Become a funeral director in West Virginia without embalming

What it takes, step by step

1. Register with the Board as an apprentice funeral director (the "funeral director only" track). You need a high school diploma or equivalent and must be 18 or older.

   Sources for step 1

   • W. Va. Code §30-6-17
   • WV Board, Apprenticeships

2. Serve a one-year, full-time apprenticeship (supervised work in a funeral home; the state sets who supervises) under a licensee in charge or a licensed funeral director. Log at least 35 disposition arrangements and at least 35 funeral and/or memorial services in the Board's competency log. No embalming count.

   Sources for step 2

   • W. Va. Code §30-6-9
   • W. Va. Code §30-6-17
   • 6 CSR 1 §6-1-5 (emergency rule, eff. 24 June 2026)

3. Earn a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. The law names no field, so it does not have to be mortuary science.

   Sources for step 3

   • W. Va. Code §30-6-9
   • WV Board, Funeral Director Only

4. Pass the West Virginia Laws, Rules and Regulations Examination with an average of at least 75%. No National Board exam is listed for this license.

   Sources for step 4

   • W. Va. Code §30-6-9
   • 6 CSR 1 §6-1-5 (emergency rule, eff. 24 June 2026)

Does a funeral home need an embalmer?

Yes. Every funeral home must be run by a licensee in charge who holds the full funeral service license (embalming and funeral directing), a crematory operator certificate, and a pre-need license if it sells pre-need. A funeral director can work in a funeral home but cannot be in charge of it. From July 1, 2026, the Board must allow up to two years to complete the licensee-in-charge requirements.

Licensed in another state?

The Board offers a reciprocal funeral director license: a bachelor's degree, good standing in every state where you are licensed, and proof of apprenticeship, plus at least 2 years of active licensure (or 1 year of apprenticeship and 1 year of licensure). The Board also says that under W. Va. Code §30-1-27 a person licensed in another state, in the same discipline and at the same practice level, is granted a license if they meet the other conditions that section sets.

Good to know

• H.B. 4483 (2026) is enacted: the enrolled bill passed March 14, 2026 and took effect July 1, 2026, and its text now appears in the official West Virginia Code. It cut the funeral director apprenticeship from two years to one and capped it at one year.

  Sources

  • W. Va. H.B. 4483 (2026), enrolled
  • W. Va. Code §30-6-9
  • W. Va. Code §30-6-17
  • 6 CSR 1 §6-1-5 (emergency rule, eff. 24 June 2026)

• The Board's rules have caught up: it filed an emergency amendment to 6 CSR 1 (effective June 24, 2026) that sets a one-year funeral director apprenticeship, and the same amendment is going through the 2027 legislative rule process.

  Sources

  • 6 CSR 1 §6-1-5 (emergency rule, eff. 24 June 2026)
  • WV Board, 2027 rule update

• The Board's own qualification and apprenticeship pages still say the funeral director apprenticeship is two years. The 2026 statute and the emergency rule say one year. Follow the statute and confirm with the Board.

  Sources

  • WV Board, Funeral Director Only
  • WV Board, Apprenticeships
  • W. Va. Code §30-6-9

• The funeral director only license is not new in 2026. The Board says the classification took effect in April 2023. The 2026 law changed its terms.

  Sources

  • WV Board, FAQ

• The statute says the apprentice must be "conducting" the 35 arrangements and 35 services. The rule says "assist in conducting".

  Sources

  • W. Va. Code §30-6-9
  • 6 CSR 1 §6-1-5 (emergency rule, eff. 24 June 2026)

Check with the board

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

West Virginia Board of Funeral Service Examiners

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