Why are funerals in Maryland so expensive?
The laws in Maryland pertaining to ownership of funeral homes suppresses competition and allows an environment in which funeral directors charge more for their services than they otherwise would.
48 states other than Maryland allow funeral home licenses to be issued to corporate entities. This allows new funeral homes to start up because the stock can be owned by anyone who wants to invest. The funeral home itself is always run by a licensed mortician, irrespective of who owns the business.
Currently in Maryland, unless you hold one of the 58 corporate funeral home licenses grandfathered in 1945, you must complete a 2-year associate degree in mortuary science and a six-month apprenticeship if you wish to own any part of a funeral business (you could also be the widow or widower of a mortician and have the right to own the business). This is equivalent to saying one must graduate from flight school before being allowed to buy stock in an airline.
Please visit www.instituteforjustice.com and see Maryland Funeral Homes under the Economic Liberty section, or contact your state representatives and urge them to repeal the ban on corporate licensing of funeral homes.