As a general rule, most states require that candidates for funeral directing and/or embalming licensure fulfill licensing requirements as follows: be a high school graduate; provide proof of U.S. citizenship; complete one or two years general collegiate coursework; complete mortuary college; pass national or state board examinations; serve an internship/apprenticeship; and pass a state-specific mortuary jurisprudence exam.  Applicants are advised to contact the licensing authority in the state in which they wish to practice in order to obtain the specific requirements of that state.

There are no uniform licensing laws governing funeral service in the United States; each state sets its own requirements.  The length of the apprenticeship, the amount of college required, specific courses within the general coursework, and the order in which all requirements must to be met vary greatly from state to state.

It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that licensure requirements have been met.  Questions concerning individual state requirements should be directed to the licensing authority in the state(s) in which you intend to practice.

The licensing agencies of some states require a prospective student to notify the agency prior to enrollment in mortuary college, as well as complete pre-mortuary college educational requirements.  Applicants must meet any mandated pre-mortuary college state licensing requirements prior to admission.  For detailed information, please refer to the Commonwealth’s website www.commonwealth.edu and go to the Licensing Requirements section.  Candidates may also visit the International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards website www.theconferenceonline.org for more details.

Some states prohibit applicants with misdemeanor and/or felony convictions from obtaining a license.  In most instances, these matters are handled on a case-by-case basis.  Prospective students who might be affected by this should clear this matter prior to seeking enrollment by communicating directly with their state funeral service licensing agency.

CIFS program fulfillment of state educational requirements for funeral service licensure:

Associate of Applied Science Degree in Funeral Service (AAS)

For the most current information on state licensing laws visit:

http://theconferenceonline.org/students-req.shtml

OR

https://nfda.org/careers/licensing-requirements