A funeral home is a business that provides its customers with the facilities and equipment necessary to care for and commemorate a loved one who has died. Most are licensed and regulated by some type of State entity.
They must also follow the Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule, which requires them to provide consumers with accurate itemized price information and other disclosures.
Licenses
The Bureau licenses funeral establishments, funeral directors, embalmers and apprentice embalmers, cemetery brokers/branch/additional and salespersons, cremated remains disposers, crematories, and nearly 200 licensed private cemeteries in California. It also investigates complaints and enforces the laws that govern this industry.
Funeral homes may not charge for things that are prohibited by law, such as washing or dressing the body; pressure you to select certain merchandise or services; refuse to transfer a deceased person’s remains to another funeral home; or fail to file an official death certificate.
Licensing requirements for funeral directors and embalmers vary by state. To qualify for licensure, you must complete an approved mortuary science or funeral service program and pass both sections of the National Board Examination, administered by The International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards (ABFSE). To find out more about licensing requirements in your state, visit The Conference’s website. You must submit an application and pay the required fee for your license to be issued.
Licensing Requirements
The Division licenses professions and occupations related to funeral service, embalming, cremation and preneed sales. It also oversees licensed establishments, cemeteries and monument salespersons as well as investigating complaints against these businesses.
After the death of a loved one, arranging the funeral often requires making numerous decisions in a short period of time. The complexities of these arrangements can sometimes compound the grief that a family experiences.
After completing your Delaware resident internship, you must submit an application for licensure as a funeral director or embalmer. You will be required to pass both the NBE-Arts and NBE-Sciences and the Virginia State Exam on Laws, Rules & Regulations (LRR) prior to licensure. Once you have passed the examinations, the International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards will notify the Bureau office. You may then schedule an appointment to take the licensure examinations. To schedule your exam, contact the International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boars at 888-395-5660.
Education Requirements
A career in funeral service offers meaningful work to help people during one of the most difficult times of their lives. It is an exciting and fulfilling profession that allows you to honor your loved ones in a way only you can.
Each state sets its own requirements for licensing funeral directors. The length of the apprenticeship, amount of college required, specific courses within the general coursework and the order in which the requirements must be met vary from state to state.
NFDA’s Advocacy team works to have a positive impact on the national laws and regulations that directly affect funeral professionals and their small businesses.
Each state has its own licensure requirements for funeral directing and embalming, which include: completing a one-year apprenticeship; obtaining a minimum of 60 semester hours or equivalent in a college or university program in funeral service or mortuary science; passing the arts and sciences section of the national board examination administered by the International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards; and passing the written and oral law examinations administered by the state.
Arrangement Conference
A funeral director’s Arrangement Conference is an important opportunity to showcase the value of your firm’s services. It is a chance to connect with a family and help them create a ceremony that is healing, meaningful and personalized.
Families are often faced with dozens of decisions and tasks following a death. They must choose a funeral home, determine the type of service, order burial or cremation services, notify loved ones and make travel arrangements — all during an extremely stressful and emotional time.
The Arrangement Conference is where the funeral director works with the family to provide detailed information about all of these options. For example, the funeral director may discuss visitation options, casket or urn choices and memorialization products, including monuments. During this meeting, the funeral director will also explain the General Price List, which is itemized pricing for services and products that must be paid for at the time of need. The more preparation that families can do before this meeting, the easier it will be for everyone involved.