SECTION 235:10-3-1. Qualifications for licensing individuals

  To be licensed in Oklahoma as a funeral director, embalmer, or both, an individual must meet the following minimum requirements:

(1)   The individual must be twenty (20) years of age.

(2)   The individual must be of good moral character.

(3)   The Board may refuse to issue a license to an individual convicted of any felony, or a misdemeanor related to funeral service licensing act, the prepaid funeral benefits act, funeral services, or pertaining to the custody, care, or disposal of dead human remains, unfair trade practices, or fraud.

(4)   The individual must be a citizen of the United States, or a permanent resident of the United States.

(5)   The individual shall have completed the following educational requirements:

(A)   The individual is a graduate of a program of mortuary science accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education.

(B)   The individual shall have completed a total of sixty (60) college semester hours of credit at an accredited institution of higher education.

(i)   Such institution must be accredited by a regional accrediting agency and recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a valid and legal accrediting agency.

(ii)   When the institution so accredited extends credit in quarter hours, each quarter hour shall equal 2/3rds of one semester hour.

(iii)   Courses applied to completing the accredited mortuary science program in excess of the minimum requirements for an accredited program by the American Board of Funeral Service Education may be applied to the (60) total semester hours of college, provided such credits are earned at a regionally accredited institution.

(6)   Individuals who have earned a bachelor degree in funeral service from a regionally accredited institution and American Board of Funeral Service Education accredited mortuary program shall been deemed to have met the educational requirements set for in sections (A) and (B).

(7)   The individual shall have successfully passed the National Board Examination of the International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards with an average grade of seventy five percent (75%) or better on the Arts section for applicants for a funeral director license, and applicants for an embalmers license shall have earned an average of seventy five percent (75%) or better on the Science section.

(8)   The individual shall have successfully passed the Oklahoma Law examination with a grade of seventy five percent (75%) or better. The Oklahoma Law examination shall cover the Oklahoma Funeral Services Licensing Act and the Prepaid Funeral Benefits Act, and the Rules of the Board. The Oklahoma law written examination shall not be administered until the applicant has completed all educational requirements and other examination requirements with proof of such completion on file in the Board office. Rejection of an application to take the written examination for failure to complete educational requirements, or failure to file proper proof of completion of educational requirements is not appealable to the Board.

(9)   The applicant must have paid any and all fees due and payable prior to licensing.

(10)   The individual must have served and completed an embalmer and/or funeral director apprenticeship(s) in the State of Oklahoma or has completed an apprenticeship the Board determines to be substantially equivalent to that required by Oklahoma.

(11)   Once all requirements set forth above have been met, the individual may apply for a license as a funeral director, embalmer, or both.

[Source: Amended at 10 Ok Reg 993, eff 3-11-93; Amended at 11 Ok Reg 4429, eff 8-11-94; Amended at 14 Ok Reg 2891, eff 7-11-97; Amended at 17 Ok Reg 1095, eff 5-11-00; Amended at 22 Ok Reg 1918, eff 6-25-05; Amended at 23 Ok Reg 883, eff 5-11-06; Amended at 26 Ok Reg 1883, eff 6-25-09]