Funeral service is a profession that helps individuals during one of the most difficult times in life. If you are interested in becoming a funeral director or embalmer, there are several steps that you must take to become licensed.
First, you must complete a mortuary science program. You must also pass the state law and national board examinations.
North Dakota State Board of Funeral Service
The North Dakota State Board of Funeral Service licenses funeral practitioners, registers intern embalmers, and regulates funeral establishments and crematoriums. It also processes consumer inquiries and complaints. The board’s mission is to uphold high ethical and professional standards for funeral professionals, while protecting the public.
Funerals are expensive, with the average traditional funeral costing more than $9,000*. Many families choose cremation as a more affordable option, which can save their loved ones from financial burdens. However, they may not know where to start.
If you have a complaint about a funeral home or crematory, first contact them directly and explain your concerns. Then, if you’re not satisfied with their response, you can file a formal complaint with the State Board of Funeral Service. You can also hire a licensed embalmer or funeral director from another funeral home if you are dissatisfied with the services offered by the funeral home or crematory.
Georgia State Board of Funeral Service
The Georgia State Board of Funeral Service regulates the funeral service industry, overseeing embalming and funeral directing. It also regulates the burial and cremation of human remains. The Board is responsible for the formulation of necessary rules and regulations and, through its authorized inspectors, conducts inspections of funeral establishments.
Licensing requirements vary by state, but a funeral director or embalmer must register with their state’s licensing board before starting work. The professional’s license number, name, city, county, state and zip code must be provided on the form. The state board may also require that a licensee provide continuing education credits.
Many funeral homes and services providers offer apprenticeship programs. These programs typically require applicants to submit a personal statement detailing their interests in the funeral business and why they want to become an apprentice. This information is important to help the program select the best candidates. The application should also include the name and contact information of the supervising practitioner.
Nevada Funeral and Cemetery Services Board
The Nevada Funeral and Cemetery Services Board is a regulatory agency that oversees funeral homes, cemeteries, crematories and related businesses to ensure they comply with state laws. It licenses and inspects the businesses, sets standards for their operation and conduct, investigates consumer complaints and takes appropriate actions when violations are found.
In addition to the information on your GPL, you must tell persons who ask about outer burial container offerings and prices any other readily available information. This includes whether you charge a non-declinable fee for the basic professional services of your funeral director and staff.
Some funeral providers enter into arrangements with government agencies for the provision of funeral arrangements for indigent persons and others who are entitled to a government benefit. If you do this, you must give the government agent a copy of your GPL upon request. You also must offer it to anyone who requests it in person. You may use other formats, such as notebooks, brochures and charts, for this purpose.
California Cemetery and Funeral Bureau
The California Cemetery and Funeral Bureau licenses, regulates, investigates complaints and manages 13 distinct permitting classifications for approximately 13,500 licensees. These include funeral establishments; funeral directors; embalmers and apprentice embalmers; cemetery brokers/branch/additional, cremated remains disposers and managers; and the nearly 200 licensed private cemeteries in California.
Founded in 1963, the Funeral Consumers Alliance promotes advance planning for funeral needs and protects a consumers right to choose a meaningful, dignified and affordable funeral. It monitors funeral industry trends, advocates legal and regulatory reform and provides a wide selection of helpful books and pamphlets.
FCA also provides a directory of state affiliates and offers helpful articles on funeral planning. Ben Field is an attorney with the Institute for Justice, a nonprofit public interest law firm that helps individuals and organizations defend their First Amendment rights against government abuses. He is counsel in the case Full Circle of Living and Dying v. California Cemetery and Funeral Bureau, a lawsuit that challenges the bureau’s requirement that end-of-life doulas be licensed funeral directors.