Internship requirements: Funeral and cemeteries
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Funeral director interns
Requirements
To become a funeral director, you must complete 1 year of intern training under the supervision of a funeral director licensed in Washington State. The training must:
- Consist of at least 1,800 hours of employment.
- Include assisting in coordinating all aspects of at least 25 arrangements for funeral, memorial, and/or final disposition services for human remains.
How to apply
No exam is required to become a funeral director intern. To apply:
- Complete a Funeral Director/Embalmer Intern Application. Be sure to provide your Social Security number and sign the attestation.
- Mail your completed application and a check or money order payable to the Washington State Treasurer for the application fee to the address on the application form.
Out-of-state internships
If you served an internship in a state other than Washington, it may be accepted when you apply for a funeral director license if:
- You were registered with that state’s board.
- The training is documented by the supervising licensed funeral director or embalmer.
If you have less than 1 year of combined internship and experience as a licensed funeral director in another state, you must serve a period of internship to make up the difference to a total of 1 year before getting a license in Washington.
Funeral director license exams
You may take the funeral director licensing exams before finishing your intern training. However, we won’t issue your license until after we receive certification that you have completed your intern training.
Embalmer interns
Requirements
To become an embalmer, you must complete 2 years of intern training under the supervision of an embalmer licensed in Washington State. The training must:
- Consist of at least 3,600 hours of employment.
- Include the embalming of at least 50 human remains.
How to apply
No exam is required to become an embalmer intern. To apply:
- Complete a Funeral Director/Embalmer Intern Application. Be sure to provide your Social Security number and sign the attestation.
- Mail your completed application and a check or money order payable to the Washington State Treasurer for the application fee to the address on the application form.
Out-of-state internships
If you served an internship in a state other than Washington, it may be accepted when you apply for an embalmer license if:
- You were registered with that state’s board.
- The training is documented by the supervising licensed funeral director or embalmer.
If you have less than 2 years of combined internship and experience as a licensed funeral director in another state, you must serve a period of internship to make up the difference to a total of 2 years before getting a license in Washington.
Embalmer license exams
You may take the embalmer licensing exams before finishing your intern training. However, we won’t issue your license until after we receive certification that you have completed your intern training.
Academic interns
An “academic intern” is any student enrolled in an accredited college funeral service education program who is serving his or her 3-month internship at a participating Washington state funeral establishment as required for graduation from the funeral service education program. The internship cannot be longer than 3 months, and academic interns must:
- Register at the beginning of the academic internship.
- Serve their internship in accordance with the guidelines established by the funeral service education program.
How to apply
No exam is required to become an academic intern. To apply:
- Complete an Academic Intern Registration Application.
- Mail your completed application to the address on the application form. No fee is required.
