Federal Rules

The Funeral Rule, enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), makes it possible for you to choose only those goods and services you want or need and to pay only for those you select, whether you are making arrangements when a death occurs or in advance. The Rule allows you to compare prices among funeral homes, and makes it possible for you to select the funeral arrangements you want at the home you use.

On the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) website, you’ll find a series of informative articles under the title Shopping for Funeral Services

Funeral Planning Tips
The FTC Funeral Rule
Funeral Costs and Pricing Checklist
Types of Funerals
Buying a Cemetery Site
Planning your own Funeral
Funerals Terms and Contacts

In 2013 FTC updated the following booklets, available free from us or them:

Shopping for Funeral Services (32 pages, 5.5″x8.5″) (Formerly, Funerals: A Consumer Guide)
Compra de servicios fúnebres (Spanish version of the above)
Paying Final Respects: Your Rights When Buying Funeral Goods & Services (12 pages, 5.5″x8.5″)
El último adiós: Sus derechos cuando compra bienes y servicios fúnebres (Spanish version of the above)

The FTC also presents a more complete guide (49 pages) and a video telling funeral directors what they must do when dealing with consumers:

NOTE: If YOU experience a violation of the Funeral Rule, please report it to the FTC, using this link, which identifies the complaint as funeral-related: Report Fraud.

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UPDATE re possible revisions of the Funeral Rule: In 2020 the FTC undertook a review of the Funeral Rule, raised questions about possible revisions, and solicited comments from the public. Comments poured in, with many people and organizations lobbying for required online posting of funeral homes price lists. The COVID-19 pandemic made the need for online access even more obvious. On October 20, 2022, the FTC announced that it will be proposing “changes to the consumer protection regulations known as the Funeral Rule.” The most important of these potential changes is a new mandate that all funeral homes with a website must post their complete General Price List on that site, conspicuously. The FTC is exploring other changes, including clarifications to the consumer disclosures about their right to decline embalming, clarifications to how funeral homes advertise their cremation prices, and other topics. A 60-day public comment period opened November 2, 2022. For full information and how to comment, go to the official government site Funeral Industry Practices Rule or start with our easier-to-read overview Updating the Funeral Rule. On December 22, 2022 the FTC announced an extension of the Comment period until January 17, 2023. In summer 2023 there was another call for comments focusing on specific questions about some aspects of proposed changes; that period ended in October. As of January 1, 2024, we are still awaiting the FTC’s decisions about revision.