{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-59-59-396.3","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 59, § 59-396.3","heading":"Qualifications and examination of funeral directors and","body":"embalmers - Approved schools – Licenses.\n\nA. The Oklahoma Funeral Board shall determine the\n\nqualifications necessary to enable any person to practice as a\n\nfuneral director or embalmer, and prescribe the requirements for a\n\nfuneral establishment or commercial embalming establishment. The\n\nBoard shall examine all applicants for licenses to practice as a\n\nfuneral director or embalmer. The Board shall issue the proper\n\nlicenses to applicants who successfully pass such examination and\n\nqualify pursuant to any additional requirements the Board may\n\nprescribe.\n\nB. 1. Except as provided in subsection C of this section, the\n\nminimum requirements for a license to practice funeral directing or\n\nembalming, or both, are as follows:\n\nAn applicant for a license to practice funeral directing or\n\nembalming shall be at least eighteen (18) years of age, a legal\n\nresident of this state, and a citizen or permanent resident of the\n\nUnited States. In addition, an applicant shall be a graduate of a\n\nprogram of mortuary science accredited by the American Board of\n\nFuneral Service Education, and have served one (1) year as a\n\nregistered apprentice. The applicant may serve as a registered\n\napprentice prior to enrollment in an approved school of mortuary\n\nscience, or subsequent to graduation from the school, and pass any\n\nof the following relevant exams necessary for licensure: the\n\nInternational Conference of Funeral Service Examining Board National\n\nBoard Science Examination, the International Conference of Funeral\n\nService Examining Board National Board Arts Examination, the\n\nOklahoma Funeral Directors Examination, or the Oklahoma Embalmers\n\nExamination with a seventy-five (75) or higher score on each exam.\n\n2. Curriculum of study for an embalmer or funeral director is a\n\nprogram of mortuary science which shall be that prescribed by the\n\nAmerican Board of Funeral Service Education.\n\nC. 1. If a person chooses not to meet the qualifications in\n\nsubsection B of this section for a funeral director, the person may\n\nalternatively qualify for a license to practice funeral directing,\n\nbut not embalming, upon meeting the eligibility requirements of this\n\nsubsection as follows:\n\nAn applicant for a license to practice funeral directing shall\n\nbe at least eighteen (18) years of age, a legal resident of this\n\nstate, and a citizen or permanent resident of the United States. An\n\napplicant is required to complete a funeral director course of study\n\napproved by the Oklahoma Funeral Board and that is administered by a\n\nprogram of funeral service/mortuary science accredited by the\n\nAmerican Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE). The funeral\n\ndirector course of study shall include at least thirty (30) semester\n\nhours or equivalent closely following the ABFSE curriculum standard,\n\nlimited to only: Business Management, Cremation, Social\n\nSciences/Humanities, Legal, Ethical, Regulatory, plus essential\n\nelements of embalming, restorative art, general concerns when\n\ndealing with human remains, a practicum experience, and preparation\n\nfor the required board exams. In addition to the funeral director\n\ncourse of study, the applicant is required to complete a twelve-\n\nmonth minimum term as a registered apprentice with employment at a\n\nlicensed establishment and must have assisted with twenty-five\n\narrangement conferences and assisted with twenty-five separate\n\nfuneral or memorial services under the supervision of a licensed\n\nfuneral director in this state. The applicant may serve as a\n\nregistered apprentice prior to enrollment in an approved school of\n\nmortuary science, concurrently while in mortuary school, or\n\nsubsequent to completion of the funeral director course of study.\n\n2. Curriculum of study for a funeral director license shall be\n\nin a program of mortuary science which shall be that prescribed by\nas a\n\nregistered apprentice prior to enrollment in an approved school of\n\nmortuary science, concurrently while in mortuary school, or\n\nsubsequent to completion of the funeral director course of study.\n\n2. Curriculum of study for a funeral director license shall be\n\nin a program of mortuary science which shall be that prescribed by\n\nthe Oklahoma Funeral Board. An applicant must pay all fees as\n\nprovided in Section 396.4 of this title and pass an exam provided by\n\nthe International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Board or\n\nthe Oklahoma Funeral Directors Exam with a score of seventy-five\n\n(75) or higher as well as pass a law exam provided by the Oklahoma\n\nFuneral Board, with a score of seventy-five (75) or higher. A\n\nlicense to practice as a funeral director issued pursuant to this\n\nsubsection shall be restricted to funeral director, and the licensee\n\nshall not be eligible to practice as the funeral director in charge\n\nas defined in Section 396.2 of this title.\n\n3. If a person chooses not to meet the qualifications in\n\nsubsection B of this section for an embalmer, the person may\n\nalternatively qualify for a license to practice embalming, upon\n\nmeeting the eligibility requirements of this subsection as follows:\n\nAn applicant for a license of this state, a citizen or permanent\n\nresident of the United States, and of good moral character. An\n\napplicant is required to complete an embalmer course of study\n\napproved by the Oklahoma Funeral Board and that is administered by a\n\nprogram of funeral service/mortuary science accredited by the\n\nAmerican Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE). The embalmer\n\ncourse of study shall include at least thirty (30) semester hours or\n\nequivalent closely following the ABFSE curriculum standard, limited\n\nto only: Biology, Chemistry, Microbiology, Human Anatomy,\n\nPathology, Embalming, Embalming Chemistry, and Restorative Art, plus\n\nessential elements of grief, communication, and preparation for the\n\nrequired board examinations. The applicant must also complete a\n\ntwelve-month minimum term as a registered apprentice with full-time\n\nemployment at a licensed establishment or licensed commercial\n\nembalming establishment and must have assisted with twenty-five\n\nembalmings under the supervision of a licensed embalmer in this\n\nstate. The applicant may serve as a registered apprentice prior to\n\nenrollment in an approved school of mortuary science, concurrently\n\nwhile in mortuary school, or subsequent to completion of the\n\nembalmer course of study.\n\n4. Curriculum of study for an embalmer license shall be in a\n\nprogram of funeral service/mortuary science which shall be that\n\nprescribed by the Oklahoma Funeral Board. An applicant must pay all\n\nfees as provided in Section 396.4 of this title and pass the\n\nembalmer examination provided by the International Conference of\n\nFuneral Service Examining Board or the Oklahoma Embalmers Exam with\n\na score of seventy-five (75) or higher as well as pass a law exam\n\nprovided by the Oklahoma Funeral Board with a score of seventy-five\nprescribed by the Oklahoma Funeral Board. An applicant must pay all\n\nfees as provided in Section 396.4 of this title and pass the\n\nembalmer examination provided by the International Conference of\n\nFuneral Service Examining Board or the Oklahoma Embalmers Exam with\n\na score of seventy-five (75) or higher as well as pass a law exam\n\nprovided by the Oklahoma Funeral Board with a score of seventy-five\n\n(75) or higher. A license to practice as an embalmer issued\n\npursuant to this subsection shall be restricted to embalmer, and the\n\nlicensee shall not be eligible to practice as the funeral director\n\nin charge as defined in Section 396.2 of this title.\n\nD. The Board shall issue the appropriate license to any\n\nqualified applicant whose application has been approved by the\n\nBoard, and who has paid the fees required by Section 396.4 of this\n\ntitle, has passed the required examinations with a seventy-five (75)\n\nor higher score and has demonstrated to the Board proficiency as an\n\nembalmer or funeral director.\n\nE. The Board shall maintain for public inspection a list of all\n\naccredited schools of embalming and mortuary science.\n\nF. Each funeral director in charge as defined in Section 396.2\n\nof this title shall have a current dual funeral director and\n\nembalmer license. A funeral director in charge of a funeral service\n\nestablishment or crematory that does not have a current dual funeral\n\ndirector and embalmer license on the effective date of this act\n\nshall be considered to be grandfathered and may serve as funeral\n\ndirector in charge of any funeral service establishment or crematory\n\nin accordance with rules prescribed by the Board, but shall not\n\nserve as funeral director in charge of a commercial embalming\n\nestablishment which shall require a current dual funeral director\n\nand embalmer license.\n\nG. Upon April 23, 2021, and for one (1) year thereafter, the\n\nBoard may issue a temporary funeral director or embalmer license in\n\nthe event a statewide state of emergency is declared by the Governor\n\nand during such time as the state of emergency is in effect.","path":["OK Code","Title 59"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os59.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"b37f7c6abc4727f6815b55bcc9fd6c683c45d5ab88d53ed57867178a3245b086","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-59-59-396.2a","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-59-59-396.30"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}