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New York Funeral Service — Requirements & Free Practice

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Licenses, application pathways and examination requirements

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Funeral Director License

Current ordinary individual license for funeral directing, including embalming.

Licensing authority: New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Funeral Directing

Reinstatement after continuing education filing suspension
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Education
Complete 12 hours of continuing education.
Fee
Pay the $250 reinstatement fee.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-10-10.

Restoration after felony disability relief
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Discretion
Restoration of the right to practice is at the commissioner's discretion.
Relief
Provide satisfactory evidence of a pardon, certificate of relief from disabilities or certificate of good conduct removing the disability.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-10-10.

Inactive registration
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Eligibility
Previously duly licensed and registered, license not revoked or suspended, and no longer practicing.
Fee
Pay the regular registration fee; disclose inactive status in advertising when required.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-10-10.

Reactivation of inactive registration
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Eligibility
Comply with registration provisions and complete 12 hours of continuing education before active registration.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-10-10.

Biennial active registration renewal
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Continuing education
Complete 12 hours of continuing education including two hours of applicable New York law; comply with applicable live instruction and certification rules. Funeral directors are exempt during their initial biennium.
Current license
Hold the relevant New York license and report requested facts, criminal convictions and practice violations.
Fee
Pay the applicable biennial registration fee.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-10-10.

Return after temporarily abandoning practice or leaving New York
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Continuing education
Meet applicable registration and continuing-education conditions under section 3429.
Eligibility
License not revoked or suspended; satisfy registration provisions and file an affirmed statement describing temporary abandonment or absence.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-10-10.

Reissuance after license revocation
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Discretion
The commissioner may reissue a revoked license at discretion.
Waiting period
Apply no sooner than one year after revocation, in the manner directed by the commissioner.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-10-10.

Licensure by endorsement in lieu of residency

All of the following:

Citizenship
United States citizenship or lawful permanent residence.
Documents
Supply introduction letter, evidence of intent to practice in New York, current resume, Social Security number and current 2-by-2-inch photograph.
Education
Follow standard instructions 1-5 including certified school transcripts and certified passing NBE scores; student application fee is waived.
Experience
At least three years of full-time experience as a licensed funeral director and embalmer; demonstrate duties and provide an employer's support letter.
Fee
The statutory endorsement fee is $300; the Board instructions waive the student application fee.
Good moral character
Submit satisfactory evidence of good moral character before entry to funeral director school, examination or licensure (Public Health Law 3421(1)).
Good standing
Supply certification of licensure date and good standing from the original and every other licensing jurisdiction; be actively practicing at application.
Reciprocity
The original licensing jurisdiction must certify it will endorse New York licensees; otherwise a 12-month New York residency is required.
Waiver
Public Health Law 3426 authorizes, but does not compel, endorsement without examination at the commissioner's discretion. The Bureau's published implementation instructs applicants to supply certified passing NBE scores and to pass the next NY Law exam. Both requirements are retained; waiver is an applicant condition.
Initial licensure by examination

All of the following:

Citizenship
United States citizenship or lawful permanent residence.
Department examination alternative
10 NYCRR 77.2(k) accepts the approved National Board Examination in lieu of the department's own general examination, without substituting for the law examination. No separately identified currently offered department general examination is established; the unnamed statutory slot remains a condition.
Education
Complete an approved funeral-service curriculum of at least 60 semester or 90 quarter credits and supply a certified transcript.
Good moral character
Submit satisfactory evidence of good moral character before entry to funeral director school, examination or licensure (Public Health Law 3421(1)).
Nbe scores
The Bureau must receive certified passing National Board Examination scores directly from The Conference; these currently offered Arts and Sciences examinations are leaves even when already passed.
Reexaminations
Public Health Law 3422(3) limits re-examinations to three and requires requalification if no passing grade is attained within three years after training, with specified military-service exemptions.
Residency
After passing the first examination, serve a satisfactory full-time 12-month registered residency at a registered New York firm under a licensed and registered sponsor; the Board states eligibility for the law examination begins eight months into residency.
Resident interview
Under 10 NYCRR 77.3(e), the department may direct the resident and/or sponsor to attend an oral interview to determine qualifications. No separate identified, registered examination or scored oral assessment is stated; this discretionary requirement is a condition.
Student registration
Register as a funeral-directing student; late registration may be excused at the commissioner's discretion.
Out of state licensee completing New York residency

All of the following:

Citizenship
United States citizenship or lawful permanent residence.
Department examination alternative
10 NYCRR 77.2(k) accepts the approved National Board Examination in lieu of the department's own general examination, without substituting for the law examination. No separately identified currently offered department general examination is established; the unnamed statutory slot remains a condition.
Education
Complete an approved funeral-service curriculum of at least 60 semester or 90 quarter credits and supply a certified transcript.
Good moral character
Submit satisfactory evidence of good moral character before entry to funeral director school, examination or licensure (Public Health Law 3421(1)).
Introduction
Submit an introductory letter describing experience and intention to practice in New York.
Nbe scores
The Bureau must receive certified passing National Board Examination scores directly from The Conference; these currently offered Arts and Sciences examinations are leaves even when already passed.
Prior license
Hold an out-of-state funeral-director license. That license and its other-state examination are applicant conditions, not this state's examination leaves.
Reexaminations
Public Health Law 3422(3) limits re-examinations to three and requires requalification if no passing grade is attained within three years after training, with specified military-service exemptions.
Residency
After passing the first examination, serve a satisfactory full-time 12-month registered residency at a registered New York firm under a licensed and registered sponsor; the Board states eligibility for the law examination begins eight months into residency.
Resident interview
Under 10 NYCRR 77.3(e), the department may direct the resident and/or sponsor to attend an oral interview to determine qualifications. No separate identified, registered examination or scored oral assessment is stated; this discretionary requirement is a condition.
Student registration
Register as a funeral-directing student; late registration may be excused at the commissioner's discretion.
Limited services under departmental reciprocal agreement
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Agreement
The commissioner may enter an agreement with another United States state or a Canadian province allowing its licensed and registered funeral director, undertaker or equivalent to remove bodies to that jurisdiction, supervise common-carrier delivery or removal, or bury, cremate or supervise funeral services over bodies brought from that jurisdiction.
Limits
No funeral firm operation, advertisement or solicitation in New York; eligibility depends on an applicable departmental agreement and an existing out-of-state license. This is a statutory limited practice exception, not issuance of the ordinary New York license.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-10-10.

Registered Resident

Supervised post-graduate residency registration; the holder may not make funeral arrangements, sign licensee-only forms, or own or manage a funeral firm.

Licensing authority: New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Funeral Directing

Initial registered residency
Education
Complete an approved funeral-service curriculum of at least 60 semester or 90 quarter credits and supply a certified transcript.
Prior scores
The Bureau must receive certified passing National Board Examination scores directly from The Conference; these currently offered Arts and Sciences examinations are leaves even when already passed.
Registration
Register within two weeks after starting employment with the sponsoring firm.
Sponsor
The sponsor is a licensed and registered funeral director or undertaker and embalmer regularly employed at a firm that handled at least 40 qualifying cases in the previous 12 months and maintains adequate embalming facilities.
Supervision
Full-time supervised practice with quarterly reports, sponsor-change notices and a carried resident pocket card; restrictions in Public Health Law 3400(k) apply.

NYS Funeral Director Law Examination

Provider
New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Funeral Directing
Format
Multiple choice
Exam questions
50
Passing score
75%
Exam fee
No examination fee
Examination outline
  • General Business Law Article 22-A
  • General Business Law Article 28-A
  • General Municipal Law Article 7-A
  • Insurance Law Article 32
  • Not-for-Profit Corporation Law Article 15
  • Public Health Law Article 1, Title II
  • Public Health Law Article 2, Title I
  • Public Health Law Article 2, Title II
  • Public Health Law Article 34 — Funeral Directing
  • Public Health Law Article 41 — Vital Statistics
  • Public Health Law Article 42 — Cadavers
  • Public Health Law Article 43 — Anatomical Gifts
  • Religious Corporations Law Article 2
  • Social Services Law Article 5, Title I
  • Social Services Law Article 5, Title VI
  • Tax Law Article 28, Part III
  • Workers' Compensation Law Article 2
  • 10 NYCRR Part 1 — General Provisions
  • 10 NYCRR Part 2 — Communicable Diseases
  • 10 NYCRR Part 13 — Transportation of Dead Bodies
  • 10 NYCRR Part 16 — Ionizing Radiation
  • 10 NYCRR Part 37 — Handling of Bodies of Persons Dying on Common Carriers
  • 10 NYCRR Part 77 — Practice of Funeral Directing
  • 10 NYCRR Part 78 — Statement to Be Furnished by Every Person Licensed Pursuant to Article 34 of the Public Health Law
  • 10 NYCRR Part 79 — Price Information
Examination sources

National Board Exam Arts

Provider
The International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards (The Conference); computer-based exam administered by Pearson at Pearson Professional Centers
Format
Computer-based multiple-choice examination, administered, paid for, scheduled and scored separately from the NBE-Sciences section; a basic calculator is built into the exam software
Exam questions
170 multiple-choice questions: 150 scored and 20 non-scored pretest questions
Time limit
170 minutes for the exam (the appointment also includes a 3-minute non-disclosure agreement, a 3-minute release-of-results screen and a 7-minute tutorial)
Passing score
Scaled score of 75 (pass/fail)
Exam fee
$285 per section
Examination outline
  • I. Funeral Arranging and Directing (51 of 150 scored items; 34% of the NBE-Arts blueprint) (34%)
  • II. Funeral Service Marketing/Merchandising (21 of 150 scored items; 14% of the NBE-Arts blueprint) (14%)
  • III. Funeral Service Counseling (19 of 150 scored items; 13% of the NBE-Arts blueprint) (13%)
  • IV. Legal and Regulatory Compliance (35 of 150 scored items; 23% of the NBE-Arts blueprint) (23%)
  • V. Cemetery/Crematory/Other Dispositions (24 of 150 scored items; 16% of the NBE-Arts blueprint) (16%)
Examination sources

National Board Exam Sciences

Provider
The International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards (The Conference); computer-based exam administered by Pearson at Pearson Professional Centers
Format
Computer-based multiple-choice examination, administered, paid for, scheduled and scored separately from the NBE-Arts section; a basic calculator is built into the exam software
Exam questions
170 multiple-choice questions: 150 scored and 20 non-scored pretest questions
Time limit
170 minutes for the exam (the appointment also includes a 3-minute non-disclosure agreement, a 3-minute release-of-results screen and a 7-minute tutorial)
Passing score
Scaled score of 75 (pass/fail)
Exam fee
$285 per section
Examination outline
  • I. Embalming (62 of 150 scored items; 41% of the NBE-Sciences blueprint) (41%)
  • II. Restorative Art (34 of 150 scored items; 23% of the NBE-Sciences blueprint) (23%)
  • III. Other Preparation of the Deceased (28 of 150 scored items; 19% of the NBE-Sciences blueprint) (19%)
  • IV. Funeral Service Sciences (26 of 150 scored items; 17% of the NBE-Sciences blueprint) (17%)
Examination sources