Missouri end-of-life rights and official resources

Missouri funeral establishments need a board-issued license and must operate under a licensed funeral director. Embalming must be done by, or under the direct supervision of, a licensed embalmer. Ask for the establishment and individual license details before choosing a provider. [1]

The Division of Professional Registration provides a Licensee Search and complaint routes for its boards, including the State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors. Check the record for the actual business and professional involved. [19]

Missouri’s definition of a funeral establishment includes a crematory, and funeral establishments must be licensed. Ask which establishment will perform the cremation and check that facility’s record, even when you arranged the service through a different business. [2][1][19]

Missouri’s cemetery licensing law covers endowed-care and nonendowed-care cemeteries, subject to statutory exemptions. Ask the cemetery for its license details and whether it promises endowed care. If it claims an exemption, confirm the applicable provision with the regulator. [3][22]

Endowed care has statutory funding requirements, with different minimums for grave spaces, crypts and niches. Ask which category your purchase falls into and what the cemetery’s care agreement covers. [4]

A Missouri preneed contract must identify whether it is funded by a trust, insurance or a joint account. It must also explain the right to change the designated provider. Start by asking which funding method you are buying and keeping the signed contract and payment records. [5]

For trust-funded contracts, the law governs deposits, permitted seller withdrawals and the trustee’s independence. It also gives the purchaser a right to a written deposit statement after a written request. A trust deposit does not mean every payment stays untouched: permitted fees and withdrawals matter. [6]

A contract designated revocable may be cancelled before the specified services or merchandise are furnished, subject to the statute’s timing and written-notice requirements. The trust refund rule excludes income and specifically addresses withdrawals under section 436.430(4); do not assume every fee or all earnings will be returned. Cancelling an insurance-funded funeral contract does not cancel the life insurance policy: cancellation of the policy must be requested separately in writing from the insurer. [7]

Missouri requires a certificate for hospice care. Sections 197.400 and 197.405 define and license home health agencies; the definition includes providing two or more home health services under a written treatment plan. Ask what certificate or license applies to the services you are considering. [8][9][21]

The Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) publishes a directory of licensed or certified home-care providers. Suspected abuse or neglect of a vulnerable adult can be reported through DHSS’s online reporting service or at 1-800-392-0210. [10][13]

Missouri requires licenses for residential care, assisted living, intermediate care and skilled nursing facilities. Use the state’s Show Me Long-Term Care service to check a facility and its inspection results before choosing care. [11][12]

For suspected abuse or neglect of a vulnerable adult, use the DHSS reporting service or call 1-800-392-0210. Keep the facility name and a clear account of what happened. [13]

The Official Directory of Missouri Lawyers lets you check whether a lawyer is licensed and in good standing with the Supreme Court of Missouri. Use it before hiring someone for estate or probate work. [14]

The Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel investigates allegations of lawyer misconduct. Its complaint process concerns professional discipline; consult its guidance about what it can address. [15]

Section 337.505 restricts use of professional counseling titles and the practice of professional counseling, subject to the law’s exemptions. Ask what credential a grief-support provider holds rather than assuming that every form of grief support is licensed counseling. [16]

For a Missouri professional counselor, use the Division of Professional Registration’s Licensee Search and the relevant board’s complaint route. Check the specific license and status. [19]

Missouri generally requires an insurance producer to be licensed for the relevant line of insurance. Ask an agent selling life insurance or an insurance-funded funeral plan for their license information. [17]

The Department of Commerce and Insurance accepts insurance complaints online and through its consumer hotline, 800-726-7390. Use the linked guidance to prepare your complaint. [20]

For investment advice around an inheritance or insurance payout, the Missouri Securities Division (Secretary of State) registers investment professionals to "ensure that investment professionals are qualified and compliant with securities laws," and runs an Investor Protection Hotline at 1-800-721-7996 for questions and suspected fraud. [18]