To become a licensed funeral director, you need to finish a mortuary science degree from an accredited program, serve a supervised apprenticeship under a licensed director, pass the National Board Examination, pass your state’s jurisprudence exam, clear a background check, and submit an application to your state licensing board. Plan on three to five years from the first day of class to the day your license number arrives. Every state licenses funeral directors independently, so the fees, exact apprenticeship length, and renewal cycle depend on where you intend to practice, but the pathway below holds across the country.
Decide What License Your State Issues
Before you enroll anywhere, look up how the state where you plan to work structures the credential. Roughly half of all states issue a single combined license covering both funeral directing and embalming. The other half issue separate licenses, so you can become a licensed funeral director without embalming authority, a licensed embalmer without directing authority, or hold both.
In a separate-license state, a funeral director credential by itself narrows your job options. Funeral homes that embalm in-house generally prefer hiring someone who can do both, and dual-licensed professionals earn more. If you have the choice, pursuing both credentials gives you the most flexibility, and your degree program will prepare you for either path.
Complete an Accredited Mortuary Science Degree
Your education must come from a program accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education, the only nationally recognized accrediting body for funeral service and mortuary science.1American Board of Funeral Service Education. American Board of Funeral Service Education ABFSE accredits 58 programs nationwide, offered at the associate and bachelor’s levels.2American Board of Funeral Service Education. Accredited Programs of Funeral Service – ABFSE Directory The associate degree runs about two years of full-time study and is the minimum credential accepted by most state boards; the bachelor’s runs four.3American Board of Funeral Service Education. American Board of Funeral Service Education – FAQs
Expect coursework in anatomy, microbiology, chemistry, embalming theory, restorative art, funeral service law, grief counseling, and small business management. Some states also require general college prerequisites before or alongside the mortuary science coursework, so check your state board’s rule before you register for your first semester.
Serve a Supervised Apprenticeship
After your degree, or sometimes concurrently with it, you work as an apprentice under a licensed funeral director. Most states require one to two years of supervised practice; a few allow up to three, depending on whether the apprenticeship runs alongside or after your formal education.3American Board of Funeral Service Education. American Board of Funeral Service Education – FAQs During that time, you handle arrangement conferences with families, assist with embalming and body preparation, coordinate with cemeteries and crematories, and manage the logistics of services.
You keep a certified casework log that your supervising director signs off on. States set a minimum number of documented cases across different service types before you are eligible to sit for the licensing exam, and some require as many as 25 to 35 cases. Apprentices are paid employees under federal labor law, so you will earn at least minimum wage while training.
Pass the National Board Examination
Nearly every state requires the National Board Examination, administered by the International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards.4The International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards. The International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards The NBE has two sections, Arts and Sciences, each with 150 scored questions and 20 unscored pretest questions.5The International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards. NBE Candidate Handbook
The Arts section covers funeral arranging and directing, legal and regulatory compliance, cemetery and crematory dispositions, marketing and merchandising, and funeral service counseling. The Sciences section focuses on preparation of the deceased: embalming, restorative art, other preparation, and the underlying anatomy, chemistry, and microbiology.
Each section costs $285, for a combined fee of $570.5The International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards. NBE Candidate Handbook The exams are delivered through Pearson VUE testing centers.6Pearson VUE. The Conference (ICFSEB) If you fail a section, you must wait 30 days before retaking it. In a separate-license state, pursuing only the funeral director credential may exempt you from the Sciences section; your state board’s rules decide.
Your State’s Jurisprudence Exam
Most states also require a jurisprudence exam covering local funeral service laws, regulations, and the code of ethics. It tests you on state-specific rules for body transportation, death certificates, cremation authorizations, and pre-need contracts. Fees generally run $90 to $200, separate from the NBE.
Clear the Background Check and Character Review
State boards run fingerprint-based criminal background checks through state and FBI databases on every applicant. Felony convictions involving fraud, theft, or violent crimes frequently result in disqualification, though most boards weigh criminal history case by case rather than imposing blanket bans. If you have a record, some states have a formal process to petition the board for a determination before you commit to the education.
Boards also evaluate what they call moral character: prior disciplinary actions against any professional license, pending legal proceedings, and any history of substance abuse that could affect your fitness to practice. You disclose this on your application, and dishonesty during the application itself is grounds for denial.
Submit Your Application to the State Board
With your degree, apprenticeship log, and exam scores in hand, you submit your application packet to the state licensing board. It typically includes:
- Official transcripts sent directly from your school, confirming completion of an ABFSE-accredited program
- Your certified apprenticeship casework log, signed by your supervising funeral director
- NBE score reports, transmitted to the board by the testing agency rather than by you
- State jurisprudence exam results, if administered separately
- Fingerprint cards or a live scan appointment confirmation for the background check
- Disclosure of any disciplinary, legal, or criminal history
- Professional references from licensed funeral directors or others who can speak to your character
Combined application and initial licensing fees generally run from a few hundred dollars to over $600, depending on the state. Most boards accept online submissions, though some still require mailed originals for notarized forms or sealed transcripts. Processing takes at least a few weeks and sometimes several months. Once approved, you receive a license number that follows you throughout your career.
Keep the License Active
Licenses renew on a regular cycle, usually every one or two years, with continuing education and a renewal fee. Required CE hours vary: some states ask for as few as six hours per period, others twelve or more.3American Board of Funeral Service Education. American Board of Funeral Service Education – FAQs Common CE topics include OSHA workplace safety, public health updates, changes to funeral service law, ethics, and grief counseling.
You also need to keep your board informed. Address and contact changes generally have to be reported within 30 days, and most states require you to report new criminal convictions or out-of-state disciplinary actions on the same kind of timeline, whether at renewal or sooner. Missing a renewal deadline brings fines or suspension, and reinstating a lapsed license usually costs more than renewing on time and may require extra CE or even re-examination.
Separately, every licensed director is bound by the FTC’s Funeral Rule, which governs how funeral homes disclose prices and sell their services.7Federal Trade Commission. Funeral Industry Practices Rule It is not a licensing step, but it is an ongoing compliance obligation you take on the day you start practicing, with civil penalties up to $53,088 per violation.8Federal Trade Commission. Complying with the Funeral Rule
Moving States or Selling Pre-Need
There is no national funeral director license. If you move, you need a new license from the new state’s board. Most states offer licensure by endorsement or reciprocity if you hold an active, unrestricted license elsewhere and your credentials are substantially similar to what the new state requires, but you will still have to pass that state’s jurisprudence exam, and some boards add apprenticeship hours or coursework if your original state’s standards were lower. Start the process well before you move.
Selling pre-arranged funeral contracts can also require authority beyond your funeral director license. Trust-funded pre-need contracts are often covered by your director’s license, but insurance-funded ones typically require an insurance producer license or a limited-lines pre-need insurance license from your state’s insurance regulator. The rules differ sharply by state, so confirm what yours requires before writing any pre-need contract — selling without the right credential can trigger discipline against your director’s license and separate penalties from insurance regulators.