2006 Code of Virginia § 54.1-2819 - Registration of surface transportation and removal services

54.1-2819. Registration of surface transportation and removal services.

Any person or private business, except a common carrier engaged in interstatecommerce, the Commonwealth and its agencies, or an emergency medical servicesagency holding a permit issued by the Commissioner of Health pursuant to 32.1-111.6, shall apply for and receive a registration as a transportationand removal service in order to be authorized to engage in the business ofsurface transportation or removal of dead human bodies in this Commonwealth.

Surface transportation and removal services shall not arrange or conductfunerals, provide for the care or preparation, including embalming, of deadhuman bodies, or sell or provide funeral-related goods and services withoutthe issuance of a funeral service establishment license.

The Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers shall promulgate regulations forsuch registration including proper procedures in the handling of all deadhuman bodies being transported, application process for registration, andestablishment of registration fees. These regulations shall not require theuse of a casket for transportation. No licensed funeral service establishmentshall be required to receive such registration in addition to its funeralservice establishment license. However, such establishment shall be subjectto the regulations pertaining to transportation and removal services.

All registrations as a surface transportation and removal service shall berenewed annually and no person, private business or funeral serviceestablishment shall engage in the business as a surface transportation andremoval service without holding a valid registration.

Any surface transportation or removal service which is not registered orpersons who knowingly engage in transportation or removal services withoutregistration shall be subject to the disciplinary actions provided in thischapter.

This section shall not be construed to prohibit private individuals fromtransporting or removing the remains of deceased family members and relativeseither by preference or in observation of religious beliefs and customs.

(1984, c. 761, 54-260.74:1; 1986, c. 198; 1988, c. 765; 2006, c. 555.)