To be eligible for licensure as an embalmer, you must meet the following requirements:

• Be 18 or older.
• Be a high school graduate (or equivalent) or have practiced as a licensed embalmer in another state or country for a minimum of three years within the last seven years. The license must never have been suspended or revoked for unethical conduct.
• Have committed no acts or crimes constituting grounds for denial of licensure under Section 480 of the Business and Professions Code.
• Have successfully completed a course of instruction of not less than one academic year in an embalming school approved by the Cemetery and Funeral Bureaus and accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education.
• Have completed at least two years of apprenticeship in a licensed California funeral establishment under the supervision of a licensed embalmer and have assisted in embalming not fewer than 100 human remains. The establishment must have been approved for the training of apprentices by the Cemetery & Funeral Bureaus, and the supervising embalmer must have had at least two years of practical experience as a California-licensed embalmer.

Note: A person who has practiced as a licensed embalmer in another state or country for a minimum of three years within the last seven years and whose license has never been suspended or revoked for unethical conduct is NOT required to serve an apprenticeship in California.

To apply for licensure as an embalmer, you must:

• Submit proof of completion of high school or of practice as a licensed embalmer in another state or country for the required period.
• Submit a copy of your completed "Request for Live Scan Service" form. Fingerprint processing fees are paid directly to the Live Scan facility.
• Submit a completed application form and a filing fee of $150 to the Bureau's Licensing Division.

Before you can be licensed as an embalmer, you must take and pass the Embalmer examination administered by the Cemetery and Funeral Bureaus. The license term is one year, the renewal fee is $100, and the late fee is $50.

To be eligible for registration as an apprentice embalmer, you must meet the following requirements:

• Be 18 or older.
• Be a high school graduate or have practiced as a licensed embalmer in another state or country for a minimum of three years within the last seven years. The license must never have been suspended or revoked for unethical conduct.
• Have committed no acts or crimes constituting grounds for denial of licensure under Section 480 of the Business and Professions Code.

To apply for registration as an apprentice embalmer, you must:

• Submit a completed application form and a $60 filing fee to the Bureau's Licensing Division.
• Submit a copy of your completed "Request for Live Scan Service" form. Fingerprint processing fees are paid directly to the Live Scan facility.
• Submit proof of completion of high school or of practice as a licensed embalmer in another state or country for the required period.
• Provide the name, address, and license number of the establishment where you will be employed.
• Provide the name and license number of the supervising embalmer.

To request an application form, or for more information about licensure as an embalmer or registration as an apprentice embalmer, call the Bureau's Licensing Division at (916) 574-7870.