The Board licenses Funeral Directors and Embalmers, inspects funeral homes and chapels, investigates consumer/provider complaints, and provides continuing education for the profession. The Board also enforces the law against violations and disciplinary actions.
Due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, in-person ordering of death certificates has been suspended until further notice. You can order a certificate online.
Funeral Arrangements
Funeral directors help families arrange a variety of funeral arrangements. They work closely with family members, embalmers, and cemetery staff to ensure that the deceased is cared for according to the wishes of the family. They also transport the body to and from the funeral home and arrange receptions and other events.
They may also advise customers on legal matters and help complete necessary paperwork. They also supervise the funeral home’s employees, including embalmers, arrangement counselors, and funeral attendants. They also perform job performance evaluations and provide training for new staff.
Under the Funeral Rule, funeral homes must give consumers a General Price List (GPL) and casket or outer burial container price lists when asked for them in person. The GPL must include descriptions of the various goods and services regularly offered, their prices, and a statement that the funeral home does not offer package funerals. The funeral home must also make available a sample of an itemized statement.
Burial
The disposal of a body in the earth or in a grave or tomb, often with ceremonies that may include washing and dressing the remains and a funeral service. Geography, religion and social attitudes affect burial practices. Royalty and high nobility are usually buried in special places such as cathedrals or chapels; ordinary citizens are buried in cemeteries.
You cannot condition the furnishing of a funeral good or service (such as a casket) to a consumer on the purchase of another funeral good or service, including the basic services fee. You may, however, charge for the embalming of a corpse in addition to the casket price and other services.
Some funeral providers enter into agreements with certain religious groups or memorial societies to arrange funerals for their members at special prices. If a representative of one of these organizations inquires about your arrangements for a member, you must give the individual your General Price List and Casket Price List.
Cremation
Cremation is a choice that many families are making in response to economic and environmental concerns. They can have the cremated remains buried in a cemetery, kept in an urn at home or a sentimental location, split among family members or scattered on private or public property.
You may charge a non-declinable basic services fee, but you must list it on your GPL along with the other items required to be disclosed in the Rule. You also must include in that separate fee any charges for overhead that you cannot allocate to other goods and services on the GPL.
Some funeral providers present their outer burial container selections by using a book that contains photographs of the containers offered for sale. If you use this method of presenting your caskets, you must also provide consumers with an OBC Price List at the arrangements conference or when they ask to modify a container specified in a pre-need contract.
Preplanning
Planning a funeral is one of the most expensive purchases many consumers will ever make. Consumers need to carefully compare prices and services before making arrangements. They also need to understand funeral rules, regulations and policies before signing a contract.
AARP offers free booklets and other publications on funeral-related topics. Other information is available from the FCA, an association of cemeteries and funeral homes that supports increased consumer protection. It is affiliated with the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA).
Under the funeral Rule, a funeral home must give you a General Price List showing the current prices (or range of prices) for all merchandise and services regularly offered. It must be given to you to keep at the beginning of the arrangement conference or, if you request it, sent to you by email or other remote means. The funeral home must also provide you with an Itemized Statement of Services and Merchandise Selected. The statement must include contractual language that legally obligates you to pay the costs of the selected goods and services.