Understanding the FTC Funeral Rule

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Funeral Rule, established in 1984, is a set of federal regulations designed to protect consumers when purchasing funeral goods and services. It is the single most important piece of legislation governing funeral homes in the United States.

The Core Mandates of the Funeral Rule

1. Mandatory Price Transparency

Funeral homes must provide consumers with detailed price information in writing.

• General Price List (GPL): The funeral home must provide a GPL to anyone who asks, in person, about prices or services. This is a list of all itemized goods and services offered.
• Casket Price List (CPL): A separate list detailing all available caskets and their prices.
• Outer Burial Container Price List (OBCPL): A separate list detailing all available vaults and grave liners.

2. The Right to Itemize

Funeral homes must allow consumers to choose and pay for only the items they want. They cannot require the purchase of a package containing unwanted goods or services.

• Exception: The non-declinable basic services fee (for the funeral director's overhead and time) is usually required.

3. Protection Against Misrepresentation

Funeral directors cannot make false claims, such as:

• Claiming that state law requires embalming (it rarely does).
• Claiming that a sealed casket or vault will preserve a body indefinitely.
• Claiming a burial vault is required by state law (it is almost always a cemetery rule).

4. Third-Party Goods

Funeral homes must accept caskets or urns purchased from outside retailers (like Costco or online vendors) and cannot charge a handling fee for accepting them.

Consumers should always request the GPL first to ensure they are making financially informed decisions.