Mississippi Code 1972 (2023) › Title 73 - PROFESSIONS AND VOCATIONS (§§ 73-1-1 — 73-79-1) › Chapter 11 - PRACTICE OF FUNERAL SERVICE AND FUNERAL DIRECTING (§§ 73-11-1 — 73-11-73) › STATE BOARD OF FUNERAL SERVICE (§§ 73-11-33 — 73-11-73) › Section 73-11-55 - [Repealed Effective 7/1/2025] Licensing of funeral establishment; license classifications; exceptions; requirements; applications and fees

(1)
No person or party shall conduct, maintain, manage or operate a funeral establishment or branch thereof unless a license for each such establishment has been issued by the board and is conspicuously displayed in such funeral establishment. In case of funeral services held in any private residence, church, cemetery, cemetery chapel, cemetery facility, or lodge hall, no license shall be required.
(2)
There shall be four (4) funeral establishment license classifications:
(a)
Full-service funeral establishment;
(b)
Branch establishment;
(c)
Mortuary service establishment; and
(d)
Crematory establishment.
(3)
To be licensed as a funeral establishment, a place or premise must be at a fixed and specified address or location and must be used for immediate post-death activities, whether used for the custody, shelter, care, preparation and/or embalming of the human dead. Every funeral establishment shall be under the charge and personal supervision of a Mississippi funeral director licensee or a Mississippi funeral service licensee. The licensee in charge and the licensee with personal supervisory responsibilities need not be the same licensee. Each licensed funeral establishment shall be inspected at least once during each licensing period. Such inspections may be unannounced. After inspection of a funeral establishment, if the board cites the funeral establishment for failure to comply with any provision of this chapter or a rule or regulation of the board, the funeral establishment shall resolve the violation to the satisfaction of the board and be in full compliance with this chapter and board rules and regulations not later than thirty (30) days after the board files the inspection report.
(4)
(a)
A funeral establishment where embalming is conducted must contain an embalming room with a sanitary floor, walls and ceiling, adequate sanitary drainage and disposal facilities, including running water and exhaust fans. A full-service funeral establishment must also have an adequate casket and/or vault selection room, holding facilities and proper room or rooms in which rites and ceremonies may be held. A funeral establishment shall be subject to an inspection at least once during a two-year license period. Each new establishment must be inspected before the opening. All portions of each facility licensed under this section shall be kept in a clean and sanitary condition.
(b)
(i)
A branch establishment must contain an office and/or an arrangement room, and a room for viewing and/or a chapel or proper place for ceremonies. A branch establishment need not meet all requirements specified in paragraph (a) of this subsection and need not be under the personal supervision of a Mississippi funeral director licensee or a Mississippi funeral service licensee.
(ii)
If the branch meets all requirements of a funeral establishment as specified in paragraph (a) of this subsection, such establishment must be under the charge and personal supervision of a Mississippi funeral director licensee or a Mississippi funeral service licensee.
(c)
A commercial mortuary service is a funeral establishment that embalms and transports for licensed funeral establishments and does not sell any services or merchandise directly or at retail to the public. A mortuary service establishment shall not arrange or conduct a funeral or direct burial. A mortuary service establishment may arrange for and transport dead human bodies for direct cremation purposes only under the following circumstances:
(i)
On behalf of a full-service funeral establishment;
(ii)
On behalf of a branch funeral establishment; or
(iii)
At the direction of a public administrator, medical examiner, coroner or any other public official charged with arranging the final disposition of dead human bodies.
(d)
A crematory establishment shall have the authority to cremate dead human bodies and to transport dead human bodies to and from the establishment and shall meet the requirements of Section
73-11-69
. An establishment licensed only as a crematory establishment is prohibited from the care and preparation of dead human bodies other than by cremating and shall also be prohibited from embalming, making funeral arrangements or cremation arrangements with any person or party that is not licensed by the board, conducting visitations and funeral ceremonies, and furnishing any funeral service in connection with the disposition of dead human bodies or selling funeral merchandise.
(5)
Applications for funeral establishment licenses, branch establishment licenses or commercial mortuary service licenses shall be made on blanks furnished by the board and shall be accompanied by a fee in an amount fixed by the board under Section
73-11-56
. All establishment licenses shall be issued for a period of two (2) years, except initial licenses may be prorated from the date of issuance to the next renewal date.
Renewal funeral establishment and branch establishment license applications and license fees shall be due and payable to the board on or before the expiration date of the license. The board shall mail the notice of renewal and the due date for payment of the renewal fee at least thirty (30) days before that date. Failure of the license holder to receive the notice of renewal shall not exempt or excuse the holder from the requirement of renewing the license on or before the license expiration date.
(6)
If the renewal fee is not paid on or postmarked by the due date, the license shall by operation of law automatically expire and become void without further action of the board. All establishments whose licenses have expired under this section may be reinstated by filing with the board an application for reinstatement, submitting to an inspection during which time the licensee in charge of such establishment shall be interviewed by the board or its designee and by paying all renewal fees, a reinstatement fee, and other applicable fees.
(7)
No license shall be assignable or transferable or valid for any establishment other than the original licensee. License fees and application fees are nonrefundable.
(8)
A license for each new establishment shall not be issued until an inspection has been made, license and inspection fees have been paid, and the licensee in charge and/or owners of such establishment has been interviewed by the board or its designee.
(9)
The board is authorized to establish rules and regulations for the issuance of a special funeral establishment work permit.
Laws, 1983, ch. 351, § 8; reenacted and amended, Laws, 1991, ch. 463, § 9; reenacted, Laws, 1993, ch. 499, § 9; reenacted, Laws, 1995, ch. 387, § 9; reenacted without change, Laws, 1999, ch. 377, § 9; reenacted and amended, Laws, 2002, ch. 497, § 9; reenacted and amended, Laws, 2005, ch. 542, § 9; Laws, 2008, ch. 514, § 6; Laws, 2012, ch. 466, § 9, eff. 7/1/2012.
Reenacted without change by Laws, 2021, ch. 311, SB 2098,§ 8, eff. 7/1/2021.
Reenacted by Laws, 2017, ch. 373, HB 465, 9, eff. 7/1/2017.