Whakatuwhera pakihi whakatakataka tūpāpaku Open a funeral directors business

​Before opening a new funeral director business or mortuary, call us on 09 301 0101 and ask to speak with a planning officer.

We can tell you if it is appropriate for you to operate your business at the address.

We will also tell you about operating requirements in the area, including parking and lighting.

In some cases, you may need a resource consent.

You may also need a building consent if you are building a new premises or altering an existing building.

Call us on 09 301 0101 and ask to speak with someone from the building consent team.

The annual registration period is from 1 April to 31 May each year.

As the owner of the business, it is your responsibility to get all other necessary consents, permits and licences.

This includes those under:

• the Building Act 2004
• Resource Management Act 1991
• any other relevant Auckland Council bylaws.

A certificate of registration does not mean you have building or resource consent approval.

If you need a building consent, it is your responsibility to make sure you have a Code Compliance Certificate or a Certificate of Public Use before you start trading.

When we have received your application and payment, we will:

• review your application within 10 working days
• contact you to schedule an opening inspection, depending on availability. This is usually within 10 working days of the review.

The full process can take up to 20 working days. This can take longer if you have given incorrect or incomplete information. To avoid delays, make sure:

• you understand your legal requirements
• your application is correct and includes all the information we need
• you have made your payment correctly.

We will contact you if we need more information.

If everything meets the requirements, we will email your registration to you.

If we find issues during the inspections, you must fix them before we can give you your registration.

• You must print and display your registration publicly in your business.
• We will inspect your business each year to check that you are meeting your requirements.

​Check the expiry date on your certificate of registration and renew on time.

We will send you a renewal application form before your expiry date.

You must apply for renewal within 14 days of the expiry date to be able to continue to operate your business.

If we have not received your renewal application within 14 days of the renewal date, the registration will lapse and you will need to apply for a new registration.

​If you are taking over an existing premises that has a current registration, you can apply to transfer it into your name. Highlight the transfer option under premises details on the form.

We must receive applications within 14 days of you taking over the business. After this period, the registration lapses and can not be transferred. If the registration expires, you have to apply for a new registration.