FUNERAL DIRECTOR EXAMINATION CALIFORNIA QUESTIONS ANSWERED CORRECTLY LATEST
UPDATE 2026
7616 ambulance service - Answers (a) A licensed funeral establishment is a place of business
conducted in a building or separate portion of a building having a specific street address or location
and devoted exclusively to those activities as are incident, convenient, or related to the preparation
and arrangements, financial and otherwise, for the funeral, transportation, burial or other disposition
of human remains and including, but not limited to, either of the following:
(1) A suitable room for the storage of human remains.
(2) A preparation room equipped with a sanitary flooring and necessary drainage and ventilation and
containing necessary instruments and supplies for the preparation, sanitation, or embalming of
human remains for burial or transportation.
(b) Licensed funeral establishments under common ownership or by contractual agreement within
close geographical proximity of each other shall be deemed to be in compliance with the
requirements of paragraph (1) or (2) of subdivision (a) if at least one of the establishments has a room
described in those paragraphs.
(c) Except as provided in Section 7609, and except accredited mortuary science programs engaged in
teaching students the art of embalming, no person shall operate or maintain or hold himself out as
operating or maintaining any of the facilities specified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a), unless he is
licensed as a funeral director.
(d) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require a funeral establishment to conduct its
business or financial transactions at the same location as its preparation or storage of
human remains.
(e) Nothing in this chapter shall be deemed to render unlawful the conduct of any ambulance service
from the same premises as those on which a licensed funeral establishment is conducted,
including the maintenance in connection with the funeral establish
7617 place of business licensing - Answers The business of a licensed funeral establishment shall be
conducted and engaged in at a fixed place or facility. No person, partnership, association, corporation,
or other organization shall open or maintain a place or establishment at
which to engage in or conduct, or hold himself out
as engaging in or conducting, the business of a funeral establishment without a license.
7623 separate locations licensees - Answers If an applicant for a funeral establishment license
proposes to engage in or conduct more than one funeral establishment, the applicant shall make a
separate application and procure a separate license for each separate establishment.
7624 one director per establishment - Answers Not more than one person, partnership, association,
corporation, or other organization engaged in business as a funeral establishment shall transact
business in one specific funeral facility.
7628 application to change place of business - Answers Any person, partnership, association,
corporation, or other organization desiring to change the location of a licensed funeral establishment
shall apply therefor on forms furnished by the bureau
and shall include a fee fixed by this chapter.
The application shall be granted by the bureau upon the filing with the bureau of a favorable report
from an inspector concerning the physical status or plans and specifications of the proposed
licensed funeral establishment to the effect that it conforms to the requirements of this article.
7629 unfair competiton - Answers No funeral establishment shall be conducted or held forth as being
conducted or advertised as being conducted under any name which might tend to mislead the public
or which would be
sufficiently like the name of any other licensed funeral establishment so as to constitute an unfair
method of competition. Any funeral director desiring to change the name appearing on
his license may do so by applying to the bureau and paying the fee fixed by this chapter.
7630 assignment of license - Answers A funeral establishment's license may be assigned upon
payment of the fee fixed by this chapter and upon submission of an audit report prepared and signed
by an independent certified public accountant or public accountant currently licensed in this state.
The audit report shall include an unqualified opinion on the accuracy of the trust fund balances and a
report of compliance with the
provisions of this article and Article 9 (commencing with Section 7735). Any shortages in the trust
funds shall be funded. The assignee shall comply with all provisions previously placed on the assignor.
,7631 death of a licensee - Answers In case of the death of a licensed funeral director who leaves a
funeral establishment as part or all of the assets of his estate, the bureau may issue a temporary
license to his legal representative, unless the legal representative has committed
acts or crimes constituting grounds for denial of licensure under Section 480. A temporary
establishment license is valid for six months from the date of issue. However, upon the petition of the
estate's legal representative, the bureau, in its discretion, may grant a reasonable extension to allow
for the assets of the estate to be distributed as circumstances warrant.
7632 embalming - Answers A funeral director shall cause all human remains embalmed in or at the
direction of his funeral establishment to be embalmed by a licensed embalmer, by an apprentice
embalmer
under the supervision of his licensed supervising embalmer, or by a student in a program accredited
by the American Board of Funeral Service Education under the supervision of a licensed
embalmer.
7633 death certificate fees - Answers No funeral director shall charge a fee for filing a
certificate of death or for providing copies thereof in excess of fees set by statute for filing and
providing certified copies of such certificates.
7634 removal of tissues - Answers Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a licensed embalmer,
at the request of a licensed physician, may remove tissue from human remains for transplant, or
therapeutic, or scientific purposes specified in, and pursuant to, the provisions of
the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 7150) of Part 1 of Division 7
of the Health and Safety Code), if such embalmer has completed a course in tissue removal for
transplant, or therapeutic, or scientific purposes approved by the Medical Board of California of the
State of California.
7641 unlicensed practice students and instructors - Answers It is unlawful for any person to embalm a
body, or engage in, or hold himself out as engaged in practice as an embalmer, unless he is licensed
by the bureau. However, this section shall have no effect on students and instructors of embalming in
mortuary science programs approved by the bureau.
7643 applicant's qualifications - Answers In order to qualify for a license as an embalmer, the
applicant shall comply with all of the following requirements:
(a) Be over 18 years of age.
(b) Not have committed acts or crimes constituting grounds for denial of licensure under Section 480.
(c) Have completed at least two years of apprenticeship under an embalmer licensed and engaged in
practice as an embalmer in this
state in a funeral establishment which shall have been approved for apprentices by the bureau and
while so apprenticed shall have assisted in embalming not fewer than 100 human remains;
provided, however, that a person who has been licensed and has practiced as an embalmer for a
minimum of three years within the seven years preceding his application in any other state or country
and whose license has never been suspended or revoked for unethical conduct shall not be required
to serve any apprenticeship in this state.
(d) Have graduated from a mortuary science program approved by the bureau and accredited by the
American Board of Funeral Service Education, or its equivalent, as determined by the bureau, and
furnished official transcripts from that program or equivalent.
7648 embalmers license nonassignable - Answers No embalmer's license is assignable, and only the
licensee may engage in the practice of embalming under the license.
7649 signature of licensee on certificate - Answers Except as provided in Section 102805 of the Health
and Safety Code, whenever the name of any licensed embalmer is subscribed to any certificate, the
purport of which is that he has performed any act mentioned in the certificate, the licensed
embalmer shall actually sign his name thereto.
7665 requirements of apprenticeship - Answers All registered apprentice embalmers shall comply
with the following requirements during their period of apprenticeship:
(a) Shall file a report of apprenticeship as follows:
(1) On or before January 15 of each year covering the period of apprenticeship ending as of December
31 preceding.
(2) Upon change of supervising embalmer or employer, or both.
(3) Upon completion of apprenticeship.
(4) Upon application for leave of absence for a period in excess of 15 days.
(5) Upon suspending apprenticeship to attend a mortuary science program.
, (6) Upon application for reregistration after suspension or revocation of registration if a complete
report of previous registration has not been filed.
(b) The information contained in the report shall consist of a concise summary of the work done by
the apprentice during the period covered thereby, shall be verified by the apprentice and certified to
as correct by his supervising embalmer and
employer. Upon request of the bureau, each funeral director in whose establishment an
apprenticeship is being, or has been, served, and each embalmer under whose instruction or
supervision an apprenticeship is being or has been served, shall promptly file with the bureau a report
or such other information as may be requested relating to the apprenticeship. Failure to comply with
the request is cause for revocation by the bureau of the approval granted to the funeral director or
embalmer for the training of
apprentices and is also a cause for disciplinary action against the funeral director or embalmer.
7666 term of aprenticeship - Answers (a) The term of apprenticeship shall be two years. However, if
an apprentice after having served his apprenticeship fails to pass the examinations required for an
embalmer's license, he may continue for one additional term of apprenticeship, which shall be the
maximum apprenticeship permitted and provided further that an apprentice may, upon filing an
application therefore, be permitted to continue the apprenticeship for a period not to exceed six
months, if approved, for any of the following reasons:
(1) While awaiting the processing of applications submitted to the bureau.
(2) While awaiting notification of grades of examinations required under Section 7646.
(3) While awaiting the commencement of a class of a mortuary science program when the apprentice
intends to enroll in the program. Applications filed for an extension of apprenticeship shall be
filed by the applicant with the bureau not fewer than 15 days prior to the date the applicant requests
the extension to commence.
(b) Terms of apprenticeship may be served before, after, or divided by the mortuary science program
at the option of the apprentice; provided, however, that the term of apprenticeship must be
completed, excluding time spent in active military service, within six years from the date of original
registration, or from the date an apprentice successfully passes the examinations for an
embalmer's license required in Section 7646, whichever first occurs, and provided further that if the
term of apprenticeship is not completed within the six-year period, the bureau may require that
the applicant serve the additional term of apprenticeship, not to exceed two years.
(c) A student attending a mortuary science program may register as an apprentice during the program
term but shall receive no credit for apprenticeship on the term required by this code unles
7667 leave of absence - Answers (a) The bureau shall have the power to grant leaves of absence and
extensions of leaves of absence and approve absences during the term of apprenticeship.
(b) A leave of absence, including any extensions, shall not be approved for a longer period than an
aggregate of one year.
(c) No credit will be given to an apprentice on his apprenticeship for the period during which he is
absent from duty on leave.
(d) Application for a leave of absence and for an extension thereof shall be made by the apprentice on
a form provided by the bureau.
(e) Upon termination of a leave of absence, the apprentice shall report that fact to the bureau within
10 days of his resumption of apprenticeship by returning to the bureau, his certificate of registration
accompanied by a statement as to the
resumption of apprenticeship which statement shall be certified as correct by the funeral director in
whose establishment he is to resume his duties and by the embalmer under whose supervision he is
to resume his apprenticeship.
(f) Failure to report within 10 days after the expiration date of any leave of absence shall be cause for
cancellation of the registration of an apprentice.
7668 suspension, revocation grounds - Answers The bureau may suspend or revoke a certificate of
apprenticeship, after notice and upon complaint and hearing in accordance with the provisions of
Article 6, if the apprentice is guilty of any of the following acts or omissions:
(a) Failure to devote full-time employment to the duties of his apprenticeship.
(b) Failure to make any report required by this chapter.
(c) Absence from duty except as provided in this code.
(d) Being on duty as an apprentice while under the influence of any controlled substance, as defined
in Division 10 (commencing with Section 11000) of the Health and Safety Code, or any dangerous drug
UPDATE 2026
7616 ambulance service - Answers (a) A licensed funeral establishment is a place of business
conducted in a building or separate portion of a building having a specific street address or location
and devoted exclusively to those activities as are incident, convenient, or related to the preparation
and arrangements, financial and otherwise, for the funeral, transportation, burial or other disposition
of human remains and including, but not limited to, either of the following:
(1) A suitable room for the storage of human remains.
(2) A preparation room equipped with a sanitary flooring and necessary drainage and ventilation and
containing necessary instruments and supplies for the preparation, sanitation, or embalming of
human remains for burial or transportation.
(b) Licensed funeral establishments under common ownership or by contractual agreement within
close geographical proximity of each other shall be deemed to be in compliance with the
requirements of paragraph (1) or (2) of subdivision (a) if at least one of the establishments has a room
described in those paragraphs.
(c) Except as provided in Section 7609, and except accredited mortuary science programs engaged in
teaching students the art of embalming, no person shall operate or maintain or hold himself out as
operating or maintaining any of the facilities specified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a), unless he is
licensed as a funeral director.
(d) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require a funeral establishment to conduct its
business or financial transactions at the same location as its preparation or storage of
human remains.
(e) Nothing in this chapter shall be deemed to render unlawful the conduct of any ambulance service
from the same premises as those on which a licensed funeral establishment is conducted,
including the maintenance in connection with the funeral establish
7617 place of business licensing - Answers The business of a licensed funeral establishment shall be
conducted and engaged in at a fixed place or facility. No person, partnership, association, corporation,
or other organization shall open or maintain a place or establishment at
which to engage in or conduct, or hold himself out
as engaging in or conducting, the business of a funeral establishment without a license.
7623 separate locations licensees - Answers If an applicant for a funeral establishment license
proposes to engage in or conduct more than one funeral establishment, the applicant shall make a
separate application and procure a separate license for each separate establishment.
7624 one director per establishment - Answers Not more than one person, partnership, association,
corporation, or other organization engaged in business as a funeral establishment shall transact
business in one specific funeral facility.
7628 application to change place of business - Answers Any person, partnership, association,
corporation, or other organization desiring to change the location of a licensed funeral establishment
shall apply therefor on forms furnished by the bureau
and shall include a fee fixed by this chapter.
The application shall be granted by the bureau upon the filing with the bureau of a favorable report
from an inspector concerning the physical status or plans and specifications of the proposed
licensed funeral establishment to the effect that it conforms to the requirements of this article.
7629 unfair competiton - Answers No funeral establishment shall be conducted or held forth as being
conducted or advertised as being conducted under any name which might tend to mislead the public
or which would be
sufficiently like the name of any other licensed funeral establishment so as to constitute an unfair
method of competition. Any funeral director desiring to change the name appearing on
his license may do so by applying to the bureau and paying the fee fixed by this chapter.
7630 assignment of license - Answers A funeral establishment's license may be assigned upon
payment of the fee fixed by this chapter and upon submission of an audit report prepared and signed
by an independent certified public accountant or public accountant currently licensed in this state.
The audit report shall include an unqualified opinion on the accuracy of the trust fund balances and a
report of compliance with the
provisions of this article and Article 9 (commencing with Section 7735). Any shortages in the trust
funds shall be funded. The assignee shall comply with all provisions previously placed on the assignor.
,7631 death of a licensee - Answers In case of the death of a licensed funeral director who leaves a
funeral establishment as part or all of the assets of his estate, the bureau may issue a temporary
license to his legal representative, unless the legal representative has committed
acts or crimes constituting grounds for denial of licensure under Section 480. A temporary
establishment license is valid for six months from the date of issue. However, upon the petition of the
estate's legal representative, the bureau, in its discretion, may grant a reasonable extension to allow
for the assets of the estate to be distributed as circumstances warrant.
7632 embalming - Answers A funeral director shall cause all human remains embalmed in or at the
direction of his funeral establishment to be embalmed by a licensed embalmer, by an apprentice
embalmer
under the supervision of his licensed supervising embalmer, or by a student in a program accredited
by the American Board of Funeral Service Education under the supervision of a licensed
embalmer.
7633 death certificate fees - Answers No funeral director shall charge a fee for filing a
certificate of death or for providing copies thereof in excess of fees set by statute for filing and
providing certified copies of such certificates.
7634 removal of tissues - Answers Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a licensed embalmer,
at the request of a licensed physician, may remove tissue from human remains for transplant, or
therapeutic, or scientific purposes specified in, and pursuant to, the provisions of
the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 7150) of Part 1 of Division 7
of the Health and Safety Code), if such embalmer has completed a course in tissue removal for
transplant, or therapeutic, or scientific purposes approved by the Medical Board of California of the
State of California.
7641 unlicensed practice students and instructors - Answers It is unlawful for any person to embalm a
body, or engage in, or hold himself out as engaged in practice as an embalmer, unless he is licensed
by the bureau. However, this section shall have no effect on students and instructors of embalming in
mortuary science programs approved by the bureau.
7643 applicant's qualifications - Answers In order to qualify for a license as an embalmer, the
applicant shall comply with all of the following requirements:
(a) Be over 18 years of age.
(b) Not have committed acts or crimes constituting grounds for denial of licensure under Section 480.
(c) Have completed at least two years of apprenticeship under an embalmer licensed and engaged in
practice as an embalmer in this
state in a funeral establishment which shall have been approved for apprentices by the bureau and
while so apprenticed shall have assisted in embalming not fewer than 100 human remains;
provided, however, that a person who has been licensed and has practiced as an embalmer for a
minimum of three years within the seven years preceding his application in any other state or country
and whose license has never been suspended or revoked for unethical conduct shall not be required
to serve any apprenticeship in this state.
(d) Have graduated from a mortuary science program approved by the bureau and accredited by the
American Board of Funeral Service Education, or its equivalent, as determined by the bureau, and
furnished official transcripts from that program or equivalent.
7648 embalmers license nonassignable - Answers No embalmer's license is assignable, and only the
licensee may engage in the practice of embalming under the license.
7649 signature of licensee on certificate - Answers Except as provided in Section 102805 of the Health
and Safety Code, whenever the name of any licensed embalmer is subscribed to any certificate, the
purport of which is that he has performed any act mentioned in the certificate, the licensed
embalmer shall actually sign his name thereto.
7665 requirements of apprenticeship - Answers All registered apprentice embalmers shall comply
with the following requirements during their period of apprenticeship:
(a) Shall file a report of apprenticeship as follows:
(1) On or before January 15 of each year covering the period of apprenticeship ending as of December
31 preceding.
(2) Upon change of supervising embalmer or employer, or both.
(3) Upon completion of apprenticeship.
(4) Upon application for leave of absence for a period in excess of 15 days.
(5) Upon suspending apprenticeship to attend a mortuary science program.
, (6) Upon application for reregistration after suspension or revocation of registration if a complete
report of previous registration has not been filed.
(b) The information contained in the report shall consist of a concise summary of the work done by
the apprentice during the period covered thereby, shall be verified by the apprentice and certified to
as correct by his supervising embalmer and
employer. Upon request of the bureau, each funeral director in whose establishment an
apprenticeship is being, or has been, served, and each embalmer under whose instruction or
supervision an apprenticeship is being or has been served, shall promptly file with the bureau a report
or such other information as may be requested relating to the apprenticeship. Failure to comply with
the request is cause for revocation by the bureau of the approval granted to the funeral director or
embalmer for the training of
apprentices and is also a cause for disciplinary action against the funeral director or embalmer.
7666 term of aprenticeship - Answers (a) The term of apprenticeship shall be two years. However, if
an apprentice after having served his apprenticeship fails to pass the examinations required for an
embalmer's license, he may continue for one additional term of apprenticeship, which shall be the
maximum apprenticeship permitted and provided further that an apprentice may, upon filing an
application therefore, be permitted to continue the apprenticeship for a period not to exceed six
months, if approved, for any of the following reasons:
(1) While awaiting the processing of applications submitted to the bureau.
(2) While awaiting notification of grades of examinations required under Section 7646.
(3) While awaiting the commencement of a class of a mortuary science program when the apprentice
intends to enroll in the program. Applications filed for an extension of apprenticeship shall be
filed by the applicant with the bureau not fewer than 15 days prior to the date the applicant requests
the extension to commence.
(b) Terms of apprenticeship may be served before, after, or divided by the mortuary science program
at the option of the apprentice; provided, however, that the term of apprenticeship must be
completed, excluding time spent in active military service, within six years from the date of original
registration, or from the date an apprentice successfully passes the examinations for an
embalmer's license required in Section 7646, whichever first occurs, and provided further that if the
term of apprenticeship is not completed within the six-year period, the bureau may require that
the applicant serve the additional term of apprenticeship, not to exceed two years.
(c) A student attending a mortuary science program may register as an apprentice during the program
term but shall receive no credit for apprenticeship on the term required by this code unles
7667 leave of absence - Answers (a) The bureau shall have the power to grant leaves of absence and
extensions of leaves of absence and approve absences during the term of apprenticeship.
(b) A leave of absence, including any extensions, shall not be approved for a longer period than an
aggregate of one year.
(c) No credit will be given to an apprentice on his apprenticeship for the period during which he is
absent from duty on leave.
(d) Application for a leave of absence and for an extension thereof shall be made by the apprentice on
a form provided by the bureau.
(e) Upon termination of a leave of absence, the apprentice shall report that fact to the bureau within
10 days of his resumption of apprenticeship by returning to the bureau, his certificate of registration
accompanied by a statement as to the
resumption of apprenticeship which statement shall be certified as correct by the funeral director in
whose establishment he is to resume his duties and by the embalmer under whose supervision he is
to resume his apprenticeship.
(f) Failure to report within 10 days after the expiration date of any leave of absence shall be cause for
cancellation of the registration of an apprentice.
7668 suspension, revocation grounds - Answers The bureau may suspend or revoke a certificate of
apprenticeship, after notice and upon complaint and hearing in accordance with the provisions of
Article 6, if the apprentice is guilty of any of the following acts or omissions:
(a) Failure to devote full-time employment to the duties of his apprenticeship.
(b) Failure to make any report required by this chapter.
(c) Absence from duty except as provided in this code.
(d) Being on duty as an apprentice while under the influence of any controlled substance, as defined
in Division 10 (commencing with Section 11000) of the Health and Safety Code, or any dangerous drug
