Funeral Directing

PURPOSE: This rule outlines the provisions for the practice of funeral directing. (1) Every person who desires to enter the profession of funeral directing in Missouri and who is not entitled to a license by reciprocity under section 333.051 or 324.009, RSMo, shall pay applicable fees and shall complete an application for a funeral director license through the Division of Professional Registration online licensing system or on an approved application form. (2) Education Applicants. (A) Provide official transcripts and documentation demon strating the applicant is a graduate of an institute of mortuary science accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education or any successor organization, or other organiza tion approved by the board, and successful completion of the National Board Examination–Arts and the Missouri Law exam ination or proof of being a licensed Missouri embalmer. (B) Applicants shall also submit documents listed in section (4). (3) Apprenticeship Applicants. (A) As an alternative to the requirements of section (2), applicants may register for and provide proof of successful completion of a board-approved apprenticeship program. Applicants completing an apprenticeship shall provide an Affidavit of Practical Work completed during the apprenticeship period and the Attestation for Licensure application upon completion of an apprenticeship. To successfully complete a board-approved apprenticeship program, the applicant must register with the board and complete an apprenticeship program in one (1) of the following: 1. Within a twenty-four- (24-) month period: A. Complete a twelve- (12-) month apprenticeship pro gram during which the apprentice shall arrange and conduct ten (10) funeral services under the personal supervision of a Missouri licensed funeral director in an establishment licensed for care and preparation of the dead human body; and B. Participate as a funeral director apprenticeship for a minimum of seven hundred eighty (780) hours, average of fifteen (15) hours weekly, within the twelve- (12-) month apprenticeship; and C. Successfully complete the National Board Examination–Arts and the Missouri Law examination admin istered by the International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards, any successor organization, or other orga nization approved by the board; or 2. Within a thirty-six- (36-) month period— A. Complete an eighteen- (18-) month apprenticeship program during which the apprentice shall arrange and conduct twenty-five (25) funeral services under the personal supervision of a Missouri-licensed funeral director in an establishment licensed for care and preparation of the dead human body; B. Participate as a funeral director apprentice for a minimum of one thousand one hundred seventy (1,170) hours, average of fifteen (15) hours weekly, within the eighteen- (18-) month apprenticeship; and C. Successfully complete the Missouri Law examination. (B) Applicants shall also submit documents listed in section (4). (C) Personal supervision means supervision in which the licensed funeral director is physically present for the apprentice’s first five (5) funeral services. The licensed supervisor may be available within one (1) hour for consultation for the remaining cases. (D) After successful registration with the board, an apprentice will be eligible to sit for required examinations with the International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards, any successor organization, or other organization approved by the board. (E) If a funeral director supervisor is unwilling or unable to attest to the completion of the funeral director apprenticeship, the applicant may request the board review the apprenticeship records and make a determination as to the completion of the apprenticeship. (4) As part of the application processes in sections (2) and (3), applicants shall provide to the board the following: (A) Proof of being at least eighteen (18) years of age; (B) Proof of possession of a high school diploma or equivalent, as determined by the board; (C) Applicants must submit to a criminal history background check as provided to the board by the Missouri Highway Patrol. Applicants shall submit applicable fees to the board as deter mined by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Apprenticeship applicants must submit to a criminal background check at the time of registration and upon application for licensure; and (D) Any other information the board may require. (5) Any licensed funeral director who has not previously sat for the National Board Examination–Arts may, at his or her election and upon written request to the board, sit for the examination once the board has deemed eligibility with the International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards, any successor organization, or other organization approved by the board. (6) Transition. (A) Effective August 28, 2025, those apprentice registrants currently enrolled in the twenty-four- (24-) month pathway apprenticeship program may request to transition to the thirtysix- (36-) month pathway. Requests must be submitted to the board in writing. Existing time and cases completed in the current apprenticeship will count toward the requirements of the thirty-six- (36-) month apprentice pathway. (7) Upon registration and payment in full of all applicable fees, the board shall issue the apprentice funeral director applicant a funeral director apprentice registration. This registration authorizes the apprentice registrant to engage in the practice of funeral directing under the supervision of a Missouri-licensed funeral director. The funeral director apprentice registration, or a copy thereof, shall be displayed at all times in a conspicuous location accessible to the public at each establishment where the apprentice is working. (8) The funeral director apprentice registration authorizes the registrant to engage in the practice of funeral directing only during the apprenticeship period. Once the apprenticeship is successfully completed, as defined in this rule, the funeral director apprentice registration shall become null and void. Any Missouri licensed funeral director who allows a former apprentice who has completed his/her apprenticeship to engage in the practice of funeral directing before that apprentice is fully licensed shall be subject to discipline for misconduct under section 333.121.2, RSMo. (9) The funeral director apprenticeship is not intended as a long-term method of practicing as a funeral director in the absence of progress toward licensure. An apprentice shall not be allowed to register with the board for more than two (2) apprenticeship periods unless otherwise approved by the board for good cause. (10) The funeral director apprenticeship shall be served under the personal supervision of a Missouri-licensed funeral director in a Missouri-licensed funeral establishment. If the funeral director apprentice changes funeral establishments or there is a change to the licensed funeral director supervisor during the course of the apprenticeship, the apprentice shall notify the board, through the online licensing system or on a form prescribed by the board, of the changes to the funeral establishment locations where the apprenticeship is being served or with the funeral director supervisors. The board must be notified within ten (10) business days after the change(s) have been made. (11) An applicant shall be exempt from the requirement of successful completion of the Missouri Law examination if the applicant has successfully completed the Missouri Law exam ination for another Missouri license within the jurisdiction of the board. (12) Any funeral director or funeral establishment that allows an unlicensed person to make at-need arrangements for the transportation or removal and transport of a dead human body for or on behalf of the funeral director and/or the funeral establishment shall supervise the unlicensed person and shall be responsible for the conduct of the unlicensed person. This section shall not be construed to allow any unlicensed person to perform any other act for which a license is required by Chapter 333, RSMo. (13) A Missouri-licensed funeral director shall be present and personally shall supervise or conduct each funeral ceremony conducted by or from a Missouri-licensed funeral establish ment. A violation of this section will be considered misconduct in the practice of funeral directing. (14) A Missouri-licensed funeral director shall be present and personally shall supervise any disinterment, interment, entombment, or cremation as defined in 20 CSR 2120-1.040 conducted by a Missouri-licensed funeral establishment. However, nothing in this rule shall be interpreted as requiring the presence of a Missouri-licensed funeral director if the person(s) having the right to control the incidents of the burial request otherwise. If the disinterment does not require legal notification to the county coroner or medical examiner, a funeral director’s presence may not be required. A violation of this section shall be deemed misconduct in the practice of funeral directing. (A) Once the body has been delivered to a cemetery for the purpose of interment or to a crematory for the purpose of cremation and after any funeral ceremonies have been completed, the Missouri-licensed funeral director is not required to stay with the body. (B) Nothing in this rule shall be interpreted as requiring the Missouri-licensed funeral director to leave the cemetery before disposition is complete. Furthermore, nothing in this rule shall be interpreted as relieving the Missouri-licensed funeral director of any responsibilities he/she has under his/ her contract with the person(s) having the right to control the incidents of burial. (15) A funeral director or funeral establishment licensed in another state that enters the state of Missouri solely for the purpose of transporting a dead human body through Missouri to another state, country, or territory shall not be deemed to be in the practice of funeral directing or required to obtain a license from the board. This regulation does not exempt any person or entity from complying with any applicable statutes or regulations governing the transportation of dead human bodies including but not limited to Chapters 193 and 194, RSMo. (16) A Missouri-licensed funeral establishment or funeral direc tor shall not allow an unlicensed person to make the following at-need arrangements with the person having the right to con trol the incidents of disposition: (A) Arrangements for final disposition, supervision of visi tation and memorial ceremony, grave attendance, cremation, entering into a contractual relationship for performance of any other funeral services; and (B) Embalming, cremation, care, or preparation. (17) The taking of preliminary information by an unlicensed person will not be construed as the making of at-need funeral arrangements under this rule. (18) No temporary Missouri funeral director license authorized under section 333.042, RSMo, will be issued until the board has been advised as to the location of the Missouri-licensed funeral establishment at which the temporary funeral director’s license will be used. The holder of the temporary license shall be authorized to work only at the Missouri-licensed funeral establishment(s) where the deceased and/or disabled Missouri licensed funeral director was authorized to work and only when there is no other licensed funeral director available to discharge the director’s duties. Violation of this rule will be deemed unauthorized practice of funeral directing. (19) The business and practice of funeral directing may be conducted only from a fixed place or establishment which has been licensed by the board. (20) Limited Funeral Director License. (A) A person holding a limited license shall only be allowed to work in a funeral establishment that is licensed to conduct cremations (Function B). A person holding a limited funeral director license may perform duties related to cremation. They may not make funeral arrangements or conduct services for which a funeral director’s license is required. (B) Every person desiring a limited license shall make application through the Division of Professional Registration online licensing system or submit a paper application providing the following to the board: 1. Proof of being at least eighteen (18) years of age; 2. Proof of possession of a high school diploma or equivalent, as determined by the board; 3. Successful completion of the Missouri Law examination; 4. Payment of applicable fees and satisfactorily complete a Missouri Highway Patrol criminal background check; 5. Any other information the board may require. (C) Every limited licensee shall provide the board with the name, location, and license number of each funeral establish ment, licensed for cremation, where he/she is employed. (D) If a limited licensee desires to obtain a full funeral director’s license, the licensee shall be required to complete the requirements necessary for licensure in section 333.042, RSMo. (21) All certificates, registrations, and licenses, or duplicate copies thereof, issued by the State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors shall be displayed at all times in a conspicuous location accessible to the public in each office(s) or place(s) of business where they work, for inspection by any duly authorized agent of the board. (22) Should an individual desire to obtain a Missouri funeral director’s license after his/her license has become void under section 333.081.3, RSMo, the individual shall be required to make new application and pay all applicable fees to the board. No previous apprenticeship or application will be considered for the new application. However, the board shall accept the successful completion of the National Board Examination–Arts examination for new application and the successful completion of the Missouri Law examination if successfully completed for another license under the jurisdiction of the board. (23) A Missouri-licensed funeral director may engage in the practice of funeral directing in the state of Missouri only in Missouri licensed funeral establishments. Each Missouri licensed funeral director shall inform the board in writing, in a timely manner, of each Missouri-licensed funeral establishment name(s), location(s), and license number(s) where the Missouri licensed funeral director is engaged in funeral directing. (24) A Missouri-licensed funeral director has the ongoing obligation to keep the board informed if the licensee has been finally adjudicated or found guilty, or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, in a criminal prosecution under the laws of any state or of the United States, whether or not sentence was imposed. This information shall be provided to the board within thirty (30) days of being finally adjudicated or found guilty. (25) Person Deemed to be Engaged in the Practice of Funeral Directing. (A) No person shall be deemed by the board to be engaged in the practice of funeral directing or to be operating a funeral establishment if the person prepares, arranges, or carries out the burial of the dead human body of a member of one’s own family or next of kin as provided by section 194.119, RSMo, provided that the activity is not conducted as a business or for business purposes. (B) The board shall not deem a person to be engaged in the practice of funeral directing or to be operating a funeral establishment if the person prepares, arranges, or carries out the burial of a dead human body pursuant to the religious beliefs, tenets, or practices of a religious group, sect, or organization, provided that the activity is not conducted as a business or for business purposes. AUTHORITY: sections 333.041 and 333.042, RSMo Supp. 2025, and sections 333.091, 333.111, and 333.330, RSMo 2016.* This rule originally filed as 4 CSR 120-2.060. Original rule filed Oct. 17, 1975, effective Oct. 28, 1975. Amended: Filed Aug. 16, 1976, effective Dec. 11, 1976. Emergency amendment filed Nov. 9, 1978, effective Nov. 20, 1978, expired Feb. 11, 1979. Rescinded and readopted: Filed Nov. 8, 1978, effective Feb. 11, 1979. Rescinded and readopted: Filed Jan. 13, 1982, effective April 11, 1982. Amended: Filed Dec. 2, 1983, effective April 12, 1984. Amended: Filed July 29, 1988, effective Dec. 11, 1988. Amended: Filed Sept. 6, 1988, effective Dec. 11, 1988. Amended: Filed Sept. 6, 1989, effective Dec. 28, 1989. Amended: Filed Sept. 5, 1990, effective March 14, 1991. Amended: Filed March 4, 1991, effective July 8, 1991. Amended: Filed March 26, 1991, effective Sept. 30, 1991. Amended: Filed Feb. 1, 1994, effective July 30, 1994. Amended: Filed Dec. 22, 1997, effective June 30, 1998. Rescinded and readopted: Filed Sept. 8, 1998, effective Jan. 30, 1999. Amended: Filed July 26, 1999, effective Jan. 30, 2000. Amended: Filed March 10, 2000, effective Sept. 30, 2000. Amended: Filed Nov. 1, 2001, effective April 30, 2002. Rescinded and readopted: Filed Dec. 31, 2003, effective July 30, 2004. Amended: Filed Sept. 15, 2004, effective April 30, 2005. Moved to 20 CSR 2120-2.060, effective Aug. 28, 2006. Amended: Filed Feb. 16, 2006, effective Sept. 30, 2006. Amended: Filed Nov. 15, 2007, effective May 30, 2008. Amended: Filed July 22, 2009, effective Jan. 30, 2010. ** Amended: Filed Aug. 30, 2022, effective Feb. 28, 2023. Rescinded and readopted: Filed Dec. 30, 2025, effective June 30, 2026. *Original authority: 333.041, RSMo 1965, amended 1969, 1977, 1981, 1983, 1993, 1998, 2001, 2011, 2018, 2020, 2025; 333.042, RSMo 1993, amended 1998, 2001, 2011, 2018, 2025; 333.091, RSMo 1965, amended 1981, 2009, 2011; 333.111, RSMo 1965, amended 1981, 1993, 1995; and 333.330, RSMo 2009. **Pursuant to Executive Order 21-07, 20 CSR 2120-2.060 was suspended from April 10, 2020 through April 23, 2021.