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Funeral director licensing · Iowa

Funeral director licensing in Iowa

Iowa's only funeral director license is a mortuary science license: it needs 60 college hours plus an ABFSE mortuary-science program, both National Board sections (arts and sciences), and a one-year internship with 25 embalmings and 25 funerals.

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Iowa

Embalming required

The usual route to the license · License: Funeral director (license to practice mortuary science)

Education

60 college semester hours (2.0 GPA, no technical mortuary courses), an ABFSE mortuary program, an Iowa law course

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Required experience

At least 1-year full-time internship: embalm 25 bodies and direct or assist with 25 funerals1 yr or more

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Exams

National Board exam, both Arts and Sciences sections

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Embalming

Mortuary school, 25 embalmings in the internship, and embalming on the exam

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What it takes, step by step

School. An ABFSE (the American Board of Funeral Service Education, which accredits funeral service and mortuary science programs; ABFSE accredited programs)-accredited mortuary science program is required on top of 60 general college hours, and the exam must include the National Board sciences section (the NBE, the national licensing exam set by The Conference (the International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards), in two sections, Arts and Sciences; The Conference, National Board Exam). There is no funeral-directing-only program route.

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  1. Earn at least 60 semester hours at a regionally accredited college (2.0 GPA, not counting technical mortuary courses), complete an ABFSE-accredited mortuary science program, and take a college course of at least one semester hour on Iowa mortuary law and rules.

    Sources for step 1

  2. Pass both the arts and sciences sections of the International Conference National Board exam. The statute requires the exam to cover embalming, restorative art and anatomy.

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  3. Get an internship (supervised work in a funeral home; some states use this word for the apprenticeship) certificate and serve at least one year full-time under an Iowa board-certified preceptor: embalm at least 25 human remains and direct or assist in directing at least 25 funerals. The first five embalmings, arrangements and services must be done with the preceptor present.

    Sources for step 3

Does a funeral home need an embalmer?

In effect, yes: funeral directing must be done from a licensed funeral establishment, and every Iowa funeral director holds a mortuary science license that includes embalming.

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Licensed in another state?

People licensed elsewhere apply for licensure by endorsement with a license verification; those who cannot meet endorsement may qualify for licensure by verification. Applicants licensed in another state for more than two years need not prove an internship. Every route leads to the same mortuary science license.

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Good to know

  • Iowa has no separate embalmer or funeral-director-only license: 'funeral director' means a person licensed to practice mortuary science, which includes embalming.

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  • Embalming may be skipped if burial or cremation happens within 72 hours of death or, if the body was previously in someone else's custody, within 24 hours of taking custody, whichever is longer. Refrigeration at 38-42°F can extend this by up to 72 more hours.

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Check with the board

Rules change. Confirm the current licensing requirements with the board before you enroll.

Iowa Board of Mortuary Science (Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing)

Many Muslims would rather not embalm. Whether a Muslim may embalm someone who is not Muslim is a question for a qualified scholar. This page only shows what Iowa’s law requires.

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General information, not legal advice. We read the law behind each point on 23 October 2026, and each point links to the text it comes from. All our sources.