The Funerals Regulations 2025 (the Regulations) aim to increase price transparency in the funeral market in Victoria. Greater price transparency helps people make more informed choices.
What do funeral providers need to do?
From 1 August 2025, funeral providers must prominently display their funeral goods and services price list and coffin prices on their website (if they have one) and at their business premises. Download a copy of our example price list.
From 26 May 2026, funeral providers must ensure their goods and services price list includes information prescribed in the Regulations. This includes information on prices, disbursements, packages, mortuaries and crematoria, and body transportation.
If you do not have a website
If your funeral provider business doesn’t currently have a website, you don’t need to create one. However, you must still display your price list for goods and services at each of your business locations.
If you create a business website in the future, you must display your goods and services price list on it.
Do I need to provide an itemised price of all goods and services I offer?
You are required to produce a clear and legible price list for all the funerals goods and services you provide. The price list must include a description of each of those goods and services as well as the total price of each of those goods and services.
If you provide any of the goods and services set out in the Regulations, you must provide an itemised price for each of those goods and services in your price list.
Can I maintain my package prices?
Yes. Prices of any funeral packages you offer can also be displayed. However, these must be in addition to, rather than in place of, the itemised price list of goods and services.
A ‘package’ is any combination of goods and services you offer to customers, including any goods and services supplied by a third party.
If you offer packages of funeral goods and funeral services, the price list must contain a description of the goods and services provided in each package and the total cost of the package.
Additionally, you must include a clear statement in the price list that specifies which package is the least expensive package.
Do I have to display fees charged by third parties such as cemeteries and crematoriums?
You must provide a reasonable estimate of the following disbursements:
- the cost of obtaining any certificate, permit, authorisation or notice required under the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1996, the Cemeteries and Crematoria Act 2003 or the Coroners Act 2008 (or under an equivalent law of another State or a Territory) in connection with the services provided by the funeral provider
- any fee charged by a third party for the burial or cremation of a deceased person, and
- the cost of any disbursements included in the least expensive package.
Funeral providers may display fees and charges for the disbursements described above as:
- a link or reference to the supplier’s price list,
- the price of the most used service, for example: ‘Charges based on XYZ Crematorium for an adult, Monday to Thursday’
- a price range, or
- a reasonable estimate.
You may choose to display the price of other disbursements in addition to those listed above.
Can I qualify my pricing for certain services?
Yes. The Regulations do not require fixed pricing for each service. You can display your prices in several ways. For example, you can offer the viewing of the deceased person at:
- a flat rate within a certain timeframe, or
- on a per hour basis with excess fees for viewing outside of business hours.
Note: Funeral Providers must ensure that they comply with rules regarding pricing under the Australian Consumer Law.
Display of transportation prices
You can break down and display prices for transportation based on your business model. For example, a flat rate for a set amount of kilometres (for example 70km) or a set fee per kilometre, or a combination of these 2 approaches.
Display of coffin, casket and shroud prices
A funeral goods and services price list must either:
- contain the full range, description and price of each coffin, casket or shroud you offer, or
- include a price range for all coffins, caskets or shrouds you offer.
If you provide a price range, you must advise that a price list listing the prices for each type of coffin, casket and shroud is available.
Pricing must be displayed in a ‘prominent position’
You must display your funeral goods and services price list and coffin price list:
- on your business website (if you have one), and
- at a prominent place at your business premises.
It is your decision how you display your pricing information prominently at each business premises. For example, you can display your goods and services price list on the reception counter.
If you have a website, the information should be either:
- displayed on the home page, or
- a notice on the home page explaining how customers can access the pricing information.
The prices must be displayed in a way that’s visible to the reader.
What non-pricing-related information must be disclosed?
You must disclose the location of any crematorium and mortuary you use.
If you don’t own the crematorium or mortuary, you must disclose the name of the owner or manager of the crematorium or mortuary you use.
Note: If a customer requests to be cremated at a crematorium that you would not otherwise use, you do not need to disclose the location of that crematorium in your price list.
You must also display details about how a deceased person is to be transported before burial or cremation. For example, the type of vehicle used for transporting the deceased person.
Does the information standard apply to all funeral providers?
Yes, it applies to all funeral providers. Even if your business doesn’t offer a full funeral service and doesn’t have a place of business, you must comply.
Exemptions
There are no exemptions from the application of the new Regulations. The Regulations apply equally to all funeral providers operating in Victoria.
Professional service fees
You must include in your price list a list of any service fees, including professional service fees, that may be charged.
Penalties
There is a maximum penalty of 5 penalty units ($1,017.55) for failing to comply with the requirements of the Regulations.
The value of a penalty unit is $203.51 for financial year 2025-26. This amount will change at the start of each financial year. For more information, visit Indexation of fees and penalties - Department of Treasury and Finance.