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Funeral director licensing · Maine

Funeral director licensing in Maine

Maine licenses new applicants only as practitioners of funeral service, which takes an associate degree in funeral service, a 2,000-hour traineeship, the National Board exam, a state law exam and a practical exam that is actual embalming; the Board may waive requirements that conflict with an applicant's religious faith.

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Maine

Embalming required

The usual route to the license · License: Practitioner of funeral service (the only full license issued to new applicants)

Education

Associate degree or higher from an ABFSE-accredited funeral service program

Source for education
Required experience

2,000-hour traineeship lasting 1 to 4 years (Board may extend for hardship); no case count set1 yr to 4 yr

Sources for required experience
Exams

National Board Arts and Sciences, state law exam and a practical exam (75% on each)

Source for exams
Embalming

Practical exam: actual embalming in front of a Board member

Sources for embalming

What it takes, step by step

School. Applicants since March 1, 2011 need an associate degree or higher from an ABFSE (the American Board of Funeral Service Education, which accredits funeral service and mortuary science programs; ABFSE accredited programs)-accredited funeral service program. No funeral-directing-only education route exists, and the licensing exam includes 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) and a practical embalming exam.

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  1. Earn an associate degree or higher from an ABFSE-accredited funeral service program.

    Sources for step 1

  2. Get a practitioner trainee license, register with the Maine Apprenticeship (supervised work in a funeral home; the state sets who supervises) Program and complete 2,000 hours of on-the-job training at a licensed funeral home. The traineeship (supervised work in a funeral home while holding a trainee permit) must last at least 12 months and, under the rules, no more than 4 years unless the Board extends it for genuine hardship. The rules set no funeral or embalming case count.

    Sources for step 2

  3. Pass each major section of the National Board Examination (Arts and Sciences) with at least 75%.

    Sources for step 3

  4. Pass the State Law and Rule Examination and the Practical Examination (75% each). The Practical Examination is actual embalming of human remains in front of a Board member.

    Sources for step 4

Does a funeral home need an embalmer?

Mostly. Every funeral home and branch must be operated by a practitioner of funeral service (a license that covers embalming) or by someone holding a funeral director license first issued before January 1, 1989. That older funeral director license does not allow embalming, but no new ones are issued.

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Licensed in another state?

Two routes lead to a Maine license after you pass the State Law and Rule Examination: an active, unrestricted funeral service license from a state with substantially similar requirements and no disciplinary action, or continuous, active practice as a licensed practitioner for the last 3 years. Maine also has licensure by endorsement.

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Good to know

  • A funeral director license (everything except embalming) still exists in the rules, but the statute only recognises funeral director licenses first issued before January 1, 1989. New applicants cannot get one.

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  • Funeral attendant is a non-embalming job the Board licenses (the employing practitioner applies for the license): attendants may remove and dress remains, casket them and assist at services, but may not embalm, conduct services or make arrangements with families. It is not a director's license.

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  • Change since 22 Oct: the Practical Examination is now confirmed to be actual embalming (rule definition), and the rules were read on the Secretary of State's site, not Cornell.

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Check with the board

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

Maine State Board of Funeral Service (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation)

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 Maine’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.