Funeral Director - Licensure by Examination

You must submit evidence of having completed 9 months or more instruction in a prescribed course in a mortuary science school; and two years of academic instruction in a college or university with coursework in specific areas.

Completion of an apprenticeship is also required. For details concerning requirements, see Wisconsin Administrative Code.

Below are some general instructions for applying for a credential on LicensE. 

1. Create or log into your LicensE account. Please visit LicensE account Information page for detailed guidance on selecting your account type.

2. Select "Apply for a License."

3. Select your Category.

4. Select your License Type.

5. Select your Application Method, then "Next."

6. Review your Personal Information.

7. Enter the requested Information on each page of the application. Information may include Examination, Education, or License History, depending on your profession.

8. If applicable, request a Veterans Fee Waiver or Initial Credential Fee Reduction.

9. Submit the requested Documents you may already have. You do not need to have all documents ready to submit.

   Note: Forms are now hosted on AccessGov. Visit AccessGov Forms Directory to choose your form.

10. Respond to the Attestation questions.

11. Provide Payment Information. Fees may be found Credential Fees.

12. Submit your application.  

Profession specific application requirements can be found in the "Application Information" section.

After logging in, select Apply for a License and choose:

• Category: Business

• License Type: Funeral Director

•  Application Method: Licensure by Examination

Establishment Information: Enter the Establishment License number if it is in Wisconsin. Enter the establishment’s contact information.

You must submit your transcript for:

•  A Mortuary Science Degree

•  At least 24 Credits of Academic Studies in the following areas:

  •  English or Communication Skills

  •  Social Sciences

  • Natural Sciences

  • Business Studies

  •  Electives

You must also submit proof of passing the Arts and Sciences examinations from the National Board Examination (NBE).

During your application, you will be asked to submit the following, which are provided to you in the Apprentice Workbook when you were issued your Wisconsin Funeral Director Apprentice License:

•  Apprentice Embalmings.

• Apprentice Workbook.

•  Apprentice Semi-annual reports.

•  Apprentice Service Arrangements.

• Apprentice Embalmings.

• Apprentice Preparations without Embalmings.

You must pass the National Board exams (NBE Arts & Sciences) provided by The International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards. 

You must also pass an exam on Wisconsin Statutes and Rules. The passing score for the Funeral Director state law exam is 75%. You will receive your exam name, password, and applicant ID which you will use as your student ID to take this test after you submit your application, and the examination fee has been paid.

Content

The exam content is drawn from applicable state statutes and administrative code chapters specific to the profession. The purpose of the exam is to familiarize yourself with locating the statutes and administrative code that regulate the practice of the profession.

The exam will cover the following topics:

• Funeral Directors Examining Board Statutes and Administrative Rules

• Chapter 49 - Public Assistance

• Chapter 69 - Collection of Statistics

• Chapter 157 - Disposition of Human Remains

• Chapter 252 - Communicable Diseases

• Chapter 346 - Rules of the Road

• Chapter 347 - Equipment of Vehicles

• Chapter 630 - General Public Policy Provisions

• Chapter 632 - Insurance Contracts in Specific Lines

• Chapter 943 - Crimes - Property

• Chapter 979 - Investigation of Deaths

• HSS 135 - Human Corpses and Stillbirths

After you upload all required documents, submit your application, and pay the required fee(s):

1. Preliminary Application Reference Number (PAR)

   1. Your application will be assigned a Preliminary Application Reference number or PAR number. This number allows you and trusted parties to look up the status of your application without logging in. You can also reference this number in any support tickets you submit in regard to your application.

      • A trusted 3^rd party can look up your credential status by visiting LicensE, clicking “Application Status Lookup” and entering the PAR number you have provided to them.

2. Review Timeline

   1. Your materials will be reviewed within approximately 10 days by a member of the credentialing team.

      • Note: Some licenses do take longer to process due to complexity. You can see the performance data on our LicensE Dashboard to see what date we are reviewing for certain application types under "Application Review Times by Profession."

3. Pending Applicant Input Status

   1. After this review, if anything is missing or the credentialing team has any questions on your application, your application will go back into a status called “Pending Applicant Input.”  You will receive an email letting you know your application was moved into this status. You should then log into LicensE and check your application “Due Diligence.”

4. To check your "Due Diligence" 

   1. Your Due Diligence is a checklist of items required for your credential.

   2. The Due Diligence section is how DSPS staff will communicate with you regarding your credential requirements.

   3. Log in to your LicensE account

   4. Click on "Check Application Status" 

   5. Your credential application should be shown on this page. Under “Action” select the button that looks like an upside-down triangle. If you are on mobile, you will need to turn your phone into landscape view. Note: LicensE is best viewed on a desktop or laptop.

   6. After clicking the upside-down triangle, select “View Due Diligences.”

   7. The Due Diligence column lets you know what the requirement is.

   8. The “STATUS” column will you know if the item is “Met”, “Not Met”, or “Not Applicable.”

      • Items listed as “Not Met” are items that are needed by the Department.  

   9. The “NOTES” column of your Due Diligence will provide further written details or instructions about what is still needed.

5. To upload documents

   1. Some applications require additional document uploads.

   2. Log into your LicensE account

   3. Click on "Check Application Status"

   4. Your credential application should be shown on this page. Under "Action" select the button that looks like an upside-down triangle. If you are on mobile, you will need to turn your phone into landscape view. Note: LicensE is best viewed on a desktop or laptop. 

   5. After clicking the upside-down triangle, select "Upload Document."

   6. The document must be an allowable document type. 

   7. After uploading the document, click "submit." If you do not, it will not be sent to a reviewer. 

6. If you have any questions, you can submit a support ticket on LicensE by logging in and clicking "request support" at the top of the page.

LicensE statuses that require action from applicant:

LicensE statuses that indicate the application is with Department staff:

Support Ticket
Submit a support ticket on LicensE and click "request support." Please provide as much detail as possible regarding your concern so we can work to answer your question with a one touch resolution. 

Call
608-266-2112

Email
dsps@wisconsin.gov

Office Hours
7:45am-4:30pm
Department of Safety and Professional Services
4822 Madison Yards Way
Madison, WI, 53705

Note: The in-person office does not process same day.