Embalmer License Information
Embalmers and Funeral Directors Board
Embalmer License
Who Needs This License?
Anyone who wants to act as an embalmer in Nova Scotia.
Issuing Department / Agency:
The Nova Scotia Board of Registration of Embalmers and Funeral Directors
Where can you get this License and / or further information?
The Nova Scotia Board of Registration of Embalmers and Funeral Directors
C/O Kortney Adams, Executive Manager
168 Hobsons Lake Drive, Suite 301,
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3S 0G4
Email: kortneyadams@nsbrefd.com
Telephone: (902) 407 - 6001
Application Forms & Process:
You can get an application form in the following ways:
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Downloading from our Forms and Applications page
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Visiting any Access Nova Scotia Centre
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Calling, writing or visiting the Licensing Section Office listed above.
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You can send in a hard copy or submit the completed application to the Board electronically, along with the applicable fee (see Price below).
The application process includes academic and practical training, and both written and practical examinations.
Applicants for a license as embalmer must:
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Be at least 19 years of age or older
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Have completed the Funeral and Allied Health Services Diploma Program from the Nova Scotia Community College in Nova Scotia, and serve an apprenticeship for at least 22 months under the direction of a licensed embalmer; and
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Completed the minimum number of embalming cases as outlined in the Embalmer and Funeral Directors Regulations and which are acceptable cases involving key aspects of embalming.
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Successfully pass both written and clinical examinations. The pass mark for these examinations is 75%.
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If all requirements are met and the application is approved, the license will be mailed to the applicant.
Waiting Period:
This license is normally processed within 3 to 4 weeks, once all the items which must accompany the application have been received, and all requirements are met.
(Please allow several extra days for mail delivery.)
Expiry & Renewal:
This license is valid for up to 1 year covering the period from July 1 of one year to June 30 of the next, at which time it can be renewed. The renewal process is combined with the Funeral Home Licence renewal process carried out by Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations.
Price: (No tax is charged)
License: $ 200.00
Please pay by cheque or money order made out to the N.S. Board of Registration of Embalmers and Funeral Directors. E-mail money transfers can be sent to kortneyadams@nsbrefd.com.
Statue of Limitation Policy APPROVED March 6, 2019
A license lapsed for three (3) years or more, whether it be funeral director or embalmer will re-do their written exam and do his/her clinical or practical exam over again and pass with a mark of 75% or better.
Additional Information:
Who is regulated under the Embalmers and Funeral Directors Act?
Individuals regulated under this Act, as listed below, are under the jurisdiction of the Nova Scotia Board of Registration of Embalmers and Funeral Directors.
Definitions:
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Embalmer - any person who preserves a dead human body.
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Funeral Director - any person who, for gain or profit, takes charge of a dead human body for the purposes of burial, cremation, removal or other disposition.
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Apprentice Embalmers and Funeral Directors - individuals training to obtain the necessary qualifications to obtain a license under this Act.
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Licenses are issued to apprentice embalmers. Apprentice funeral directors are registered with the Board.
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What is regulated?
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The academic and practical experience that an individual must possess to qualify for a license under this Act.
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The standards of business practice of embalmers and funeral directors.
Legislative Authority:
The Embalmers and Funeral Directors Act, Revised Statutes of Nova Scotia, 1989, Chapter 144.
