Funeral regulation in the UK: what's covered, what's changing and how to complain

Most families assume funeral directors are licensed like doctors or solicitors. In most of the UK, they aren’t, although that is starting to change. This guide explains which parts of the funeral world are regulated today, what differs between the four nations, what the Government announced in July 2026, and how to complain if something goes wrong.

Key points

• Price transparency rules apply UK-wide. Every funeral director must publish a Standardised Price List under a 2021 CMA Order.
• Funeral plans are regulated by the FCA and have been since 29 July 2022.
• Scotland has a statutory code of practice and inspections for all funeral directors, in force since 1 March 2025.
• England, Wales and Northern Ireland have no funeral director regulator. Standards rely on consumer law and voluntary trade association membership.
• On 31 July 2026 the Government announced plans to develop proposals including regulation of the funeral sector.
• Complain first to the firm, then the trade association, the Scottish inspectors or consumer advice services.

What’s regulated where

Price transparency: the CMA Order

After a market investigation, the Competition and Markets Authority made the Funerals Market Investigation Order 2021, which applies across the UK. Funeral directors must:

• show a Standardised Price List in the exact CMA format, in branch and on their website, no more than one click from the home page
• give an attended funeral price, broken into six set items plus a total, and an unattended funeral price
• show other charges such as extra mileage, additional transfers, embalming and collecting or delivering ashes
• publish terms of business, including deposits and late-payment charges
• disclose who ultimately owns the business and any links to price comparison websites.

They must not seek business while acting for a coroner or the police, or offer inducements to hospitals, hospices or care homes for referrals. Crematorium operators must publish their prices too. See how to choose a funeral director for how to use the price list.

Funeral plans and the FCA

Since 29 July 2022, funeral plan providers must be authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. If a provider is authorised:

• you can take an unresolved complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service
• you may be protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme if the firm goes out of business.

Check a provider on the FCA’s Firm Checker. If you can’t find a relative’s plan provider, the National Association of Funeral Plan Providers runs a tracing service for its members’ plans. See funeral plans.

Scotland: a statutory code and inspectors

Scotland is the only UK nation with statutory standards for funeral directors. Under the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016:

• The Funeral Director Code of Practice has applied since 1 March 2025 to every funeral director working in Scotland, wherever the business is based.
• It sets minimum standards for care of the deceased, premises, identification, estimates and complaints.
• Inspectors of Burial, Cremation, Hydrolysis and Funeral Directors inspect businesses and investigate serious or significant complaints.
• Every funeral director must have a written complaints procedure, and must tell the inspectors within 48 hours of a complaint about a breach of the code or the care of the deceased.
• A Funeral Sector Register lists businesses in the sector.

Water cremation (hydrolysis) has been lawful in Scotland since the Hydrolysis (Scotland) Regulations came into force on 2 March 2026. The Scottish Government says it is not yet widely available.

England and Wales: what’s changing

There is currently no statutory regulator for funeral directors in England and Wales. On 31 July 2026, following the sentencing of a Hull funeral director for offences including preventing lawful burials and fraud, the Government announced that:

• the Department of Health and Social Care will lead cross-government work, with the Ministry of Justice and the Law Commission
• it will develop detailed proposals to raise standards, including regulation of the funeral sector, in discussion with funeral operators, faith groups, bereaved families and others
• the Law Commission will review the criminal law relating to the deceased and recommend any new offences needed.

No timetable or details have been published yet. For now, nothing changes for families: the protections below still apply. We’ll update this guide as proposals appear.

Northern Ireland

The CMA Order and FCA rules on funeral plans apply in Northern Ireland, but there is no statutory code or inspection regime for funeral directors. As in England and Wales, choosing a trade association member gives you access to a code of practice and a complaints process.

Trade associations

The two main trade associations have adopted a single UK Funeral Director Code, aligned with Scotland’s statutory code:

• NAFD (National Association of Funeral Directors): members are inspected against the code. Complaints from clients of member firms are handled through NAFD Resolve.
• SAIF (National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors): members follow the code and are inspected. SAIF says families have access to an independent complaints and redress process, certified by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute.

Membership is voluntary, so not every funeral director belongs. Ask, and check on the association’s website.

How to complain

1. Raise it with the funeral director, ideally in writing. Ask for their complaints procedure.
2. Go to the trade association if the firm is a member of NAFD or SAIF.
3. In Scotland, contact the inspectors by emailing [email protected].
4. For a funeral plan, complain to the provider, then the Financial Ombudsman Service.
5. Get consumer advice. In England and Wales, call the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133; it can pass complaints to Trading Standards. In Scotland, contact Advice Direct Scotland (consumeradvice.scot). In Northern Ireland, contact Consumerline.
6. If you think a crime has been committed, such as mistreatment of the deceased or fraud, contact the police.

Keep copies of estimates, invoices, emails and notes of phone calls.

Protecting yourself now

• Compare Standardised Price Lists and get a written estimate.
• Check who owns the business and whether it belongs to a trade association.
• For a plan, check FCA authorisation.
• Ask how and where the person will be cared for, and whether you can visit.
• Don’t feel rushed. If you’re unhappy, you can usually move the person to a different funeral director, although you may have to pay for work already done.

Next steps

• How to choose a funeral director
• Funeral plans
• Funeral costs
• Find independent funeral directors or funeral directors near you