The Bureau regulates the profession and business of funeral directing, embalming, preneed sales, and cemeteries. It also registers and investigates consumer/provider complaints, and ensures that death care professionals maintain qualifications through continuing education courses and licensure renewal.
The Bureau oversees 13 licensing categories: funeral establishments; funeral directors; embalmers and apprentice embalmers; cemetery brokers, salespersons, and managers; and cremated remains disposers and crematories.
Board of Funeral Services
The Board licenses funeral directors and embalmers and oversees funeral homes, crematoriums, and urn companies. It also establishes and maintains necessary rules for the conduct of the business or profession to safeguard the public health and to ensure that funeral and mortuary service professionals adhere to proper standards. It also investigates complaints and takes appropriate disciplinary action.
Its operations are fully funded by fees established and collected, and it does not rely on General Fund appropriations. The Board staff includes an executive director, administrative assistants and field representatives. Field representatives perform pre-licensure inspections and conduct continuing education and disciplinary investigations.
TFSC protects consumers by investigating complaints, conducting thorough inspections, and licensing funeral directors, embalmers, funeral establishments, preneed salespeople and cemeteries. Funeral and cremation arrangements are significant decisions influenced by emotional, religious and social factors. TFSC strives to promote the highest professional and ethical standards in the industry.
State Board of Funeral Directors
The Board regulates funeral directors, embalmers, apprentices, students, and funeral establishments. It also investigates complaints and takes disciplinary action when necessary. The Board’s mission is to ensure that funeral, cremation and burial arrangements are conducted professionally and ethically.
Licensed professionals must complete continuing education courses to maintain licensure. The course topics include laws relating to the profession and new advancements in the industry.
To become licensed in the State of New York, funeral directors must have a bachelor’s degree in mortuary science or a similar field. They must also complete an internship and pass a national exam. New York also offers reciprocity with other states that have similar licensing requirements.
The funeral service profession is a sensitive and caring occupation, and the Board of Funeral Services examines all applicants to assure their qualifications. Its job is to protect the public’s health and safety by regulating funeral directors, embalmers, cemeteries, pre-need sellers and sales agents. The Board is self-funded through fees established and collected.
Colorado Office of Funeral and Mortuary Science Services
The Colorado Office of Funeral and Crematory Science Services registers funeral homes, investigates complaints and issues disciplinary actions against individuals or businesses that violate the state’s Mortuary Science Code. The office also provides education and professional development to the funeral profession in the state.
State lawmakers are considering a bill that would reinstate licensure requirements for people who work in funeral homes and crematoriums. Currently, Colorado is the only state that doesn’t require a license to be a funeral director or embalmer. The bill’s supporters say it would help protect consumers after several high-profile incidents of mismanagement at funeral homes in the state.
A licensed mortuary science professional must complete six (6) hours of continuing education each renewal period. The continuing education must be related to the practice of mortuary science or the topics specified in Rule 1.14 and section 12-135-504 of the Colorado Regulations.
Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission is a five-member independent agency empowered to protect consumers and promote competition by enforcing the laws of the United States. The Commissioners are appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate, to serve seven-year terms. No more than three Commissioners may be members of the same political party. One Commissioner is designated the Chairman, and he or she is responsible for the administrative management of the Commission. A person against whom an FTC order is issued may seek review in the courts of appeals. FTC staff comes from a wide variety of backgrounds.