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State Funeral and Cemetery Regulatory Agencies

Use this directory to find the state agencies that license funeral professionals, oversee funeral establishments, regulate covered cemeteries, or administer preneed and perpetual-care requirements.

Finding the Right State Agency

Funeral-service licensing is generally handled by a state professional board or licensing department. Cemetery regulation is less uniform. Some states regulate commercial or perpetual-care cemeteries through a separate agency, while public, religious, tribal, family, and nonprofit cemeteries may be exempt or governed locally.

Start with the agencies listed for your state. Before submitting a complaint or relying on an agency’s guidance, confirm that it has jurisdiction over the particular funeral provider, cemetery, crematory, contract, or trust involved.

State oversight varies. Funeral professionals and establishments are generally licensed at the state level, but cemetery regulation is less uniform. Some agencies oversee only commercial or perpetual-care cemeteries, while public, religious, tribal, family, and nonprofit cemeteries may be regulated locally or exempt from state licensing. Contact the listed agency to confirm whether it has jurisdiction over a particular provider or cemetery.

State agencies responsible for funeral and cemetery oversight
State Funeral-industry licensing and oversight Cemetery-industry oversight
Alabama Alabama Board of Funeral Service Same board; regulates covered preneed and endowment-care cemeteries. Governmental and religious cemeteries are generally exempt.
Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing — Morticians No separate comprehensive statewide cemetery-licensing board identified. Local governments and other state programs may have authority.
Arizona Arizona Department of Health Services — Funeral Services Arizona Department of Real Estate — Cemeteries
Arkansas Arkansas Insurance Department — Funeral Services Division Same department and state board; includes perpetual-care cemeteries and burial associations.
California Department of Consumer Affairs — Cemetery and Funeral Bureau Same bureau yes; regulates licensed private cemeteries, cemetery managers and salespeople, crematories, and related license categories.
Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies — Funeral Home and Crematory Registration Department of Regulatory Agencies — Division of Real Estate handles certain cemetery-company, subdivision, and consumer matters.
Connecticut Department of Public Health — Embalmers and Funeral Directors No single comprehensive state cemetery-licensing agency. Municipal authorities and local health or land-use officials oversee many cemetery matters.
Delaware Division of Professional Regulation — Board of Funeral Services No single comprehensive cemetery occupational-licensing board. Public-health and local authorities handle many operational matters.
Florida Department of Financial Services — Division of Funeral, Cemetery and Consumer Services Same division; regulates covered funeral establishments, crematories, cemeteries, monument establishments, and preneed sellers.
Georgia Secretary of State — Georgia State Board of Funeral Service Secretary of State — Cemeteries
Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs — Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors Department of Health — Sanitation Branch regulates funeral establishments, mortuaries, crematories, and cemeteries under sanitation rules.
Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses — Board of Morticians No single comprehensive cemetery regulator. Cemetery corporations, trusts, land use, and abandoned cemeteries may involve other authorities.
Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation — Funeral Directors and Embalmers Illinois Comptroller — Cemetery Care and Burial Trust Division
Indiana Professional Licensing Agency — State Board of Funeral and Cemetery Service Same board Stone; regulates funeral homes, crematories, cemetery owners, cemetery salespeople, and covered preneed activity.
Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing — Board of Mortuary Science Iowa Insurance Division — Preneed Sellers and Sales Agents what is fake. General cemetery operations may remain local or entity-specific.
Kansas State Board of Mortuary Arts No comprehensive state cemetery-operating board. The Kansas Insurance Department regulates covered preneed funeral contracts.
Kentucky Kentucky Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors Kentucky Attorney General — Office of Consumer Protection regulates covered cemetery companies, perpetual-care funds, and preneed cemetery merchandise.
Louisiana Louisiana State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors Louisiana Cemetery Board
Maine Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation — Board of Funeral Service No single comprehensive state cemetery-licensing board. Municipal officers, cemetery associations, and other authorities may have jurisdiction.
Maryland Department of Health — Board of Morticians and Funeral Directors Department of Labor — Office of Cemetery Oversight
Massachusetts Division of Occupational Licensure — Board of Registration in Embalming and Funeral Directing Cemetery establishment and operation are largely governed through municipal cemetery commissioners, local boards of health, and local government.
Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs — Mortuary Science LARA — Cemetery Regulation
Minnesota Department of Health — Mortuary Science Section No general statewide cemetery-operating license. Cemetery associations, municipalities, counties, and courts handle many cemetery matters.
Mississippi Mississippi State Board of Funeral Service Secretary of State — Perpetual-Care Cemeteries
Missouri Division of Professional Registration — State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors Division of Professional Registration — Office of Endowed Care Cemeteries
Montana Department of Labor and Industry — Board of Funeral Service Same board administers provisions applying to covered cemetery firms and certain perpetual-care or funeral-and-cemetery trusts.
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services — Funeral Directing and Embalming Nebraska Department of Insurance — Pre-Need Burial. General cemetery operations are primarily governed locally or by cemetery entities.
Nevada Nevada Funeral and Cemetery Services Board Same board; licenses and regulates funeral establishments, crematories, cemeteries, cemetery salespeople, and related businesses.
New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification — Board of Funeral Directors, Embalmers and Apprentices No comprehensive state cemetery-licensing board. Local trustees, the Charitable Trusts Unit, and courts may have authority.
New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs — State Board of Mortuary Science Division of Consumer Affairs — New Jersey Cemetery Board
New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department — Funeral Services The Funeral Services program regulates covered crematories, direct-disposal establishments, and certain cemetery-related licensees.
New York Department of Health — Bureau of Funeral Directing Department of State — Division of Cemeteries
North Carolina North Carolina Board of Funeral Service North Carolina Cemetery Commission
North Dakota North Dakota State Board of Funeral Service No single comprehensive state cemetery regulator. Cemetery associations and political subdivisions generally operate under state statutes and local governance.
Ohio State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors Department of Commerce — Cemetery Registration and Cemetery Dispute Resolution Commission
Oklahoma Oklahoma Funeral Board Oklahoma Insurance Department — Perpetual-Care Cemeteries and Cemetery Merchandise Trusts
Oregon Oregon Mortuary and Cemetery Board Same board; regulates funeral establishments, practitioners, embalmers, crematories, cemeteries, and qualifying death-care facilities.
Pennsylvania Department of State — State Board of Funeral Directors No single comprehensive cemetery-licensing board. Jurisdiction may involve the Department of State, Attorney General, courts, and local government.
Rhode Island Department of Health — Funeral Directors and Embalmers No comprehensive cemetery occupational-licensing board. Authority varies by ownership and trust status.
South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation — Board of Funeral Service Department of Consumer Affairs — Perpetual Care Cemeteries
South Dakota South Dakota Board of Funeral Service No single comprehensive cemetery-licensing agency. Cemetery associations, municipalities, counties, and local governing bodies oversee most operations.
Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance — Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers Department of Commerce and Insurance — Burial Services
Texas Texas Funeral Service Commission Texas Department of Banking — Perpetual-Care Cemeteries and Prepaid Funeral Benefits
Utah Division of Professional Licensing — Funeral Service Utah Insurance Department — Preneed Funeral Plans. Local government and cemetery-owning entities handle many operational matters.
Vermont Secretary of State — Office of Professional Regulation, Funeral Service Cemetery governance is principally local through municipalities, cemetery associations, towns, and courts.
Virginia Department of Health Professions — Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation — Cemetery Board
Washington Department of Licensing — Funeral and Cemetery Board Same board and department; regulates cemetery authorities, crematories, and related licenses.
West Virginia West Virginia Board of Funeral Service Examiners West Virginia Cemetery Board
Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services — Funeral Directors Department of Financial Institutions — Cemetery Services
Wyoming Wyoming Board of Funeral Service Practitioners No comprehensive statewide cemetery-licensing board. Cemetery districts, municipalities, counties, associations, and private owners generally govern operations.

Last reviewed: July 2026. Agency responsibilities and web addresses can change.

How to Use This Directory

Choose your state and open the relevant agency website. Look for sections labeled License Search, Consumer Complaints, File a Complaint, Disciplinary Actions, Preneed, Perpetual Care, or Cemetery Regulation.

Things to Think About

  • Confirm that a funeral director, embalmer, establishment, crematory, or cemetery holds any required state license or registration.
  • Review disciplinary records or enforcement actions when the agency makes them publicly available.
  • Contact the agency before filing a complaint to make sure it regulates the provider, cemetery, contract, or issue involved.
  • Check local or county authorities when the cemetery is municipal, religious, family-owned, tribal, or otherwise exempt from state regulation.
  • For deceptive sales practices or unresolved consumer disputes, also consider your state attorney general or consumer-protection office.

Help Us Keep This Directory Current

State agencies may change names, responsibilities, or web addresses. If you find a broken link or believe an agency listing needs correction, please contact Life’s End Options.

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