Get your license: Funeral establishments

Who needs a license?

Any business that provides care, shelter, transportation, embalming, preparation, and arrangements for the disposition of human remains.

You may apply for more than 1 funeral establishment license as long as you meet the requirements for each license.

How to apply

Make sure you meet the requirements, and follow the steps below to apply for a funeral establishment license.

1. Meet the requirements

To get a funeral establishment license, a person, partnership, association, corporation, or other organization must:

• Have a physical business location
• Designate the name under which the funeral establishment will operate
• Designate the location for which the establishment license is to be issued
• Be bound by all the establishment's existing prearrangement funeral service contracts

Funeral directors

The person, partnership, association, corporation, or other organization must also either:

• Have held a valid, active Washington funeral director license for at least 1 year, or
• Employ at least 1 designated funeral director who has held an active Washington funeral director license for at least 1 year at each location

2. File with the Department of Revenue

File a business license application with the Department of Revenue (DOR) to get a Unified Business Identifier (UBI) number. Once you receive your UBI you can apply for your funeral establishment license.

3. Complete all the necessary forms

Complete all of the following forms:

List of Officers form

Complete a List of Officers form with the names and titles of all your establishment's officers (e.g., sole proprietor, partner, etc).

Funeral Establishment/Branch License Application

Complete and sign Funeral Establishment/Branch License Application and Information Change Request form.

Prearrangement Annual Report

If you are purchasing an existing funeral establishment, you must include a Prearrangement Annual Report. You must honor any existing prearrangement contracts the owner from whom you are purchasing the establishment has made.

4. Submit your application

You'll pay the funeral establishment application fee when you apply.

Apply for your license online

You'll receive your license faster by applying and paying the licensing fee online.

Log into SecureAccess Washington (SAW)

Don't have a SAW account? Learn how to create a SAW account.

Apply for your license by mail

Mail your forms and a check or money order for the application fee (payable to the Department of Licensing) to:

Denial for disciplinary actions

If you, your designated funeral director, or your embalmer have had disciplinary action taken against you in the past, we may deny your application or issue you a conditional license.

Expiration dates

All funeral establishment licenses expire on January 31 each year. You must renew your license annually.

Licenses are not transferable

Funeral establishment licenses aren't transferable.