Continuing Educational Requirements for Maine Funeral Practitioners

A licensee shall complete 12 hours of continuing education within 2 years prior to the date of renewal. No more than 6 of the 12 hours may be completed through online or distance learning programs.

Acceptable Programs:

• approved by the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice (APFSP), its successor organization or a comparable organization or;
• hosted or sponsored by the Maine Funeral Directors Association or the National Funeral Directors Association, their successor organizations or comparable organizations or;
• hosted or sponsored and approved for continuing education credit by any state funeral board or state licensing authority; or
• any other program that relates any of the following subject areas:
• professional competency
• professional conduct
• business ethics, or legal aspects relating to funeral practice techniques including scientific and clinical advances relating to embalming and funeral arranging

Documentation:

• Certification: At the time of application for renewal, each licensee must certify, on a form provided by the Office of Licensing and Registration, the number of continuing education hours completed during the preceding license term or during the continuing education period. No additional information or continuing education documentation is required to be submitted at the time of renewal.
• Retention: The licensee shall retain documentation of continuing education activities included in the most recent two continuing education certifications submitted by the licensee, including the current renewal period. It is the responsibility of each licensee to maintain records, certificates, or other evidence of compliance with the continuing education requirement.
• Audits: Applicants for license renewal will be selected by the licensing board on a random basis for audit of continuing education compliance. In addition, an individual licensee may be selected for an audit as part of an investigation or if there is reasonable cause to believe the licensee has provided a false certification concerning the completion of continuing education requirements. An audit may review the last two continuing education certifications submitted by the licensee. Licensees selected for audit will be notified to submit documentation of the continuing education activities that were certified by the licensee at the time of renewal. Continuing education hours that cannot be documented in accordance with the documentation requirements determined by the licensing board or that do not satisfy the criteria for continuing education contained in statute or board rule will be disallowed.

Penalties:

The license for the practice of funeral service of any person who fails to comply with this section may not be renewed and terminates upon the next expiration date.

Hardship Deferment:

A licensee may request a deferment of continuing education from the board due to health reasons, military service or other unforeseeable circumstances of genuine hardship. Any licensee who receives a deferment shall make up the deferred continuing education according to a schedule determined by the board in consultation with the licensee. Deferred continuing education, once completed by a licensee, may not also be used to satisfy the continuing education requirement for a license year other than the year for which the deferment was granted.