Embalmers are licensed at the state level, usually by a funeral or mortuary board that also licenses funeral directors and funeral establishments. What that board checks before issuing a license, and how it checks it, is not uniform. Some boards require applicants to disclose criminal convictions tied to the occupation. Others run a fuller fingerprint based criminal history search through a state Live Scan program. A funeral home that hires an embalmer still carries its own screening and compliance duties that sit apart from whatever the licensing board already reviewed, including driving checks for removal work, bloodborne pathogen training, and the employer obligations in the Fair Credit Reporting Act if the funeral home orders its own background check.
This guide looks at how a sample of state mortuary boards handle criminal history review for embalmer applicants, what federal rules apply to funeral home operations and worker safety, and what a funeral home still has to do on its own when it screens a new hire.
Why an embalmer license is not the same as a background check
A state embalmer license confirms that an applicant completed mortuary science education, served any required apprenticeship, and passed the required exam, and in some states it also means the board reviewed the applicant’s criminal history under a state specific standard. A license lookup on a board’s website typically shows whether the license is active and whether the board has taken formal disciplinary action. It does not generally show arrests that never led to a conviction, out of state records the board never received, or driving history. Funeral homes that treat a current license as a full background check skip information their own screening would surface.
How selected state boards handle criminal history for embalmer applicants
| State | Board | Criminal history approach for embalmer applicants | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | Texas Funeral Service Commission | Applicants and current licensees must disclose convictions related to the occupations of funeral directing and embalming. The commission can deny, suspend, or revoke a license for a felony or misdemeanor conviction that directly relates to those duties, and a person can request a criminal history evaluation letter before enrolling in mortuary school. | TFSC criminal conviction procedures |
| California | Cemetery and Funeral Bureau | Applicants who reside in California must submit fingerprints through the state Live Scan system for a Department of Justice and FBI criminal history check. Applicants who cannot use Live Scan, including most out of state applicants, submit fingerprint cards instead. | California Cemetery and Funeral Bureau Live Scan information |
| Florida | Board of Funeral, Cemetery and Consumer Services | Funeral directing, embalming, and related services are governed by a dedicated part of the state funeral and cemetery statute, which sets licensure qualifications for embalmers. The statute itself, not a vendor page, is the primary source for what the board requires. | Florida Statutes Chapter 497 |
| New York | Bureau of Funeral Directing | Public Health Law section 3401 gives the bureau authority over licensure and registration of funeral directing practitioners, inspection of funeral firms, and investigation of complaints. The bureau’s page does not publish a fingerprint submission step for this license. | New York Bureau of Funeral Directing |
| Ohio | Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors | The board licenses embalmers and funeral directors and handles complaints and discipline against licensees. Applicants should confirm current criminal history requirements directly with the board rather than assume another state’s rule applies. | Ohio Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors |
These five boards show the range: Texas relies on applicant disclosure and a conviction review tied to the specific occupation, California requires a full Department of Justice and FBI fingerprint check through Live Scan, Florida’s licensure standards sit in a dedicated chapter of state statute, New York’s bureau page does not publish a fingerprint requirement for this license, and Ohio licenses the occupation without a publicly detailed fingerprint process on its own site. Because the rule genuinely varies, and because some states combine the funeral director and embalmer license while others license them separately, employers and applicants should confirm the current requirement with the specific board rather than assume one state’s practice carries over to another.
Bloodborne pathogen training and workplace safety
Embalming involves direct contact with blood and other potentially infectious materials, so funeral home employers have a safety obligation that sits apart from licensing. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s bloodborne pathogens standard requires employers to have an exposure control plan, provide required personal protective equipment, and offer training to employees with reasonably anticipated exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials, which covers embalmers and preparation room staff. This is a workplace safety requirement, not a background check, and it applies regardless of what the state licensing board reviewed.
See the standard at OSHA bloodborne pathogens.
The FTC Funeral Rule and what it does not cover
The Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule requires funeral homes to give consumers an itemized price list and to disclose certain information before quoting a price or receiving payment. It is a consumer protection rule aimed at pricing and disclosure practices, and it does not set licensing standards or criminal history requirements for embalmers or funeral directors. Funeral homes building a hiring and compliance program should not confuse Funeral Rule compliance with background screening. The two are separate obligations that happen to apply to the same business.
See the FTC’s guidance at Complying with the Funeral Rule.
Driving duties and motor vehicle records
Many embalmer and funeral director roles include removals, transporting a body from a place of death to the funeral home, which means the employee drives a company vehicle, sometimes on short notice and at unusual hours. For any role that involves driving as a regular job duty, a motor vehicle record check is a reasonable part of an employer’s own screening, separate from anything the licensing board reviewed. Employers should check with their state’s motor vehicle agency for how MVR checks work in that state and should apply the same driving standard consistently across similar roles.
What a funeral home should screen beyond the license
Funeral home employers commonly combine license verification with their own criminal history search, since conviction standards, lookback periods, and reporting rules vary by state and a state board’s review at licensure is not the same as a current nationwide criminal history check. A motor vehicle record check makes sense for any role that includes removals or other regular driving. Drug testing is common in some funeral homes given the physical and safety sensitive nature of preparation room work, and where a role is subject to drug testing, any positive result tied to a medication a candidate is legitimately prescribed should go through a medical review officer before it is reported as positive. What specifically shows up on a background check, and for how far back, depends on the state and the type of record, so employers should not assume every past conviction will appear in every case.
FCRA duties when a funeral home orders its own background check
When a funeral home uses a consumer reporting agency to run its own background check rather than relying on the license alone, the Fair Credit Reporting Act sets specific duties. The employer must give the applicant a standalone disclosure that a background check will be obtained, separate from the job application itself, and get the applicant’s written authorization before ordering the report. If the funeral home is considering not hiring, or another adverse action, based on what the report shows, it must send a pre-adverse action notice along with a copy of the report and the Summary of Rights, give the applicant a reasonable chance to respond, and only then send a final adverse action notice if it proceeds. The FTC’s guidance for employers using consumer reports walks through these duties in more detail.
See Using Consumer Reports: What Employers Need to Know.
Frequently asked questions
Do all states fingerprint embalmer license applicants?
No. California requires a full Department of Justice and FBI fingerprint check through its Live Scan system. Texas relies on applicant disclosure of convictions related to the occupation and offers an advance criminal history evaluation letter rather than a blanket fingerprint requirement. Other states publish licensure standards without detailing a fingerprint step. Applicants and employers should confirm the current requirement with the specific state board.
Is the embalmer license the same as the funeral director license?
In some states they are combined into a single funeral director and embalmer license, while in others they are licensed separately with different education and apprenticeship requirements. The applicable state board’s licensing page is the primary source for which structure a given state uses.
Can a funeral home skip its own background check because the state already licensed the embalmer?
Generally not advisable. A license confirms education, exam results, and in some states a board level criminal history review at the time of licensure, but it does not substitute for a funeral home’s own current screening, driving record check for removal duties, or drug testing policy.
Does the FTC Funeral Rule require background checks on embalmers?
No. The Funeral Rule governs pricing disclosures that funeral homes must give consumers. It does not set licensing or background check standards for embalmers or funeral directors.
Why would a funeral home run a motor vehicle record check on an embalmer?
Many embalmer and funeral director roles include removals, which require driving a company vehicle. A motor vehicle record check is a reasonable part of an employer’s own screening for any role where driving is a regular job duty.
What must a funeral home do before taking adverse action based on a background check?
Under the FCRA, the employer must send a pre-adverse action notice with a copy of the report and the Summary of Rights, allow the applicant a reasonable opportunity to respond, and then send a final adverse action notice before finalizing the decision not to hire.
For related screening topics, see our posts on MVR background screening for employers and professional license verification background checks. Learn more about employment background screening at Reveal Background.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Funeral homes should consult qualified counsel about screening, licensing, and workplace safety obligations in their state.
