How to File a Funeral Home Complaint in Louisiana

Funeral homes in Louisiana are licensed and regulated by the Louisiana State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors, commonly abbreviated LSBEFD. The Board is based in Metairie and has jurisdiction over licensed funeral directors, embalmers, funeral establishments, and crematories operating in the state. If a funeral home in Louisiana violates your consumer rights — whether by overcharging, withholding information, or refusing a legally permitted choice — the LSBEFD is the body you file with.

There is one administrative requirement that stops most complaints before they start: Louisiana law requires all formal complaints to be signed and notarized before the Board will open an investigation. This is not obvious from the LSBEFD website, and many families who submit unsigned or un-notarized grievances never hear back. Understanding this requirement upfront saves time and ensures your complaint is actually reviewed.

What the Board Regulates

The LSBEFD licenses individual funeral directors and embalmers and registers funeral establishments and crematories. It has authority to investigate complaints, hold hearings, and discipline licensees — including suspension or revocation of licenses.

The Board does not resolve contract disputes or award monetary damages. It is a licensing authority, not a civil court. If you want financial recovery, that requires separate civil action or, in some cases, an attorney general complaint. But a LSBEFD investigation can result in disciplinary action, which matters for documenting misconduct and protecting other consumers.

Common Violations Worth Reporting

Refusing to accept a third-party casket or charging a handling fee. Under the Federal Trade Commission's Funeral Rule — which applies in Louisiana alongside state law — consumers have the absolute right to purchase a casket or urn from any third-party vendor and require the funeral home to use it. A funeral home cannot charge a "handling fee" for using an outside casket. This is one of the clearest FTC Funeral Rule violations, and it is not uncommon. If a funeral home told you it would charge a handling surcharge for a casket you purchased elsewhere, or refused to accept it at all, that is a federal violation.

Failure to provide a General Price List. Funeral homes are required by law to give you a General Price List (GPL) when you visit in person to discuss arrangements. The GPL must itemize every service and product they offer with its individual price. If a funeral home refused to provide this list, directed you to packages only, or otherwise withheld itemized pricing, that violates both the FTC Funeral Rule and Louisiana requirements.

Misrepresenting embalming as legally required. Louisiana does not require embalming in most circumstances. Embalming is required only under specific conditions — primarily for out-of-state transport more than 24 hours after death, or in certain public health situations. A funeral home that tells a family embalming is required by law when it is not — particularly when trying to add it to the bill — is misrepresenting the law. For details on when embalming is and is not required in Louisiana, see our post on Louisiana burial and cremation laws.

Improperly withholding or mishandling preneed trust funds. A funeral home that fails to deposit preneed funds within seven days, accesses trust funds before death, or fails to process a revocable contract cancellation within 10 business days is in violation of La. R.S. 37:861.

Charging for a coroner cremation permit. Attorney General Opinion 23-0040, issued in June 2023, ruled that coroners cannot charge families or funeral homes for issuing cremation permits. Issuing cremation permits is a statutory duty funded by the parish. If a funeral home has itemized a "coroner permit fee" or "cremation authorization fee" as a cash advance on your bill, you can challenge that charge directly. It should not appear as a consumer cost.

The Notarization Requirement

Under La. R.S. 37:846(B), a formal complaint to the LSBEFD must be signed and notarized. The Board will not investigate an unsigned or un-notarized submission.

This is an administrative hurdle, but not a difficult one to clear. Notaries in Louisiana are widely available — at banks, UPS stores, courthouses, and through many attorneys' offices. Some notaries offer mobile services. The cost is typically minimal.

The LSBEFD complaint form is available at the Board's website. The direct URL for the current form is: https://www.lsbefd.state.la.us/assets/1.Complaint.Form.2022.pdf

Step-by-Step: Filing with the LSBEFD

Step 1: Document everything. Before you file, gather your records. This means the itemized statement (every funeral home must provide one), any contracts signed, receipts, price lists you received or were denied, and a written account of what was said — including approximate dates and names of staff involved. The more specific your documentation, the stronger the investigation the Board can conduct.

Step 2: Download and complete the complaint form. Use the form from the LSBEFD website. Fill it out completely. Describe the violation in factual terms: what happened, when, and what law or right you believe was violated. Avoid vague characterizations — the Board needs specific facts to act.

Step 3: Get the form notarized. Sign the form in front of a notary public. The notary will verify your identity and witness your signature. Without this step, the Board will not open an investigation.

Step 4: Submit the complaint. Mail or deliver the notarized form to the LSBEFD office in Metairie. Check the Board's website for the current mailing address and whether email or online submission is accepted.

Step 5: Follow up. The Board is required to acknowledge your complaint and advise you of its disposition. If you do not hear back within a reasonable time, contact the Board directly.

Filing with the FTC Instead (or in Addition)

The FTC Funeral Rule is a federal regulation enforced separately from state law. If the violation involves a refusal to accept a third-party casket, a handling fee for an outside casket, a failure to provide the GPL, or misrepresentation about embalming — all of which are FTC Funeral Rule issues — you can also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov/complaint.

FTC complaints are logged in the Consumer Sentinel Network, which is used by federal and state law enforcement. The FTC does not resolve individual cases, but a pattern of complaints against a specific funeral home can trigger an investigation or enforcement action.

Filing with both the LSBEFD and the FTC is not redundant. The state board can discipline or revoke the license of the individual funeral director. The FTC can act against the business under federal consumer protection law. They are parallel, not competing, processes.

If You Want Financial Recovery

Neither the LSBEFD nor the FTC will recover money for you directly. If a funeral home has overcharged you, failed to return preneed funds, or caused quantifiable financial harm, you may need to pursue a civil claim in state court or consult with a consumer protection attorney.

Louisiana's Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law (LUTPA) may apply in cases of deceptive funeral home practices. An attorney can assess whether the conduct rises to the level of actionable deception under state law.

A Note on What to Expect

The Board's process takes time. Investigations are not resolved in days, and the Board may contact the funeral home for a response before taking any action. Complaints that result in formal hearings can take months. Filing is still worth doing: it creates a record, puts the licensee on notice, and contributes to patterns the Board monitors across the industry.

For a comprehensive reference on Louisiana funeral home regulations, your rights as a consumer, and what licensed funeral homes are legally required to provide, see our Louisiana Funeral Law Guide.

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