Florida Statute 406.57
“Distribution of human remains”
What it means
Florida Statute 406.57 controls where remains go once they are delivered to the anatomical board. The board or its duly authorized agent takes and receives the remains and must do one of two things.
It must distribute the remains equitably among the medical and dental schools, teaching hospitals, medical institutions, and health-related teaching programs that require cadaveric material for study. Or it must loan the remains to accredited colleges of mortuary science or to medical or dental examining boards for educational or research purposes.
- The board must distribute remains equitably among medical and dental schools, teaching hospitals, medical institutions, and health-related teaching programs that require cadaveric material (§ 406.57(1)).
- Alternatively the board must loan remains to accredited colleges of mortuary science or to medical or dental examining boards (§ 406.57(2)).
- A loan under subsection (2) is for educational or research purposes (§ 406.57(2)).
- An institution may not receive remains until the board inspects and approves its facilities (§ 406.59).
Text of the statute (2026)
The anatomical board or its duly authorized agent shall take and receive human remains delivered to it as provided in this chapter and shall: (1) Distribute the remains equitably among the medical and dental schools, teaching hospitals, medical institutions, and health-related teaching programs that require cadaveric material for study; or (2) Loan the remains to accredited colleges of mortuary science or medical or dental examining boards for educational or research purposes.
Excerpts are the subsections the summary relies on. Read the full official text of § 406.57.
History. s. 11, ch. 28163, 1953; ss. 15, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 7, ch. 96-251; s. 12, ch. 2013-138.
How it applies
The section names the categories of recipients for remains held by the anatomical board: teaching institutions through equitable distribution, or mortuary science colleges and examining boards through loans.
Institutions must be inspected and approved under § 406.59 before receiving remains, and they may use them only for medical education or research (§ 406.59). Loans to examining boards and mortuary science colleges are for educational or research purposes (§ 406.57(2)).
Questions people ask
Sources
- Fla. Stat. § 406.57 (2026) (“Distribute the remains equitably among the medical and dental schools”)
- Fla. Stat. § 406.59 (2026) (Institutions must be inspected and approved before receiving remains.)
Last checked: October 17, 2026
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