---
title: O.C.G.A. § 43-18-71. Funeral establishments, organic human reduction facilities, and crematories to be licensed and to employ a licensed funeral director to be in full and continuous charge; display of name and license of funeral director.
collection: code
id: 43-18-71
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 43-18-71 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/43-18-71
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/43-18-71.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/43-18-71/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t43-ch1-32-(v30)-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=94981bdc_0#page=193
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/43-18.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/43-18-70.md
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index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: PROFESSIONS AND BUSINESSES / FUNERAL DIRECTORS AND ESTABLISHMENTS, EMBALMERS, AND CREMATORIES / FUNERAL DIRECTORS AND ESTABLISHMENTS, EMBALMERS, AND CREMATORIES / OPERATION OF FUNERAL ESTABLISHMENTS AND CREMATORIES
---

# O.C.G.A. § 43-18-71. Funeral establishments, organic human reduction facilities, and crematories to be licensed and to employ a licensed funeral director to be in full and continuous charge; display of name and license of funeral director.

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, corporation, or association to operate a funeral establishment, organic human reduction facility, or crematory engaged in the business of providing funeral services without first obtaining a license from the board in accordance with this article. The board shall not issue a license to any funeral establishment, organic human reduction facility, or crematory unless such funeral establishment, organic human reduction facility, or crematory shall employ the service of a funeral director licensed in accordance with this article, who shall be the funeral director in full and continuous charge of the establishment and who is a resident of this state. There shall be conspicuously displayed in each funeral establishment, organic human reduction facility, and crematory the name and license of the funeral director in full and continuous charge. A funeral director in full and continuous charge shall:

(1) Assume full responsibility for the supervision and operation of the funeral establishment, organic human reduction facility, or crematory for which that person has been designated as the funeral director in full and continuous charge;

(2) Act as funeral director for only one funeral establishment, organic human reduction facility, or crematory; and

(3) Spend a minimum of 40 hours per week in the employ and operation of the establishment and be accessible and available to the community.

(b) When there is a change in the funeral director in full and continuous charge, such change shall be reported to the board in writing within five days of the effective date of such change. The board may request the new funeral director in full and continuous charge and owner to appear before the board to determine if the requirements for a funeral director in full and continuous charge have been met.

## History

Code 1981, § 43-18-71, enacted by Ga. L. 1990, p. 1372, § 1; Ga. L. 1992, p. 2762, § 5; Ga. L. 2025, p. 269, § 1-8/SB 241, effective July 1, 2025.

## Amendments

The 2025 amendment, effective July 1, 2025, in subsection (a), inserted “, organic human reduction facility,” in four places, substituted “providing funeral services” for “funeral directing or embalming or cremating”, inserted “the funeral director” in the second sentence, and deleted “who is” following “A funeral director”; in paragraph (a)(1), inserted “, organic human reduction facility, or crematory”, substituted “designated as the funeral director in full continuous charge” for “designated as funeral director” at the end; and, in paragraph (a)(2), inserted “, organic human reduction facility, or crematory”.