Last updated 2026-08-18
TL;DR
Yes. Colorado legalized natural organic reduction in 2021 and requires a license from the Department of Regulatory Agencies to run a facility. The license is a natural organic reduction facility registration, not a funeral director license. Families usually pay $5,000 to $7,000, and the full process runs 8 to 12 weeks including curing. Verify current fees and timelines with the facility and DORA.
Do you need a license for human composting in Colorado?
Yes. Colorado requires a state-issued natural organic reduction facility license before anyone may reduce human remains into soil. The license comes from the Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Professions and Occupations [1]. A cremation license alone does not cover it. The law says a natural organic reduction facility must hold its own license, though a funeral establishment may also hold one [2].
So the short answer is yes. You need a specific facility license, more than a business permit.
If you are entering the Colorado market, plan on filing with DORA before you take a single case. The state's funeral and cremation law treats natural organic reduction as a distinct disposition method, separate from burial and cremation. That distinction drives the entire paper path. Read the how to start human composting in Colorado guide after this one for the full startup sequence.
What statute legalized human composting in Colorado?
Colorado legalized human composting with Senate Bill 21-006, signed May 10, 2021, effective September 7, 2021 [1]. The bill's own summary says: "The bill authorizes a funeral establishment, crematory, or natural organic reduction facility to reduce human remains through the process of natural organic reduction." [1] That language amends the Colorado Funeral Establishment and Crematory Act in Title 12 of the Colorado Revised Statutes.
The bill directs the director of the Division of Professions and Occupations to adopt rules for facility licensure, operation, and soil testing [1]. This is the numbered law you pull every time. It also requires the facility to be licensed by DORA, the regulatory arm that issues the actual permit.
What agency issues the Colorado human composting license?
DORA's Office of Funeral Home and Crematory Registration issues natural organic reduction facility licenses [3]. The application is a paper file, not an online portal. You submit an application, pay the current fee, document your facility layout, and pass an inspection before the license issues.
DORA publishes the application form and fee schedule on its funeral and crematory registration page [3]. Fee amounts change. Do not budget from an old article. Call the office or check the current schedule before you write a check.
The license is annual, and renewal follows the same paper discipline. If you need the underlying statutory text organized for a board or lender, a statute kit helps, but the controlling document is always the current DORA application.
What are Colorado's natural organic reduction facility requirements?
Colorado rules require a natural organic reduction facility to keep specific environmental controls. You must show DORA that your vessel can reach and hold temperatures that reduce pathogens, that airflow and moisture are managed, and that the resulting soil meets heavy metal and pathogen limits before it leaves the facility [3]. The rules also require a written chain-of-custody log for each person from intake through soil return [3].
This is the same discipline as crematory recordkeeping. The output is soil, not ash.
Washington State University researchers demonstrated that natural organic reduction produces a stable soil-like material with no recognizable human remains [6]. Use that study as a guide for your standard operating procedures, but Colorado's specific testing thresholds come from DORA rule, not from the study.
How much does human composting cost in Colorado for a family?
Colorado does not set or cap what a provider may charge. The state licenses the facility but leaves consumer pricing to the market. As a planning number, families should expect to pay between $5,000 and $7,000 for a complete human composting arrangement in Colorado [4]. The Natural Funeral in Lafayette, an early Colorado provider, lists a base natural organic reduction price around $5,500 as of the date of this article [4]. That usually covers body pickup, the vessel process, and return of the soil to the family.
Cemetery services, memorial events, and out-of-area transport add cost. Always ask for a written price sheet that separates the base fee from optional services.
If you are opening a facility rather than buying a service, the HumusPath $199 NOR Facilitator Statute Kit saves you the hunt for the actual statutory text. It is not legal advice and does not replace DORA's application.
How long does human composting take in Colorado?
Colorado law does not mandate a total number of days. Active decomposition under controlled heat, moisture, and aeration typically runs 30 to 45 days. Then the material cures for another 30 days before it is tested and returned [5]. Recompose, the first U.S. provider, states that after about 30 days "the body has transformed into soil," and then "the soil is then cured for an additional 30 days" [5]. Colorado facilities often quote a total of 8 to 12 weeks from intake to soil return.
Get the facility's written timeline before you sign. No one can promise an exact date. Temperature, moisture, and equipment all shift the schedule. Colorado's rules do not set a hard total duration, so the timeline comes from the facility's standard operating procedure, not from a statute.
What can you do with the soil after human composting in Colorado?
After the process, the family receives the soil or may donate it to conservation land. Colorado law does not ban residential use, but DORA rules require the facility to test the soil for pathogens and heavy metals and to give the family a written statement about what they are receiving [3]. Many providers recommend using the soil on trees, ornamentals, or conservation land, not on vegetable gardens.
The WSU pilot study found the process produces a stable soil-like material with no recognizable human remains [6]. Colorado State University Extension offers general compost testing guidance that applies to any finished compost, including human compost soil [9]. Ask the facility for its soil test report and any restrictions before you spread it.
Do you need a funeral director or embalmer license to run a human composting facility in Colorado?
No. You do not need a personal funeral director license to own a natural organic reduction facility in Colorado. The license attaches to the facility, not to an individual [3]. If your facility also offers funeral services like embalming, transportation of unembalmed bodies beyond certain limits, or holding viewings, you likely need a separate funeral establishment license.
DORA can tell you where the line sits. Here is the key paper distinction: a natural organic reduction facility license covers reduction only. Any funeral service activity triggers the funeral establishment category. Keep the two licenses separate in your compliance file, even if one business holds both.
What first-year operational rules apply to a Colorado NOR facility?
Year one is mostly about building the DORA file before your first case. You will need a written chain-of-custody log for each decedent, a standard operating procedure manual, a record retention plan, and a documented soil testing schedule [3]. Colorado requires annual renewal of the facility license, with the same inspection and documentation cycle.
Keep your statute sections and rule citations in one folder. Operators who do this from the start skip the panic renewal.
The HumusPath $199 Statute Kit exists exactly for this paper organization. But again, DORA's current application and fee schedule are the controlling documents. No kit changes what DORA requires.
What should you ask a Colorado provider before signing?
Before you sign with any provider, ask for their DORA license number and verify it online [3]. Ask for a written price sheet, a written timeline, a sample soil test report, and the exact chain-of-custody form they use. Ask what happens if the process fails a test or takes longer than quoted. Ask where the soil will go if you do not want it.
A licensed facility will have answers. If a provider cannot show a current DORA natural organic reduction facility license, walk away. This is not a market where you guess. The paper trail is the product.
How does Colorado compare to other states on human composting licensing?
Colorado is one of eleven states that have legalized human composting as of 2025 [7]. The licensing model varies. Utah issues a funeral establishment license that covers natural organic reduction, so the paper path looks different human composting license Utah. Vermont allows natural organic reduction but routes it through its funeral regulatory board how to start human composting in Vermont.
If you are comparing markets, read the state-specific paper requirements before you assume a Colorado-style facility license transfers. Colorado's model is a separate facility license, not a rider on a funeral establishment. That difference changes your application, your inspection, and your renewal calendar.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a license for human composting in Colorado?
Yes. Colorado requires a natural organic reduction facility license from DORA before any facility can reduce human remains into soil. This is separate from a crematory or funeral establishment license, though one business can hold all three. Operating without the license violates the Colorado Funeral Establishment and Crematory Act. Check DORA's funeral program page for current application forms and fees [3].
How much does human composting cost in Colorado?
No state agency sets the price. Provider pricing in Colorado typically falls between $5,000 and $7,000 for a direct natural organic reduction arrangement. The Natural Funeral in Lafayette lists a base price near $5,500 [4]. That usually covers pickup, the reduction process, and soil return. Cemetery fees, memorial services, and transport outside a provider's service area add costs.
How long does human composting take in Colorado?
Colorado law does not set a required duration. The active decomposition phase generally runs 30 to 45 days, followed by a 30-day curing period [5]. Total time from intake to soil return is commonly 8 to 12 weeks. Equipment, temperature, and moisture can shift the timeline, so get a written estimate from the facility.
Is human composting legal in Colorado?
Yes. Senate Bill 21-006, signed in 2021 and effective September 7, 2021, legalized natural organic reduction for human remains [1]. The law added the process to the state's funeral and cremation statutes and directed DORA to regulate facilities that offer it.
What agency regulates human composting in Colorado?
The Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Professions and Occupations, Office of Funeral Home and Crematory Registration. That office issues the natural organic reduction facility license, reviews applications, inspects facilities, and enforces the operating rules [3].
Can I compost a human body at home in Colorado?
No. Colorado law requires natural organic reduction to occur in a licensed facility. Home composting of human remains is not authorized, even if you own land. Attempting it would violate the Funeral Establishment and Crematory Act and could bring criminal penalties. Use a DORA-licensed provider.
Do I need a funeral director license to operate a human composting facility in Colorado?
No personal funeral director license is required to own or operate a natural organic reduction facility. The license attaches to the facility, not the operator [3]. If the business also provides funeral services like embalming or public viewings, a separate funeral establishment license is then required.
What can I do with the soil after human composting in Colorado?
The soil is returned to the family or donated to conservation land. DORA rules require the facility to test the soil and provide written documentation. Many providers suggest using it on trees or ornamentals. Colorado does not ban residential use, but follow the facility's soil test report.
How do I verify a Colorado human composting provider's license?
Ask the provider for its natural organic reduction facility license number. Then check it through DORA's Office of Funeral Home and Crematory Registration, which maintains verification tools or responds to direct inquiries [3]. A current license number is the minimum. If they won't give it, choose another facility.
Does Colorado require soil testing for human compost?
Yes. Colorado rules require natural organic reduction facilities to test the finished soil for pathogens and heavy metals before release to a family [3]. The specific analytes and thresholds are set by DORA rule. Ask the facility for its most recent soil test report as part of your due diligence.
How do I renew a human composting facility license in Colorado?
DORA requires annual renewal of the natural organic reduction facility license. You submit a renewal application, pay the current renewal fee, and may face a repeat inspection. Keep your chain-of-custody logs and soil test records current; renewal reviewers will ask for them [3].
Is human composting in Colorado the same as cremation?
No. Cremation uses heat and flame to reduce remains to bone fragments. Natural organic reduction uses controlled microbial decomposition inside a vessel to create soil. Colorado law defines them as separate disposition methods, each with its own facility license type [1].
Sources
- Colorado General Assembly, SB21-006 bill page: Colorado legalized natural organic reduction effective September 7, 2021, and authorized DORA to license facilities.
- Colorado Revised Statutes, 12-135-102 via Justia: Colorado law requires a license for natural organic reduction facilities.
- DORA, Funeral Home and Crematory Registration program page: DORA issues natural organic reduction facility licenses and publishes application and fee information.
- The Natural Funeral, pricing page: The Natural Funeral in Lafayette lists a base natural organic reduction price around $5,500.
- Recompose, How It Works page: Recompose describes a 30-day active decomposition phase and a 30-day curing phase.
- Washington State University News, WSU researcher turns human remains into soil: Pilot study at WSU found the process produces a stable soil-like material.
- Funeral Consumers Alliance, Natural Organic Reduction: FCA tracks legalization status of natural organic reduction across states.
- The Natural Funeral, FAQ page: The Natural Funeral states the complete process takes about 60-90 days.
- Colorado State University Extension, Composting Yard Waste: CSU Extension explains compost testing and safe use guidance applicable to finished compost.