(a)        Every funeral establishment shall contain a preparation room which is strictly private, of suitable size for the embalming of dead bodies. Each preparation room shall:

(1)        Contain one standard type operating table.

(2)        Contain facilities for adequate drainage.

(3)        Contain a sanitary waste receptacle.

(4)        Contain an instrument sterilizer.

(5)        Have wall-to-wall floor covering of tile, concrete, or other material which can be easily cleaned.

(6)        Be kept in sanitary condition and subject to inspection by the Board or its agents at all times.

(7)        Have a placard or sign on the door indicating that the preparation room is private.

(8)        Have a proper ventilation or purification system to maintain a nonhazardous level of airborne contamination.

(a1)      If the preparation room of a funeral establishment is damaged or destroyed by fire, weather, or other natural disaster, the Board may suspend the requirements of subsection (a) of this section, in part or whole, for a period not to exceed 180 days, provided that the funeral establishment remains in compliance with the requirements of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-210.25(d1) and all other laws, rules, regulations, and requirements of the Division of Health Services and of the municipality or county where the funeral establishment is located. To receive a suspension of more than 90 days, the applicant must show good cause for additional time.

(b)        No one is allowed in the preparation room while a dead human body is being prepared except licensees, resident trainees, public officials in the discharge of their duties, members of the medical profession, officials of the funeral home, next of kin, or other legally authorized persons.

(c)        Every funeral establishment shall contain a reposing room for dead human bodies, of suitable size to accommodate a casket and visitors.

(d)       Repealed by Session Laws 1997-399, s. 14.

(e)        If a funeral establishment is solely owned by a natural person, that person must be licensed by the Board as a funeral director or a funeral service licensee. If it is owned by a partnership, at least one partner must be licensed by the Board as a funeral director or a funeral service licensee. If it is owned by a corporation, the president, vice-president, or the chairman of the board of directors must be licensed by the Board as a funeral director or a funeral service licensee. If it is owned by a limited liability company, at least one member must be licensed by the Board as a funeral director or a funeral service licensee. The licensee required by this subsection must be actively engaged in the operation of the funeral establishment. A provisional license to practice funeral directing pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-210.25(a)(3a) shall be subject to the same supervision requirements as a resident trainee pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-210.25(a)(4); provided, however, that a provisional funeral director’s license shall not qualify as a funeral director’s license for the purposes of this subsection, subsections (a2) and (d) of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-210.25, or Article 13D of this Chapter.

(f)        If a funeral establishment uses the name of a living person in the name under which it does business, that person must be licensed by the Board as a funeral director or a funeral service licensee.

(g)        No funeral establishment shall own, operate, or maintain a chapel without first having registered the name, location, and ownership thereof with the Board; own or maintain more than two chapels, or own or maintain a chapel outside of a radius of 50 miles from the funeral establishment. A duly licensed person may use a chapel for making arrangements for funeral services, selling funeral merchandise to the public by photograph, video, or computer based presentation, or making financial arrangements for the rendering of the service or sale of supplies, provided that the uses are secondary and incidental to and do not interfere with the reposing of dead human bodies, visitation, or funeral ceremony.

(h)        All public health laws and rules apply to funeral establishments. In addition, all funeral establishments must comply with all of the standards established by the rules adopted by the Board.

(i)         No funeral establishment shall use an unregistered or misleading name. Misleading names include, but are not limited to, names in the plural form when there is only one funeral establishment, the use of names of deceased individuals, unless the establishment is licensed using the name at the time the new application is made, the use of names of individuals not associated with the establishment, and the use of the word “crematory” or “crematorium” in the name of a funeral establishment that does not own a crematory. If an owner of a funeral establishment owns more than one funeral establishment, the owner may not use the word “crematory” or “crematorium” in the name of more than one of its funeral establishments; except that each funeral home having a crematory on the premises may contain the term “crematory” or “crematorium” in its name.

(j)         A funeral establishment will not use any name other than the name by which it is properly registered with the Board.

(k)        Human remains shall be stored in a funeral establishment, a licensed crematory, or an embalming facility at all times when the remains are not in transit or at a gravesite, church, or other facility or residence for the purpose of a visitation or funeral service.

(l)         Unembalmed human remains retained in the custody of a funeral establishment for more than 24 hours shall be kept in a refrigeration unit. ?(1987, c. 430, s. 13; c. 879, s. 6.2; 1997-399, s. 14; 2001-294, s. 4; 2003-420, s. 9(a), (b); 2007-531, s. 5; 2018-78, s. 2; 2019-207, s. 1(a1).)