Registration for Funeral Directors in NYC

Funeral directors in New York City need a license from the New York State Bureau of Funeral Directing. They also need to register with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), Office of Vital Records, Burial Desk.

Registration sites

Funeral directors, undertakers, hospitals or their representatives file death certificates at the Manhattan or Brooklyn Burial Desks. They can also use the Electronic Death Registration System (EDRS).

Permits

Permits are needed to bury, cremate or move human remains out of the City or its nearby counties. These permits are given for all deaths registered with the Office of Vital Records. Only funeral directors, undertakers, hospitals or their representatives who are registered with the DOHMH's Office of Vital Statistics can get these permits.

• Get a registration card: You need this from the New York State Bureau of Funeral Directing.
• No fees to apply.

• Responsibility: You must get all other permits, licenses and authorizations needed by the City and State.
• Compliance: If you do not follow all the rules, your permits from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) may be suspended until you prove you are following the rules.
• Relevant rules: To see the rules for this permit, review the Health Code and Rules. View "Title 24: Department of Health and Mental Hygiene," subfolder "Title V, Vital Statistics," then Article 205, Section 06 "Registration of Funeral Directors and Undertakers."

• Complete a Funeral Director Registration Card (VR form 49): Get this card at the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's (DOHMH) Burial Desks. Submit this card in person at one of the two DOHMH Burial Desks.
• Show a valid government-issued photo ID: This can be a driver's license or passport. If you are a corporation, partnership or limited liability company, show the photo ID of a corporate officer, partner, director or member.
• Show a valid Funeral Director's Registration Card: Get this from the New York State Bureau of Funeral Directing.
• Present a letter on your employer's business stationery: This letter must be signed by the firm's manager (licensed funeral director). It should state that you work at their firm and include your funeral director's license and registration number and the firm's license number. If you work for more than one firm, each firm must submit a letter to the DOHMH.