Direct answer and scope
The directory covers California funeral-establishment license records represented in the supplied DCA public-information files. DCA documents an automatic refresh at the beginning of each month, so the source has a monthly update cycle rather than continuous updating. The public layout identifies the type of license record and provides fields such as the individual-or-organization indicator, organization or last name, public address of record, dates, and raw status.
For the August 25, 2026 snapshot, the Funeral_Data00.xls file contained 6,137 records and the Cemetery_Data00.xls file contained 6,688 records. The official control CSV reported 1,127 Funeral Director Establishment records across all license statuses. That figure is retained as an all-status control total for this particular snapshot and the files updated August 1, 2026. It is not presented as a count of active establishments, unique businesses, consumer-facing providers, available services, or quality.
The directory's scope is therefore record-based and date-specific. It does not claim that the displayed records represent every operating establishment, every service offered, or every current relationship between a licensee and a business name. A displayed address remains a public address of record, not proof of an operating entrance, preparation location, or service area.
How to use the official evidence
Start with the snapshot date and the DCA file-update date. They identify when the archived directory input was obtained and when DCA identified the source files as updated. Next, use the filename, record total, and SHA-256 checksum as provenance details for the archived bytes. The Funeral_Data00.xls checksum is 62f35460f34dd8748672f889839c03dde187891922d0837f08b615b4bcf3be50, and the Cemetery_Data00.xls checksum is 20b784291214b01de0670e242d36971c050b5a0be481f87dcce8f900a0ce47a4.
A checksum helps identify whether the archived file bytes correspond to the recorded snapshot. It does not establish that each record is current, complete, or correct after the file's update date. The source date and checksum should therefore be read together with the status, field, and coverage notes rather than as a substitute for current verification.
When reviewing a record, preserve the exact license type, number, individual-or-organization indicator, public address of record, dates, and raw status. DCA's documented raw status values include Current, Delinquent, and Inactive. The directory does not silently turn those values into broader conclusions about availability, safety, recommendation, or operation. Any derived subset must disclose its exact status filter, normalization mapping, snapshot date, file-update date, and coverage.
Decision framework
Use the directory first to identify the record and the evidence attached to it: the license type, record number, organization indicator, public address of record, dates, raw status, and the applicable snapshot dates. This is a structured way to distinguish what the public file says from information that would require a separate inquiry.
If the question is about the record's status, inspect the exact raw value and the date of the snapshot. Do not treat the all-status control total of 1,127 as an active-establishment total. If the question is about a location, treat the address as the public address of record and seek confirmation of the relevant operating or service location separately.
If the question is about ownership, control, partners, officers, trustees, or changes to an establishment, the public layout is not enough to establish the requested relationship. California Cemetery and Funeral Bureau licensing materials request additional owner, partner, officer, trustee, and change documentation. Those materials identify the type of additional official evidence relevant to an ownership inquiry; they do not authorize an ownership conclusion from a name, brand, address, or license record alone.
If the question is about a service, hours, capacity, case routing, preparation location, or consumer access, obtain that information directly from the establishment and verify any applicable current official information. The directory does not infer service availability or service relationships from a license record.
Limits and what to verify next
The monthly DCA refresh means that a snapshot can become older than the latest public file. The August 25, 2026 archive reflects files identified as updated August 1, 2026; it is not a live DCA view. A later change may not appear in that archive, and a record present in the archive may require renewed checking before it is relied upon.
The record totals and checksum document the source files used for normalization. They do not prove that the files contain every relevant establishment, that a field is complete, or that a record remains correct after the source update date. The 1,127 control total is useful for checking the all-status Funeral Director Establishment input, but it must not be recast as a measure of operating businesses, consumer access, service availability, or quality.
For a current status question, check the current official public information and compare the license type, number, raw status, and relevant dates. For a location or service question, confirm the specific location and service directly rather than relying on the public address of record. For an ownership question, seek the additional official ownership or change documentation identified by California Cemetery and Funeral Bureau materials.
These records support document-based verification, not a conclusion about an establishment's quality or the services a person may receive. Requirements and public information can change, so current details should be verified with the relevant California authority or establishment before a decision is made.
Questions people ask
The answers below summarize the source, date, checksum, status, and correction-handling principles used for this directory. They preserve the distinction between a public license record and facts that require separate current evidence.
Evidence behind this page
Each point below is restricted to what the cited primary source supports. Administrative listing status is not a quality endorsement.
| Evidence | Supported point | Scope and limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Evidence 1 | Use the exact documented DCA public fields, including the raw City and County values within the archived public-address record, and identify the data as a monthly public-disclosure snapshot. | The files are not real-time; public address of record is not proof of a service location or service area, and the fields do not establish quality, availability, ownership links, or manager relationships. |
| Evidence 2 | Disclose the exact snapshot date, DCA file update date, filenames, record totals, and checksums as provenance for normalized directory records. | This is an immutable snapshot rather than a live DCA view; the checksums identify archived bytes but do not prove that every record remains current, complete, or correct after 2026-08-01. |
| Evidence 3 | Report 1,127 only as the raw all-status Funeral Director Establishment control total for the 2026-08-25 snapshot of the file updated 2026-08-01. | This is not an active-establishment count, unique-business count, open-to-consumers count, service-availability count, or quality measure; any subset requires an exact disclosed status filter and coverage note. |
| Evidence 4 | Label the dataset name and organization indicator as fields of the licensee record and explain what additional official evidence would be needed for ownership claims. | The public dataset does not establish a complete beneficial-ownership chain; do not derive owners, parent companies, control, affiliations, or service relationships from names, addresses, or brands. |
| Evidence 5 | Preserve the exact raw status and disclose any normalized mapping, filter criteria, snapshot date, file update date, and coverage before reporting a derived subset. | Do not silently map a raw value to active, open, available, approved, safe, or recommended, and do not call the all-status control total an active count. |
Questions people ask
Where does the California funeral-establishment directory data come from?
It comes from California Department of Consumer Affairs public-disclosure license files and their documented record layout. The files include fields such as license type, number, individual-or-organization indicator, public address of record, dates, and raw license status. The directory identifies the data as a dated monthly public-disclosure snapshot, not a real-time view.
How often does DCA refresh the public information files?
DCA documents an automatic refresh at the beginning of each month. The supplied snapshot was obtained August 25, 2026 from files updated August 1, 2026. That schedule does not make the archived snapshot real time, so current details should be checked against the latest official information.
What does the file checksum prove and not prove?
A SHA-256 checksum identifies the archived file bytes used for the snapshot and supports provenance for the normalized records. It does not prove that every record remains current, complete, or correct after the August 1, 2026 file-update date. The checksum must be read with the snapshot date, status treatment, and coverage limitations.
How are corrections, stale records, and missing fields handled?
The directory preserves the source snapshot date, file-update date, raw status, normalization details, and coverage notes so that a record's source and limitations remain visible. A stale or disputed record should be checked against current official information and, where relevant, the establishment or California authority. Missing public fields are not replaced with inferred ownership, location, service, availability, or quality claims. A checksum does not resolve whether an individual record is current, complete, or correct.
Report an outdated directory record
Use this form to identify a record that may have changed. A submission starts manual source verification; it does not guarantee a change or response time.
Primary sources
- California Department of Consumer Affairs — Public Information Licensee Lists Overview and Record Layout Verified 2026-08-26
- California Department of Consumer Affairs — Public Information Dataset Box Folder Verified 2026-08-26
- California Cemetery and Funeral Bureau — Funeral Establishment Information and Checklist Verified 2026-08-26
- California Cemetery and Funeral Bureau — Licensing Applications Verified 2026-08-26