Georgia Board of Funeral Service
Georgia Board of Funeral Service
The Georgia Board of Funeral Service administers the Funeral Service Law for the purpose of better protection of life and health, preventing the spread of contagious, communicable, and infectious diseases, and regulating the practice of embalming and funeral directing and the care and disposition of dead human bodies.
The Board consists of 7 members appointed by the Governor, six of whom are licensed and practicing funeral directors and embalmers, with one member serving as a consumer representative who has no connection with the funeral service industry. The Board is authorized to prescribe a standard of proficiency as to the qualifications and fitness of embalmers and funeral directors, to revoke or suspend licenses for any violation of this law, to adopt rules and regulations and to set standards of sanitation to be observed in the embalming or cremation of dead human bodies.
Board meetings are monthly (view Meeting Schedule for dates) and are open to the public. Persons wishing to bring matters for Board consideration must submit a written request to the Professional Licensing Board office in Macon.
Click HERE to visit the Georgia State Board of Funeral Service website.
Are you trying to reach the Georgia State Board of Funeral Service? They have a new phone number.
Effective September 1st, our phone number has changed to 404-424-9966. Our office can also still be reached by using the toll free number, 844-753-7825.
NOTICE OF RECEIVERSHIP FOR CEDAR RIDGE CEMETERY IN GRAY, GEORGIA:
The Securities and Charities Division of the Office of the Secretary of State (“Division”) working with the Georgia Attorney General and the Board of Cemeterians recently filed a Complaint in the Superior Court for Jones County regarding alleged violations of the Georgia Cemetery and Funeral Services Act of 2000 (“Act”) by Cedar Ridge Cemetery, Jerry C. Bridges, Sr. and additional parties.
On January 6, 2021, the Superior Court for Jones County issued an Order (2020-SU-CV-00389) appointing Examination Resources, LLC (“Examination Resources”) as the receiver over Cedar Ridge Cemetery.
As the appointed receiver, Examination Resources is responsible for the day-to-day operations of Cedar Ridge Cemetery, including coordinating funeral services at the property and collecting monies.
Examination Resources has established a new phone number for Cedar Ridge Cemetery: (404)-301-3340.
Any funeral home, funeral director, or member of the public seeking the assistance of Cedar Ridge Cemetery should contact the receiver, Examination Resources, at this number: (404)-301-3340.
If you have any questions, please contact us at (470) 312-2640 or cemeteries@sos.ga.gov.
LICENSING NEWS: The deadline for renewal for all license types was March 31, 2020. If you did not complete your renewal by the April 30th late renewal deadline your license is now lapsed and you will need to reinstate your license. Applications for reinstatement can be found under the "Application/Form Downloads" tab of the Georgia Board of Funeral Service website, HERE.
Have you confirmed your license renewal? What is the current status of your license? Please use the online "Licensure Search" feature to confirm that your renewal was completed. Be sure to check the current status and the license expiration date. If the information does not reflect that your license is "Active" with an expiration date of 3/31/2022 then your renewal has not been completed.
Georgia Law - Right of Final Disposition
Click on the graphic on the left to download the file.
Certificate of Cremation
Click on the graphic on the left to download the file.
Apprenticeship
To become an apprentice, you must be at least 18 years of age, and you must have a high school diploma or GED certificate. In order to begin an apprenticeship, you must submit a Funeral Apprenticeship Application to the Georgia Funeral Service Board.
You may serve as an apprentice while attending mortuary school; however, you may only count 20 hours of apprentice work per week while attending school. The 18 months of apprenticeship must be served in addition to the 18 months of school.
The Georgia State Board of Funeral Service regulates Apprenticeships. Click here to be redirected to the frequently asked questions regarding the licensing parameters and processes will be helpful for anyone pursuing a license as a funeral service apprentice in Georgia.
Continuing Education
Every licensed embalmer and funeral director must obtain a minimum of 10 hours of continuing education credit during the two-year licensing period. A licensed embalmer or funeral director who became licensed within one year of the expiration date of the initial license is not required to obtain the continuing education hours for the initial license period [Board Rule 250-5-.12].
Exemption from the requirement of continuing education applies to a person with an Inactive license and to a person who has reached the age of 65. The Board may also waive the requirement for continuing education for reasons of hardship, disability, or illness. Please refer to Board Rule 250-5-.12 for more detailed information.
Licensure
All embalmer and funeral director licenses are valid for two years, expiring on March 31 of even-numbered years (example: 3/31/06), and must be renewed prior to the expiration date. The initial license may be valid for less than two years, due to the relation between the issue date of the license and the expiration date.
Establishment licenses are valid for two years, expiring on June 30 of the odd-numbered year (example: 6/30/2007), and must be renewed prior to the expiration date. The initial license may be valid for less than the full two-year period, due to the time period between the issue date and the expiration date.
Reciprocity
The Georgia State Board of Funeral Service reciprocates with other states that have licensure requirements that are substantially equal with Georgia’s. To determine if your original state of licensure has substantially equal requirements for licensure in Georgia, compare the state’s educational requirements, length of apprenticeship, and the number of bodies and funerals on which you are required to assist during the apprenticeship
Additional resources from the Georgia Board of Funeral Service may be found by clicking the links below:
- For more information about the organization and duties of the board, please click on the Laws, Policies, and Rules tab on their home page.
- View the Meeting Schedule under their Board Information tab for meeting dates and times.
- For access to a list of forms related to the funeral profession, including licensing-related applications, continuing education materials, and affidavits, click here .
- For the latest licensing news and information regarding licensing (including renewals, applications, affidavits & verifiable documents, continuing education sources and Georgia State Board of Funeral Service meeting items), click here.
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