Illinois Compiled Statutes
225 ILCS 41/ - Funeral Directors and Embalmers Licensing Code.
Article 5 - Funeral Directors

(225 ILCS 41/Art. 5 heading)

 
(225 ILCS 41/5-5)
(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)
Sec. 5-5. License requirement. It is unlawful for any person to
practice, or to attempt to practice, funeral directing without a
license as a funeral director issued by the Department.
No person shall practice funeral directing unless he or she is employed by or contracted with a fixed place of practice or establishment devoted to the care and preparation for burial or for the transportation of deceased human bodies.
No person shall practice funeral directing independently at the fixed
place of practice or establishment of another licensee unless that
person's name is published and displayed at all
times in connection therewith.

(Source: P.A. 97-1130, eff. 8-28-12; 98-756, eff. 7-16-14.)
 
(225 ILCS 41/5-7)
(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)
Sec. 5-7. Address of record; email address of record. All applicants and licensees shall:

(2) inform the Department of any change of address within 14 days after the change of address of record or email address of record, either through the Department's website or by contacting the Department's licensure maintenance unit.

(Source: P.A. 102-881, eff. 1-1-23.)
 
(225 ILCS 41/5-10)
(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)
Sec. 5-10. Funeral director license; display. Every holder of a license as a funeral director shall
display it, or a copy, in a conspicuous place in the licensee's place of
practice or in the place of practice in which the licensee is
employed or contracted. If the licensee is engaged in funeral
directing at more than one place of practice, then in the licensee's principal
place of practice or the principal place of practice of
the licensee's employer and a copy of the license shall be displayed in a conspicuous place at all other places of practice. Every displayed license shall have the license number visible.
(Source: P.A. 102-881, eff. 1-1-23.)
 
(225 ILCS 41/5-15)
(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)
Sec. 5-15. Renewal; reinstatement; restoration. The expiration date and renewal period for each
license issued under this Article shall be set by rule. The holder of a
license as a licensed funeral director may renew the license during the month
preceding the expiration date of the license by paying the required fee. A
licensed funeral director whose license has expired may have the license
reinstated within 5 years from the date of expiration upon payment of the
required reinstatement fee. The reinstatement shall be effective as of the
date of reissuance of the license.
Any licensed funeral director whose license has
been expired for more than 5 years may have the license restored
only by fulfilling the requirements of the Department's rules and by
paying the required restoration fee.
However, any licensed funeral director whose license has expired while he or
she has been engaged (1) in federal service on active duty with the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, or
Coast Guard, or the State Militia called into the service or training of the
United States of America or (2) in training or education under the supervision
of the United States preliminary to induction into the military service may
have his or her license restored without paying any lapsed renewal fees or
restoration fee or without passing any examination if, within 2 years after
termination of the service, training or education other than by dishonorable
discharge, he or she furnishes the Department with an affidavit to the effect
that he or she has been so engaged and that his or her service, training or
education has
been so terminated.
In addition to any other requirement for renewal of a license or
reinstatement or restoration of an expired license, as a condition for the renewal, reinstatement, or restoration of a
license as a licensed funeral director, each licensee shall provide
evidence to the Department of completion of at least 12 hours of continuing
education during the 24 months preceding the expiration date of
the license, or in the case of reinstatement or restoration, during the 24 months
preceding application for reinstatement or restoration. The continuing education
sponsors shall be approved by the
Board. In addition, any qualified continuing education course for funeral
directors offered by a college, university, the Illinois Funeral Directors
Association, Funeral Directors Services Association of Greater Chicago,
Cook County
Association of Funeral Home Owners, Inc., Illinois Selected Morticians
Association, Inc., Illinois Cemetery and Funeral Home Association,
National Funeral Directors
Association, Selected Independent Funeral Homes, National Funeral Directors
and Morticians Association, Inc., International Order of the Golden Rule,
or an Illinois school of mortuary science
shall be accepted toward satisfaction of the continuing
education requirements.
The Department shall establish by rule a means for verification of
completion of the continuing education required by this Section. This
verification may be accomplished through audits of records maintained by
licensees, by requiring the filing of continued education certificates
with the Department or a qualified organization selected by the Department
to maintain these records, or by other means established by the Department.
Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, a person who is licensed as a funeral director under this Code and who has
engaged in the practice of funeral directing for at least 40 years shall be
exempt from the continuing education requirements of this Section. In
addition,
the Department shall establish by rule an exemption or exception, for a limited period of time, for
funeral directors who, by reason of advanced age, health or other extreme
condition should reasonably be excused from the continuing education
requirement upon the approval of the Secretary. Those persons, identified above, who cannot attend on-site classes,
shall have the opportunity to comply by completing home study courses
designed for them by sponsors.
(Source: P.A. 102-881, eff. 1-1-23.)
 
(225 ILCS 41/5-18)
(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)
Sec. 5-18. Inactive status.
(a) Any funeral director who notifies the Department in writing on forms prescribed by the Department may elect to place his or her license on an inactive status and shall, subject to rules of the Department, be excused from payment of renewal fees and completion of continuing education requirements until he or she notifies the Department in writing of an intent to restore or reinstate the license to active status.
(b) Any licensee who has permitted his or her license to expire or who has had his or her license on inactive status may have the license restored by making application to the Department, by filing proof acceptable to the Department of his or her fitness to have the license restored, and by paying the required fees. Proof of fitness may include sworn evidence certifying to active lawful practice in another jurisdiction. If the licensee has not maintained an active practice in another jurisdiction satisfactory to the Department, then the Department shall determine the licensee's fitness to resume active status and may require successful completion of a practical examination or any other method it deems appropriate, including, but not limited to, those established by rule. Any licensee whose license is on inactive status shall not practice in the State.
(c) Any licensee whose license is on inactive status or in a non-renewed status shall not engage in the practice of funeral directing in the State or use the title or advertise that he or she performs the services of a licensed funeral director. Any person violating this Section shall be considered to be practicing without a license and shall be subject to the disciplinary provisions of this Code.

(Source: P.A. 102-881, eff. 1-1-23.)
 
(225 ILCS 41/5-20)
(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)
Sec. 5-20. Disposition of unclaimed cremated remains. The holder of a license is
authorized at his or her discretion to effect a final disposition of the unclaimed cremated remains
of any cremated human body if no person lawfully entitled to the
custody of the remains makes or has made a proper request for them within 60 days of the date of death of the person whose body was cremated.

(Source: P.A. 102-881, eff. 1-1-23.)
 
(225 ILCS 41/5-25)
(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)
Sec. 5-25.
Prohibition of new licenses.
The Department shall not issue any
new licenses as funeral directors or funeral director trainees. Any person
issued a license as a funeral director before June 1, 1991 may renew the
license after that date under the provisions of this Article and that person
may continue to renew or restore the license during his or her lifetime,
subject only to the renewal or restoration requirements for the license under
this Code.

(Source: P.A. 93-268, eff. 1-1-04.)

Structure Illinois Compiled Statutes