North Dakota · Cass County
What to do when someone dies in Cass County, North Dakota
Cass County is home to about 200,945 people. Everything below applies county-wide.
If you cannot afford burial or cremation in Cass County, call the Cass County Human Service Zone, Economic Assistance first, before signing anything with a funeral home. If the person was a veteran, free burial benefits may cover even more.
Cass County General Assistance Burial Program (Final Disposition Assistance)
Cass County Human Service Zone, Economic Assistance
When they answer, say: "I need to apply for burial assistance for a family member." It is okay if you do not have documents ready. They will tell you what to bring.
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Step 1 of 5 · If money is tight
Cass County burial assistance
Do not sign anything with a funeral home before you call. In many counties, signing first disqualifies the family.
Cass County program
Cass County General Assistance Burial Program (Final Disposition Assistance)
Cass County Human Service Zone, Economic Assistance
1010 2nd Ave. S., Fargo, ND 58103 (opens in Google Maps)
Official program pageWho qualifies
The program helps pay burial expenses for indigent individuals when no other means to pay is available. North Dakota law makes the spouse, adult children and parents responsible for burial costs first, so the county looks at their income and assets and each of them must complete a separate form. The county steps in when the deceased has no responsible relatives who can pay.
| Income | Income and assets of the deceased, the surviving spouse and each responsible relative must be verified, using the income received in the month the person died. The county does not publish a dollar limit, so call and ask. |
|---|---|
| Assets | The application asks about bank accounts, life insurance, funds set aside for burial, stocks, bonds, retirement funds, real property other than a home, mineral rights and vehicles. No dollar limit is published, so call and ask. |
What it covers
Final disposition, paid directly to the funeral home if approved. Cremation is the standard method. Burial instead of cremation can be requested for religious or moral reasons by speaking with the funeral director. The benefit amount is set per case and is not published.
Documents to bring
- Completed Application for Final Disposition Assistance (Burial Assistance Application)
- Responsible Relative Affidavit from each adult child, parent, and a spouse who did not complete the application
- Income and asset information for the deceased and surviving spouse, including bank accounts and life insurance
- Name of the funeral home
How to apply
Fill out the Burial Assistance Application and the Responsible Relative Affidavit, both linked on the Cass County Economic Assistance page, and work with the funeral home. Call Cass County Human Services at 701-241-5747 with questions. Submitting the form does not guarantee approval or payment.
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Step 2 of 5 · If they served
Was the person a veteran?
This can replace the county program
You may be able to skip the county program entirely. Veterans can receive a free gravesite, headstone, and perpetual care at a national or state veterans cemetery, plus a VA burial allowance of up to $2,000 for service-connected deaths.
Veteran burial help in Cass CountyFrom our free tools
Housing costs weighing on the family too?
Check what housing assistance the household may qualify for, including Section 8 vouchers, in a few minutes. Free, no signup.
Check housing help at CheckMyVoucher.com4
Step 4 of 5 · The paperwork
Death certificates in North Dakota
Where copies come from
Certified copies come from the North Dakota Health and Human Services, Vital Records (official site). The $15 search fee covers one certified copy, and additional copies issued at the same time are only $10 each, so order together. Turnaround is quick: copies are usually mailed 3 to 5 business days after your request arrives, and requests that include FedEx, UPS, or USPS Priority Mail return shipping are processed the NEXT business day. Mail the application, fees payable to ND DHHS, and your ID to Vital Records, 600 E. Boulevard Ave. Certified copies cannot be faxed or emailed and go by USPS First Class unless you pay for faster shipping. Questions go to 701-328-2360 or vitalrec@nd.gov.
Order about 10 certified copies. Banks, insurers, Social Security, vehicles, and property will each want one.
North Dakota death certificate cost, address and how to order
Know your rights
Every funeral home must follow these rules
Federal law (the FTC Funeral Rule) protects you. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise.
- They must give you prices over the phone. Refusing is a federal violation. Call two or three homes; prices for identical services can differ by thousands on the same street.
- Embalming is rarely required by law. If someone claims it is legally required, ask them to show you the law. Direct cremation and immediate burial never need it.
- You can decline anything in a package. You have the right to an itemized price list and to buy only what you choose.
- You can buy a casket anywhere. The funeral home must accept it without charging a handling fee.
Full rules: the FTC Funeral Rule. If a funeral home breaks them, you can report it to the FTC.
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Step 5 of 5 · If you need more
Beyond the county, more help
Where families find the rest
- Dial 211 for local charities, churches, and county funds with money available right now.
- Ask local churches directly. Many congregations have benevolence funds for funerals even for non-members.
- Ask the funeral home about a payment plan or a simpler package. Direct cremation is usually the lowest-cost professional option, and prices vary widely between providers in the same city.
- Considering a fundraiser? Read crowdfunding a funeral: what works.
- And take care of you. Grief is not a checklist. If you are struggling, call or text 988 (free, 24/7) to talk to someone, and most hospices offer free grief support groups to the whole community, no connection to their patients required.
Right now
The first 48 hours
Nothing else on this page matters until these are done. Everything not on this list can wait, and most of it should.
- 1Get the pronouncement. Hospital or hospice handles it; at home, call 911.
- 2Ask one person to help. Making calls should not all be on you.
- 3Look for written wishes or prepaid arrangements before agreeing to anything.
- 4Money tight? Call the county FIRST. Signing with a funeral home first can disqualify you.
- 5Secure the home, pets, vehicles, and any dependents.
- 6Start one folder for every paper you receive. You will need it constantly.
- 7Banks and insurance can wait. That is week one, not today.
Questions families ask
Straight answers
Who pays for a funeral in Cass County if the family has no money?
Cass County's assistance program (Cass County General Assistance Burial Program (Final Disposition Assistance)) can cover a basic burial or cremation for families who qualify. Call 701-241-5747 before signing anything with a funeral home.
Does Social Security pay anything when someone dies?
Yes. An eligible surviving spouse or child can claim a one-time $255 lump-sum death payment by calling 1-800-772-1213, and monthly survivor benefits are often available too.
What if the person who died in Cass County was a veteran?
Veterans may qualify for free burial in a national or state veterans cemetery plus a VA burial allowance, which can matter more than any county program. See our Cass County veteran page for details.
How many death certificates do I need?
Most families need about 10 certified copies for banks, insurance, and property. In North Dakota, order through the funeral home or the state vital records office.
How much does a funeral usually cost?
A traditional funeral with burial commonly runs $7,000 to $12,000. Direct cremation is usually the lowest-cost professional option, often $700 to $2,000, and prices vary widely between providers in the same area, so it pays to call two or three. Every funeral home must give you prices over the phone under the FTC Funeral Rule.
I have power of attorney. Can I still use it?
No, and this surprises almost everyone: a power of attorney ends the moment the person dies. After death, authority passes to the executor named in the will, or to a court-appointed administrator when there is no will. Funeral decisions belong to the next of kin in the order set by state law, usually spouse first, then adult children, then parents, then siblings.
Nobody had power of attorney. Is that a problem?
For after-death decisions, no. Power of attorney only matters while someone is alive. The next of kin can make funeral decisions right away, and the estate is handled through the will or, without one, through the state's simple next-of-kin rules. See our guide on what happens when there is no will.
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Step 3 of 5 · Money owed to you
The Social Security $255 payment
Who can claim it
A surviving spouse who was living with the person who died, or a spouse or child eligible for benefits on the deceased person's record.
Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 or visit a local office. You must apply within 2 years of the death. The funeral home often reports the death to SSA, but the survivor must apply for the payment.
Full guide: the $255 death payment, explained