertise in scattering ashes and describes the Tranquil Oaks Cremation Garden at Metairie Cemetery, a thoughtfully designed cremation garden with family estates, personalized granite pedestals, benches, and beautiful water features among serene walkways. For scattering ceremonies and all cremation memorialization options, contact (504) 486-6331.

Website: dignitymemorial.com/lake-lawn-metairie

Resthaven Gardens of Memory & Funeral Home — Baton Rouge (South-Central Louisiana)

Location: 11817 Jefferson Highway, Baton Rouge, LA 70816 Phone: (225) 753-1440

Resthaven Gardens of Memory & Funeral Home is Baton Rouge's premier full-service cemetery and funeral home — a family-owned and operated institution on Jefferson Highway that has served the greater Baton Rouge community for decades with a reputation for personal care and professional excellence. The campus integrates cemetery and funeral home operations in one location, offering families the ability to arrange all final plans without coordinating between separate providers.

Resthaven's own cemetery page explicitly confirms scattering as an offered service: "We offer a number of final disposition options for cremated remains, including customized urns, scatterings, burials and more. Many people like the idea of having their remains scattered in a special place. Families can scatter their loved one's remains practically anywhere—on land, in the ocean or even in the air." Cemetery options include private and public mausoleums, lawn crypts, regular ground burial, boulder estates, and columbarium niches. The cemetery is also noted for its swan pond, a distinctive and peaceful feature of the grounds. Contact Resthaven at (225) 753-1440 — available 24 hours a day — to discuss scattering options and arrangements.

Website: resthavenbatonrouge.com

Hill Crest Memorial Funeral Home & Park — Haughton (Northwest Louisiana / Bossier Parish)

Location: 601 US Highway 80 East, Haughton, LA 71037 Phone: (318) 949-9415

Hill Crest Memorial Park is a 94-acre memorial park cemetery in Haughton — the heart of Bossier Parish, near Bossier City and Shreveport — serving the communities of Haughton, Benton, and the greater Shreveport-Bossier City metro area. The cemetery was established in the early 1950s when O.D. Cox purchased the grounds, with Hill Crest Memorial Funeral Home opening on the cemetery property in September 1985. Today, as part of the Dignity Memorial network, Hill Crest offers a full range of burial and cremation services from one location.

The grounds feature manicured gardens with flat bronze and granite markers maintaining a clean park-like aesthetic, a mausoleum with an open-air chapel and beautiful stained glass, multiple veterans gardens with flagpoles, and a September 11 Memorial in the Field of Honor featuring an essay by a local high school student. Cremation options at Hill Crest include columbaria niches and urn burial. Contact Hill Crest at (318) 949-9415 — available 24 hours — to discuss all available cremation options including any scattering arrangements.

Website: dignitymemorial.com/hill-crest-memorial

Are There Mail-In Options for Ash Scattering Services?

Yes. Louisiana families — or families anywhere honoring a loved one — may choose Farmstead Scattering Garden in Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania. Cremated remains are mailed directly to the working farm, where they are scattered respectfully according to the family's chosen preferences. No travel required.

Visit our service page at farmsteadscattering.com/collections/services, or call or text us at (814) 450-5432 to learn more.

Frequently Asked Questions About Scattering Ashes in Louisiana

Is it legal to scatter ashes in Louisiana?

Yes — Louisiana is one of the most permissive states in the country. No Louisiana state laws restrict where cremated remains may be scattered. Families may scatter on their own property, in Louisiana's bayous and waterways, along the Gulf Coast, or in virtually any location of their choosing, with common sense and property owner courtesy as guides.

Can I scatter ashes in the Mississippi River, the Atchafalaya, or Louisiana's bayous?

Louisiana has no state law restricting scattering in its rivers and bayous. The federal Clean Water Act governs navigable waterways, but no permit is required for scattering cremated remains in inland waters — remains are not considered pollutants. For ocean scattering 3+ nautical miles from shore, the EPA must be notified within 30 days.

Can I scatter ashes in the Gulf of Mexico?

Yes. The federal Clean Water Act requires scattering at least 3 nautical miles from shore. The container must be biodegradable or disposed of separately, and the EPA must be notified within 30 days of scattering.

Does Louisiana have a State River?

No. Louisiana's state symbols are codified in Title 49 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes, and no state river designation appears among them. The Mississippi River is the defining geographic and cultural feature of Louisiana, but it has never been enacted as an official state symbol by the Legislature.

What is Louisiana's State Gemstone — isn't it agate?

As of 2011, Louisiana's State Gemstone is the cabochon cut gemstone derived from the Crassostrea virginica mollusk — the eastern oyster shell, cut and polished (RS 49:163, Acts 2011, No. 232). Agate was the state gemstone from 1976 to 2011, when Louisiana Act 232 redesignated agate as the State Mineral and oyster shell as the new State Gemstone. The distinctive oyster shell gemstone, sometimes called "LaPearlite," honors the eastern oyster's deep significance to Louisiana's coastal culture, cuisine, and economy.

Can I scatter ashes at Jean Lafitte National Historical Park or the Barataria Preserve?

Contact Jean Lafitte National Historical Park at (504) 589-3882 before any ceremony. As an NPS unit, a Special Use Permit or letter of authorization under 36 CFR 2.62 is typically required.

Can I scatter ashes in Kisatchie National Forest?

Contact the Kisatchie National Forest at (318) 473-7160 for guidance. USFS lands generally accommodate scattering with advance notification, though specific rules vary by ranger district.

Does Metairie Cemetery in New Orleans offer scattering?

Yes — the Lake Lawn Metairie campus explicitly advertises "expertise in scattering ashes" and offers the Tranquil Oaks Cremation Garden at Metairie Cemetery for cremation memorialization, along with scattering ceremony services. Contact (504) 486-6331.

Can I mail ashes for scattering from Louisiana?

Yes. Cremated remains may be mailed within the United States via the U.S. Postal Service using Priority Mail Express. Farmstead Scattering Garden in Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania accepts mail-in remains for private farm scattering. Call or text (814) 450-5432 or visit farmsteadscattering.com.

Who wrote "You Are My Sunshine" and why is it Louisiana's state song?

"You Are My Sunshine" was written and recorded by Jimmie Davis — a Country Music Hall of Fame inductee who also served two terms as Governor of Louisiana (1944–1948 and 1960–1964). Davis co-wrote the song with Charles Mitchell, and it became one of the most popular American songs of the 20th century. It was designated as an official Louisiana state song in 1977 (RS 49:155) and remains the official state song today.

Legal and Regulatory References

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