Apprenticeship Embalmer Information
Apprentice Embalmer License
Who Needs This License?
Any individual who wants to act as an apprentice embalmer registered and train in Nova Scotia.
Issuing Department / Agency:
The Nova Scotia Board of Registration of Embalmers and Funeral Directors
Where can you get this License and/or further information?
The Nova Scotia Board of Registration of Embalmers and Funeral Directors
C/O Kortney Adams, Executive Manager
168 Hobsons Lake Drive, Suite 301
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3S 0G4
Email: kortneyadams@nsbrefd.com
Telephone: (902) 407 - 6001
Application Forms & Process:
You can get an application form in the following ways:
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Create an account through the applicant/licensee online protal and submit your application online. The online portal can be found here
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Downloading from our Forms and Applications page
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Visiting any Access Nova Scotia Centre
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Calling, mailing, or emailing the Board of Registration of Embalmers and Funeral Directors
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Applications and supporting documentation can be submitted through the online applicant/licensee portal found here. Alternatively, you can send in a hard copy or submit the completed application to the Board electronically, along with the applicable fee (see Price below), and supporting documentation.
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The apprenticeship includes academic and practical training, and both written and clinical examinations.
Applicants for registration as an apprentice embalmer must:
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Be 19 years of age or older at the time of application.
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It is the responsibility of the applicant to send in with his or her application form, proof of valid Class 5 driver's license, a criminal record check completed within the last 90 days, proof of completion of high school or equivalent, proof of enrollment in the NSCC Funeral and Allied Health Services Program, the applicable fee, and signed Apprenticeship (Mentor) Agreement to request mentor approval by the Board.
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During the course of the apprenticeship, if approved, the apprentice must complete a combination of academic/clinical apprentice training and experience. The minimum requirement for clinical experience is that the apprentice conduct 25 embalmings. Apprentices must keep a detailed log of their activities using the required reporting forms and these must be reviewed, confirmed, and signed by the licensed, approved embalmer mentor.
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Once the apprentice has completed the minimum apprenticeship duration (22 months) and once the apprentice has conducted the minimum number of embalming cases (25), and has graduated from the Funeral and Allied Health Services Program, the apprentice can apply to complete the written examination. Examination applications must be submitted at least 30 days prior to the written examination and all case, duration, and graduation requirements detailed above must be met prior to applying. Apprentices must successfully pass both written and clinical examinations. The pass mark for these examinations is 75%.
Applications for a license as apprentice embalmer must be accompanied by proof that the applicant has been accepted under an apprenticeship agreement with a licensed embalmer and the Apprenticeship Agreement (mentor agrerment form) is submitted to the Board of Registration for review and approval or denial of the requested mentor.
If all requirements are met and the application is approved, the license will be mailed to the applicant.
Waiting Period:
This license is normally processed within 14 working days, once all the items which must accompany the application have been received, and all requirements are met.
(Please allow several extra days for mail delivery.)
Expiry:
This license is valid for a period of one (1) year from the date it was issued, dependent on academic qualifications and requirements.
Fees:
Apprentice licensing fee: $100.00
Written exam: $100.00
Clinical exam: $200.00
Embalmer Licensing fee: $200.00
Supplemental exam (written or clinical): $200.00
Mortuary Law Exam fee: $250.00
Please pay by cheque or money order made out to the N.S. Board of Registration of Embalmers and Funeral Directors. E-mail money transfers can be sent to kortneyadams@nsbrefd.com. If you are paying through the online portal you also have the option to pay by cheque, money order, or email money transfer by selecting "offline" payment, or by credit card through the online portal application.
Statue of Limitation Policies: APPROVED March 6, 2019
A licensed lapsed for three (3) years or more, whether it be a funeral director or embalmer, will re-do their written exam and do their clinical or practical exam over again and pass with a mark of 75% or better on both.
Apprentice funeral directors or embalmers will be cancelled if their written exam and reports are not completed within a three (3) years from the date of registering.
Practical or clinical exams for apprentice funeral directors or embalmers must be completed within a three (3) year period from the date that the written exam was completed and passed.
Additional Information:
Who is regulated under the Embalmers and Funeral Directors Act?
Individuals regulated under this Act, as listed below, are under the jurisdiction of the Nova Scotia Board of Registration of Embalmers and Funeral Directors.
Definitions:
1) Embalmer - any person who preserves a dead human body.
2) Funeral Director - any person who, for gain or profit, takes charge of a dead human body for the purposes of burial, cremation, removal or other disposition.
3) Apprentice Embalmers and Funeral Directors - individuals training to obtain the necessary qualifications to obtain a license under this Act.
What is regulated?
1) The academic and practical experience that an individual must possess to qualify for a license under this Act.
2) The standards of business practice of embalmers and funeral directors.
Legislative Authority:
The Embalmers and Funeral Directors Act, Revised Statutes of Nova Scotia, 1989, Chapter 144
