(A) Any person who desires to be licensed as an embalmer shall apply to the board of embalmers and funeral directors on a form provided by the board. The applicant shall include with the application an initial license fee as set forth in section 4717.07 of the Revised Code and evidence, verified by oath and satisfactory to the board, that the applicant meets all of the following requirements:

(1) The applicant is at least eighteen years of age and of good moral character.

(2) If the applicant has pleaded guilty to, has been found by a judge or jury to be guilty of, or has had a judicial finding of eligibility for treatment in lieu of conviction entered against the applicant in this state for aggravated murder, murder, voluntary manslaughter, felonious assault, kidnapping, rape, sexual battery, gross sexual imposition, aggravated arson, aggravated robbery, or aggravated burglary, or has pleaded guilty to, has been found by a judge or jury to be guilty of, or has had a judicial finding of eligibility for treatment in lieu of conviction entered against the applicant in another jurisdiction for a substantially equivalent offense, at least five years has elapsed since the applicant was released from incarceration, a community control sanction, a post-release control sanction, parole, or treatment in connection with the offense.

(3) The applicant holds at least a bachelor's degree from a college or university authorized to confer degrees by the department of higher education or the comparable legal agency of another state in which the college or university is located and submits an official transcript from that college or university with the application.

(4) The applicant has satisfactorily completed at least twelve months of instruction in a prescribed course in mortuary science as approved by the board and has presented to the board a certificate showing successful completion of the course. The course of mortuary science college training may be completed either before or after the completion of the educational standard set forth in division (A)(3) of this section.

(5) The applicant has been certified by the board prior to beginning an embalmer apprenticeship.

(6) The applicant has satisfactorily completed at least one year of apprenticeship under an embalmer licensed in this state and has participated in embalming at least twenty-five dead human bodies.

(7) The applicant, upon meeting the educational standards provided for in divisions (A)(3) and (4) of this section and completing the apprenticeship required in division (A)(6) of this section, has completed the examination for an embalmer's license required by the board.

(B) Upon receiving satisfactory evidence verified by oath that the applicant meets all the requirements of division (A) of this section, the board shall issue the applicant an embalmer's license.

(C) Any person who desires to be licensed as a funeral director shall apply to the board on a form prescribed by the board. The application shall include an initial license fee as set forth in section 4717.07 of the Revised Code and evidence, verified by oath and satisfactory to the board, that the applicant meets all of the following requirements:

(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (D) of this section, the applicant has satisfactorily met all the requirements for an embalmer's license as described in divisions (A)(1) to (4) of this section.

(2) The applicant has been certified by the board prior to beginning a funeral director apprenticeship.

(3) The applicant, following mortuary science college training described in division (A)(4) of this section, has satisfactorily completed a one-year apprenticeship under a licensed funeral director in this state and has participated in directing at least twenty-five funerals.

(4) The applicant has satisfactorily completed the examination for a funeral director's license as required by the board.

(D) In lieu of mortuary science college training required for a funeral director's license under division (C)(1) of this section, the applicant may substitute a satisfactorily completed two-year apprenticeship under a licensed funeral director in this state assisting that person in directing at least fifty funerals.

(E) Upon receiving satisfactory evidence that the applicant meets all the requirements of division (C) of this section, the board shall issue to the applicant a funeral director's license.

(F) A funeral director or embalmer may request the funeral director's or embalmer's license be placed on inactive status by submitting to the board a form prescribed by the board and such other information as the board may request. A funeral director or embalmer may not place the funeral director's or embalmer's license on inactive status unless the funeral director or embalmer is in good standing with the board and is in compliance with applicable continuing education requirements. A funeral director or embalmer who is granted inactive status is prohibited from participating in any activity for which a funeral director's or embalmer's license is required in this state. A funeral director or embalmer who has been granted inactive status is exempt from the continuing education requirements under section 4717.09 of the Revised Code during the period of the inactive status.

(G) A funeral director or embalmer who has been granted inactive status may not return to active status for at least two years following the date that the inactive status was granted. Following a period of at least two years of inactive status, the funeral director or embalmer may apply to return to active status upon completion of all of the following conditions:

(1) The funeral director or embalmer files with the board a form prescribed by the board seeking active status and provides any other information as the board may request;

(2) The funeral director or embalmer takes and passes the Ohio laws examination for each license being activated;

(3) The funeral director or embalmer pays a reactivation fee to the board in the amount of one hundred forty dollars for each license being reactivated.

(H) As used in this section:

(1) "Community control sanction" has the same meaning as in section 2929.01 of the Revised Code.

(2) "Post-release control sanction" has the same meaning as in section 2967.01 of the Revised Code.

Amended by 133rd General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 166, §101.01, eff. 10/17/2019.

Amended by 132nd General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 49, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2017.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.174, HB 481, §1, eff. 3/22/2013.

Effective Date: 01-01-2004; 09-29-2005