The short answer. Federal rules do not yet require online price lists, but the Federal Trade Commission has been reviewing whether they should since 2022. Consumer research already points one way: families look for prices online, and most funeral homes do not show them. Publishing a complete price is the simplest way to be the firm they call.
Where the Funeral Rule stands
The Funeral Rule requires you to give prices by telephone and to hand over a General Price List in person. It was written before websites existed and says nothing about them.
- In November 2022 the FTC published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking that asked, among other things, whether funeral providers should have to post price lists online or send them electronically.
- In September 2023 it held a public workshop on the same questions.
- As of this review, no amended rule has been issued. The 1994 version remains in force.
Nobody can tell you when or whether a requirement will arrive. What is certain is that civil penalties for breaking the existing Rule exceed $50,000 per violation, and that California already has its own online disclosure requirement.
What families are doing in the meantime
| Finding | Source |
|---|---|
| 60% of recent funeral customers researched online first, and nearly 8 in 10 future customers plan to | Foresight Companies, 2025 consumer behavior study |
| 67% of consumers rated online pricing as important, the highest of any online service asked about | Same study |
| 18% of 1,046 funeral homes in 35 state capitals posted a price list online | Funeral Consumers Alliance and Consumer Federation of America, 2022 |
| 75% of Americans favored requiring funeral homes to post prices | Same release |
Put those together. Most families want a price before they call, and four in five funeral homes do not offer one. In that market the firm that publishes is not competing with every funeral home in town. It is competing with the few others that publish.
“If I post my price, I will be undercut”
This is the objection we hear most, and it deserves a straight answer.
- Price shoppers already exist. Hiding the number does not keep them. It sends them to whoever shows one.
- Families are not only buying the lowest number. They are trying to avoid a surprise. A complete price that says what is included often beats a lower “starting at” price that does not.
- You control the comparison. A price next to your own crematory, your years in the community and your name is a stronger offer than a bare figure in an advertisement.
- Your competitors can already find out. Your General Price List is available to anyone who walks in.
How to publish a price well
- Lead with one complete figure for direct cremation, not a range and not “starting at”.
- List what it covers in plain words: transfer, refrigerated care, container, cremation, permits, return of the ashes.
- State what is extra, with amounts: additional death certificates, mileage beyond your area, any county fee.
- Post the full General Price List as a page or a PDF, with its effective date.
- Put the same price everywhere: your website, your Google Business Profile, your directory listings and your phone script.
- Review it on a fixed date each year.
Questions owners ask
Is it legal to advertise a direct cremation price that leaves out the crematory fee?
The Funeral Rule requires your price lists to be accurate and prohibits misrepresentation. Consumer groups have specifically criticized direct cremation prices that exclude the cremation itself. If a third-party crematory fee is extra, say so beside the price. Ask your attorney or state association about your own wording.
Do I have to post my whole General Price List online?
Not under current federal rules. Check your state’s requirements. Posting it voluntarily answers most price questions before the phone rings.
Will publishing prices reduce my average sale?
It changes who calls. You will hear from more families who have already decided on direct cremation, and fewer who are surprised in the arrangement room. Many firms find the second group was costing them time and goodwill.
- Federal Register, Funeral Industry Practices Rule, advance notice of proposed rulemaking (November 2022)
- Federal Trade Commission, Funeral Rule workshop (September 2023)
- The Foresight Companies, 2025 Funeral and Cemetery Consumer Behavior Study
- Funeral Consumers Alliance and Consumer Federation of America (2022)
General information for funeral home owners, not legal advice. Confirm your obligations with your attorney or state association.