ARTICLE 3. Embalmers [7640. - 7650.]

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC 3.

in effect

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7640. Section 7640.

An embalmer is one who is duly qualified to disinfect or preserve human remains by the injection or external application of antiseptics, disinfectants or preservative fluids; to prepare human bodies for transportation which are dead of contagious or infectious diseases; and to use derma surgery or plastic art for restoring mutilated features; and who is duly licensed as an embalmer under the laws of the State of California.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7641. Section 7641.

It is unlawful for any person to embalm a body, or engage in, or hold himself or herself out as engaged in practice as an embalmer, unless he or she 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.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7642. Section 7642.

An application for an embalmer’s license shall be written on a form provided by the bureau, verified by the applicant, and accompanied by the fee fixed by this chapter.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7643. Section 7643.

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 or her 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.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7646. Section 7646.

(a) The bureau shall require the applicant to pass both of the following: (1) The sciences section of the national examination administered by the International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards, or its equivalent, as determined by the bureau. (2) An examination, administered by the bureau, on the state’s laws and the rules and regulations of the bureau, including those sections of the Health and Safety Code which pertain to the funeral industry. (b) An applicant who has previously passed the sciences section of the national examination described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) shall be deemed to be in compliance with that paragraph.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7647. Section 7647.

Examinations shall be administered at times and places determined by the bureau and the International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards. The bureau shall give notice of the time and place of the examination described in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 7646.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7647.5. Section 7647.5.

Where a hearing is held to determine whether an application for a license should be granted, the proceeding shall be conducted in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, and the bureau shall have all of the powers granted therein.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7648. Section 7648.

No embalmer’s license is assignable, and only the licensee may engage in the practice of embalming under the license.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7649. Section 7649.

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 or she has performed any act mentioned in the certificate, the licensed embalmer shall actually sign his or her name thereto.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7650. Section 7650.

The bureau may examine the requirements for the issuance of licenses to embalmers in other states of the United States and cause a record to be kept of those states in which standards are maintained for embalmers, not lower than those provided in this chapter.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026