(225 ILCS 41/5-15)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)

Sec. 5-15. Renewal; reinstatement; restoration. The expiration date and renewal period for each license issued under this Article shall be set by rule. The holder of a license as a licensed funeral director may renew the license during the month preceding the expiration date of the license by paying the required fee. A licensed funeral director whose license has expired may have the license reinstated within 5 years from the date of expiration upon payment of the required reinstatement fee. The reinstatement shall be effective as of the date of reissuance of the license.

Any licensed funeral director whose license has been expired for more than 5 years may have the license restored only by fulfilling the requirements of the Department's rules and by paying the required restoration fee. However, any licensed funeral director whose license has expired while he or she has been engaged (1) in federal service on active duty with the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, or Coast Guard, or the State Militia called into the service or training of the United States of America or (2) in training or education under the supervision of the United States preliminary to induction into the military service may have his or her license restored without paying any lapsed renewal fees or restoration fee or without passing any examination if, within 2 years after termination of the service, training or education other than by dishonorable discharge, he or she furnishes the Department with an affidavit to the effect that he or she has been so engaged and that his or her service, training or education has been so terminated.

In addition to any other requirement for renewal of a license or reinstatement or restoration of an expired license, as a condition for the renewal, reinstatement, or restoration of a license as a licensed funeral director, each licensee shall provide evidence to the Department of completion of at least 12 hours of continuing education during the 24 months preceding the expiration date of the license, or in the case of reinstatement or restoration, during the 24 months preceding application for reinstatement or restoration. The continuing education sponsors shall be approved by the Board. In addition, any qualified continuing education course for funeral directors offered by a college, university, the Illinois Funeral Directors Association, Funeral Directors Services Association of Greater Chicago, Cook County Association of Funeral Home Owners, Inc., Illinois Selected Morticians Association, Inc., Illinois Cemetery and Funeral Home Association, National Funeral Directors Association, Selected Independent Funeral Homes, National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association, Inc., International Order of the Golden Rule, or an Illinois school of mortuary science shall be accepted toward satisfaction of the continuing education requirements.

The Department shall establish by rule a means for verification of completion of the continuing education required by this Section. This verification may be accomplished through audits of records maintained by licensees, by requiring the filing of continued education certificates with the Department or a qualified organization selected by the Department to maintain these records, or by other means established by the Department.

Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, a person who is licensed as a funeral director under this Code and who has engaged in the practice of funeral directing for at least 40 years shall be exempt from the continuing education requirements of this Section. In addition, the Department shall establish by rule an exemption or exception, for a limited period of time, for funeral directors who, by reason of advanced age, health or other extreme condition should reasonably be excused from the continuing education requirement upon the approval of the Secretary. Those persons, identified above, who cannot attend on-site classes, shall have the opportunity to comply by completing home study courses designed for them by sponsors.

(Source: P.A. 102-881, eff. 1-1-23.)