For questions or additional information specific to the licensure of the establishment, please contact the Board. For any legal questions, you should contact your own attorney.
If an establishment is being closed due to a change of ownershipor sale:
If the establishment will be closed permanently, provide written notice to the Board with the name, license number, and date of closure of the establishment.
If the establishment is under new ownership, being renamed or relocated, submit the appropriate application and fee to the Board for Change of Ownership, Change of Name, and/or Change of Location, as applicable. Please note that certain changes to existing establishments may trigger a reinspection by the Board either prior to or after the change.
For questions or additional information specific to the licensure of the establishment, please contact the Board. For any legal questions, you may wish to contact your own attorney.
What are the recordkeeping or notice requirements for existing preneed contracts if an establishment closes or changes ownership?
A contract provider that discontinues its business operations, whether by closure or change of ownership, must notify the Board and each existing contract buyer in writing in accordance with the provisions set forth in 18VAC65-30-70(B), Record keeping.
In instances where the funeral establishment is sold, documents must be transferred to the new owner, unless the existing firm is relocating to a new facility. The new owner must retain transferred documents in accordance with the Board's Regulations. When transferred documents include preneed contracts, the documents must be retained and maintained in accordance with the provisions of 18VAC65-20-700(D), Retention of documents.
What steps are necessary to close a funeral establishment on a temporary basis?
When a funeral establishment ceases operations on a temporary basis, the establishment must provide written notice to the Board regarding the establishment’s name, license number, the circumstances of the temporary closure, and the anticipated reopening date.
Depending on the circumstances of the temporary closure, the Board may request additional information to determine future steps for restoring the license to an active status. For example, an establishment that ceases operations temporarily because it does not have a permanent or temporary manager of record, is required to submit an application for change of manager of record prior to reactivation.
Where the temporary closure involves renovations that alter the structure of the preparation room, the structural changes trigger a non-routine inspection of the change to the preparation room. The establishment must complete and submit to the Board theRequest for Reinspection due to Structural Change to Preparation Room.
What happens if an emergency impacts the operation of the funeral establishment at its current, licensed location on a temporary basis?
In the event of an emergency requiring the evacuation or discontinued use of a funeral establishment, the impacted establishment may be approved by the Board to continue operations out of another licensed funeral establishment for a period of no more than 60 days. The impacted establishment may request an extension of emergency operations for an additional 30 days upon good cause shown.
To request approval for conducting emergency operations, the impacted funeral establishment must submit documentation that identifies the manager of record for both the impacted establishment and establishment for emergency operations, and any agreement for emergency usage. See 18VAC65-20-170(F), Requirements for an establishment license.
Virginia Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers Email: fanbd@dhp.virginia.gov Corie E. Tillman Wolf, J.D., Executive Director Lacyn Barton, FSL, President
