Funeral director internship

Internship 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. Your internship is limited to no more than 5 years. 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.

Out-of-state internships

• If you served an internship in another state, your internship 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.

How to apply

No exam is required to become a funeral director intern.

To apply submit your application:

Online

Log in or sign up to apply and pay your application fee.

By mail

Mail a completed Funeral Director/Embalmer Intern Application with a check or money order for the $135 application fee (payable to the Department of Licensing) to:

How to report your internship activities

Every 3 months during your internship, you must submit a Funeral Director Intern Training Report listing the activities you've completed toward your internship.

Qualifying activities include:

• Receiving initial notification of death.
• Removing remains from place of death.
• Wearing protective clothing/observe universal precautions.
• Obtaining the identity of remains/place identification on remains.
• Complying with embalming/refrigeration regulations.
• Observing funeral arrangements.
• Conducting arrangement conference.
• Gathering vital statistic information.
• Composing obituary/death notices.
• Obtaining authorizations for embalming, cremation, release etc.
• Obtaining burial transit permit.
• Completing the Statement of Funeral Goods and Services Selected.
• Planning and coordinating service and disposition details.
• Presenting and explaining a general price list.
• Presenting and explaining a casket price list.
• Presenting and explaining an outer burial container price list.
• Determining financial responsibility.
• Documenting and removing personal effects.
• Completing and filing a death certificate.
• Obtaining certified copies of a death certificate.
• Explaining FTC requirements.
• Explaining Social Security and VA benefits.
• Assisting with visitation.
• Assisting with funeral/memorial or graveside service.
• Receiving and arranging flowers.
• Viewing room set-up.
• Making disposition arrangements.
• Maintaining appropriate licensing.
• Maintaining confidentiality of information.
• Coordinating funeral service participants (clergy, military, etc.)
• Preparing and presenting honorariums/gratuities.
• Concluding a service and dismissing attendees.
• Arranging casket/urn settings.
• Confirming identity of decedent prior to disposition.
• Completing disposition of cremated human remains.

We recommend you keep a copy of your training reports for your records.

How to change your sponsor

Update your sponsors:

Online

Log in or sign up

By mail

Completed a Funeral Director/Embalmer Intern Application to us before you change sponsors to avoid losing training credit.

Taking the licensing exam

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. To learn more about the licensing exam, see Exam.

Questions? Need help?

• Email us: funerals@dol.wa.gov
• Call us: 360.664.1555