ARTICLE 4. Apprentices [7660. - 7671.]

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC 4.

in effect

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7660. Section 7660.

An apprentice embalmer is a person engaged in the study of embalming under the instruction and supervision of a licensed embalmer who has had at least two years’ practical experience as a California licensed embalmer.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7661. Section 7661.

An application for registration as an embalmer’s apprentice shall be made upon a form provided by the bureau, verified by the applicant and accompanied by the fee fixed by this chapter.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7662. Section 7662.

In order to qualify as an apprentice embalmer, an applicant shall comply with all of the following requirements: (a) Be over 18 years of age. (b) Not have committed acts or crimes constituting grounds for denial of licensure under Section 480. (c) Do one of the following: (1) Furnish proof showing completion of a high school course. (2) Furnish the bureau with evidence that he or she has been licensed and has practiced as an embalmer for a minimum of three years within the seven years preceding his or her application in any other state or country and that the license has never been suspended or revoked for unethical conduct. (3) Have graduated from a mortuary science program approved by the bureau and accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education, or its equivalent, as determined by the bureau, and furnished official transcripts from that program or equivalent.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7664. Section 7664.

Certificates of apprenticeship issued pursuant to this article shall expire when the holder has been issued a license as an embalmer, or six years from the date of registration, whichever first occurs. The certificates may not be renewed, but an apprentice embalmer who has not completed his or her term of apprenticeship at the time his or her certificate expires may apply for reregistration upon compliance with Section 7661. The bureau may, when the circumstances warrant, allow an apprentice credit under a reregistration for the time actually served under a previous registration, but no reregistration shall have the effect of continuing the term of apprenticeship beyond the period specified in Section 7666.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7665. Section 7665.

All registered apprentice embalmers shall comply with the following requirements during their period of apprenticeship: (a) Shall file a report of apprenticeship as follows: (1) On or before January 15 of each year covering the period of apprenticeship ending as of December 31 preceding. (2) Upon change of supervising embalmer or employer, or both. (3) Upon completion of apprenticeship. (4) Upon application for leave of absence for a period in excess of 15 days. (5) Upon suspending apprenticeship to attend a mortuary science program. (6) Upon application for reregistration after suspension or revocation of registration if a complete report of previous registration has not been filed. (b) The information contained in the report shall consist of a concise summary of the work done by the apprentice during the period covered thereby, shall be verified by the apprentice and certified to as correct by his or her supervising embalmer and employer. Upon request of the bureau, each funeral director in whose establishment an apprenticeship is being, or has been, served, and each embalmer under whose instruction or supervision an apprenticeship is being or has been served, shall promptly file with the bureau a report or such other information as may be requested relating to the apprenticeship. Failure to comply with the request is cause for revocation by the bureau of the approval granted to the funeral director or embalmer for the training of apprentices and is also a cause for disciplinary action against the funeral director or embalmer.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7666. Section 7666.

(a) The term of apprenticeship shall be two years. However, if an apprentice after having served his or her apprenticeship fails to pass the examinations required for an embalmer’s license, he or she may continue for one additional term of apprenticeship, which shall be the maximum apprenticeship permitted and provided further that an apprentice may, upon filing an application therefor, be permitted to continue the apprenticeship for a period not to exceed six months, if approved, for any of the following reasons: (1) While awaiting the processing of applications submitted to the bureau. (2) While awaiting notification of grades of examinations required under Section 7646. (3) While awaiting the commencement of a class of a mortuary science program when the apprentice intends to enroll in the program. Applications filed for an extension of apprenticeship shall be filed by the applicant with the bureau not fewer than 15 days prior to the date the applicant requests the extension to commence. (b) Terms of apprenticeship may be served before, after, or divided by the mortuary science program at the option of the apprentice; provided, however, that the term of apprenticeship must be completed, excluding time spent in active military service, within six years from the date of original registration, or from the date an apprentice successfully passes the examinations for an embalmer’s license required in Section 7646, whichever first occurs, and provided further that if the term of apprenticeship is not completed within the six-year period, the bureau may require that the applicant serve the additional term of apprenticeship, not to exceed two years. (c) A student attending a mortuary science program may register as an apprentice during the program term but shall receive no credit for apprenticeship on the term required by this code unless he or she is also a full-time employee of a funeral director. (d) An apprentice while serving his or her required term of apprenticeship shall be a full-time employee in the funeral establishment in which he or she is employed.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7667. Section 7667.

(a) The bureau shall have the power to grant leaves of absence and extensions of leaves of absence and approve absences during the term of apprenticeship. (b) A leave of absence, including any extensions, shall not be approved for a longer period than an aggregate of one year. (c) No credit will be given to an apprentice on his or her apprenticeship for the period during which he or she is absent from duty on leave. (d) Application for a leave of absence and for an extension thereof shall be made by the apprentice on a form provided by the bureau. (e) Upon termination of a leave of absence, the apprentice shall report that fact to the bureau within 10 days of his or her resumption of apprenticeship by returning to the bureau, his or her certificate of registration accompanied by a statement as to the resumption of apprenticeship which statement shall be certified as correct by the funeral director in whose establishment he or she is to resume his or her duties and by the embalmer under whose supervision he or she is to resume his or her apprenticeship. (f) Failure to report within 10 days after the expiration date of any leave of absence shall be cause for cancellation of the registration of an apprentice.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7668. Section 7668.

The bureau may suspend or revoke a certificate of apprenticeship, after notice and upon complaint and hearing in accordance with the provisions of Article 6, if the apprentice is guilty of any of the following acts or omissions: (a) Failure to devote full-time employment to the duties of his or her apprenticeship. (b) Failure to make any report required by this chapter. (c) Absence from duty except as provided in this code. (d) Being on duty as an apprentice while under the influence of any controlled substance, as defined in Division 10 (commencing with Section 11000) of the Health and Safety Code, or any dangerous drug as defined in Article 2 (commencing with Section 4015) of Chapter 9 of the Business and Professions Code, or alcoholic beverages or other intoxicating substances, to an extent dangerous or injurious to himself, herself, any person, or the public to the extent that such use impairs his or her ability to conduct with safety to the public the practice authorized by his or her certification. (e) Disobedience of proper orders or instructions of his or her superior. (f) Violation of any provision of this chapter or any rule or regulation of the bureau. (g) Soliciting business for a funeral director or for an embalmer in violation of this chapter. (h) Fraud or misrepresentation in obtaining a certificate of registration as an apprentice. (i) Conviction of a crime substantially related to the qualifications, functions and duties of an apprentice, in which case the record of conviction, or a certified copy, shall be conclusive evidence of the conviction.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7669. Section 7669.

An apprentice who has had his or her certificate of apprenticeship suspended or revoked may, within one year after the suspension or revocation apply for reregistration upon compliance with the law in effect at the time he or she so applies and payment of the apprentice application fee fixed by this chapter. No reregistration shall have the effect of continuing an apprenticeship beyond the period specified in Section 7666. The bureau may, when the circumstances warrant, allow an apprentice credit under a reregistration for the time actually served under a previous registration, but if the previous registration has been suspended or revoked for unprofessional conduct, not more than 75 percent of the time previously served shall be credited on the reregistration.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7670. Section 7670.

(a) The apprenticeship required by this article shall be served in a licensed funeral establishment that shall have been previously approved for apprenticeship training by the bureau. In order to qualify for approval, the funeral establishment shall submit to the bureau an application, accompanied by the fee fixed by this chapter, showing: (1) That not less than 50 human remains per apprentice employed have been embalmed in the establishment during the 12 months immediately preceding the date of the application. (2) That the applicant has, and will continue to have, for each two apprentices employed by the establishment, a full-time employed California embalmer who has had not less than two years’ practical experience as a California licensed embalmer immediately preceding the date of the application or a trade embalmer who is hired by the establishment on a case-by-case basis who has had not less than two years’ practical experience as a California licensed embalmer immediately preceding the date of the application. (3) That the licensed funeral establishment applicant meets the requirements of law as to equipment, cleanliness and sanitation as determined by an inspection report filed with the bureau. (4) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a trade embalmer, as described in paragraph (2), from acting as the supervising embalmer of an apprentice pursuant to this section. (b) Licensed funeral establishments under common ownership within close geographical proximity of each other may request any of the following from the bureau: (1) To be treated in aggregate for the purpose of meeting the requirements of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a). (2) To designate one additional supervising embalmer per registered apprentice. (3) To allow a registered apprentice to serve in any or all of the licensed funeral establishments requested and approved pursuant to this section. (c) Approval granted under this section shall be renewed annually upon application by the funeral establishment showing continued compliance with the foregoing provisions of this section, filed with the bureau not later than January 15 of each year. An application for renewal shall be accompanied by the fee fixed by this chapter. (d) For purposes of this section, “trade embalmer” means a person who is an independent California licensed embalmer who embalms dead human bodies on a contractual basis for one or more California licensed funeral establishments.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7671. Section 7671.

No person who is a duly registered apprentice or a student at an approved mortuary science program in California at the time of any amendment to this chapter raising the requirements for apprentice embalmers or license as an embalmer shall be required to comply with the provisions of that amendment.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026