A courtesy card is a type of registration that allows certain individuals to direct funerals and burials in West Virginia. To be eligible for a Courtesy Card, an applicant must meet the following qualifications:
The applicant must be licensed as a funeral director and working for a funeral home in a state that borders West Virginia (Kentucky, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, or Virginia).
The applicant must be in good standing with his/her state board (in other words, the funeral director has not been disciplined for any violations).
With a Courtesy Card an applicant CAN:
- transport to and from West Virginia.
- direct a funeral at a church, cemetery, or other location.
- bury a decedent.
A Courtesy Card applicant CAN NOT:
- open or operate a funeral home in West Virginia.
- open or operate a business office in West Virginia.
- embalm or otherwise prepare a body for burial or other disposition.
The differences between a Courtesy Card, a Reciprocal License, and a Regular Embalmer/Funeral Director License are:
- A courtesy card only allows you to perform the duties of a funeral director. You can not embalm. You must also be licensed and working in a bordering state. You are not required to test for this registration, unlike the regular or reciprocal licenses.
- A reciprocal license is identical to a funeral director/embalmer license. The only difference is in how the license is obtained. A regular license is obtained by completing an apprenticeship in West Virginia and obtaining the initial license in West Virginia. A reciprocal license is obtained by first becoming licensed in another state and then reciprocating (or transferring) to West Virginia. You must still meet educational qualifications.
To obtain the desired application for forms, click the pdf icon to the right of the document.
| Courtesy Card Application |
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| Courtest Card License Verification Form |
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