Requirements to get your license: Funeral establishments

Funeral establishments

The board shall issue a funeral establishment license to any person, partnership, association, corporation, or other organization to operate a funeral establishment, at a specific location only, which has met the following requirements:

  • The applicant has designated the name under which the funeral establishment will operate and has designated location for which the establishment license is to be issued;
  • The applicant is licensed in this state as a funeral director or employs at least one funeral director who will be in service at each designated location;
  • The applicant has filed an application with the director of the department of licensing as required by RCW 18.39.145 and paid the required filing fee therefor as fixed by the director pursuant to RCW 43.24.086;
  • As a condition of applying for a new funeral establishment license, the person or entity desiring to acquire such ownership or control shall be bound by all then existing prearrangement funeral service contracts.

The board may deny an application for a funeral establishment license, or issue a conditional license, if disciplinary action has previously been taken against the applicant or the applicant's designated funeral director or embalmer. No funeral establishment license shall be transferable, but an applicant may make application for more than one funeral establishment license so long as all of the requirements are met for each license. All funeral establishment licenses shall expire annually on January 31, or as otherwise determined by the director.

Crematoriums

RCW 18.39.217 states, “A permit or endorsement issued by the board or under chapter 68.05 RCW is required in order to operate a crematory or conduct a cremation. Conducting a cremation without a permit or endorsement is a misdemeanor. Each such cremation is a separate violation. Crematories owned or operated by or located on property licensed as a funeral establishment shall be regulated by the board of funeral directors and embalmers. Crematories not affiliated with a funeral establishment shall be regulated by the cemetery board.” Call the board’s office for an application. In addition, local city/county ordinances such as zoning, health or ecology must be complied with.