Preneed Sellers

Preneed Sellers

Preneed sellers are business entities that are authorized to advertise, sell, promote, or furnish cemetery merchandise, funeral merchandise, funeral services, or any combination of these when performance or delivery may be more than one hundred twenty days following the initial payment on the account.  A preneed seller includes any person performing any term of a purchase agreement executed within this state and any person identified under a burial account as the provider of cemetery merchandise, funeral merchandise, funeral services, or any combination of these.

Licensing

To be considered for licensure as a preneed seller in the State of Iowa pursuant to Iowa Code § 523A.501, a person must file a completed application through the Online Filing Portal, pay an application fee in the amount of $25.00, upload the Criminal History Background Check Request form for each owner to the application in the online filing portal, and pay $15.00 for the criminal history request for each owner.

Account Registration

To access the online filing portal a person must have an account.  To request an account:

  • Send an email to riu@iid.iowa.gov requesting a sales agent account along with the following information:
    • Legal Name
    • Date of Birth
    • Home Address
    • Phone Number
    • Personal Email Address
    • Name of the Preneed Seller you will be selling, negotiating, and soliciting on behalf of

After an account has been created an email with instructions for accessing the account will be sent the provided email address.

Criminal History Background Check Request Form

The Division must obtain criminal history on each individual who has a financial interest in the business. Please complete "The Subject of Request Information" section on the Criminal History Record Check Request Form and upload the completed form for each individual who has a financial interest in the business on the submissions page of the online application.  DO NOT SEND THE FORM TO THE DCI.

BEGINNING FEBRUARY 13, 2026:

Licensing

To be considered for licensure as a preneed seller in the State of Iowa pursuant to Iowa Code § 523A.501, a person must:

  • File a completed application through the NIPR LicenseHub
  • Pay an application fee in the amount of $25.00
  • Upload the results of a Criminal History Background Check to the NIPR Attachment Warehouse . Information and questions on how to obtain a Criminal History Background Check can be found at www.Iowa.gov. A Criminal History Background Check must be submitted for each individual with a financial interest in the business and each legal name used for individuals with a financial interest in the business.
  • Upload requested documents related to the ownership structure, business operations, purchase agreement funding methods, and financial history of individuals with a financial interest in the business to the NIPR Attachment Warehouse.

What documentation related to ownership structure, business operations, purchase agreement funding methods, and financial interest must I upload?

Ownership Structure

Provide information on the business structure (sole proprietorship or a corporate entity). To help the Division understand the business structure in more detail, please provide a copy of:

  • Articles of incorporation (or similar paperwork),
  • Bylaws of the business,
  • IRS document which identifies the FEIN, and
  • Filings with the Iowa Secretary of State that demonstrate the business is in good standing (if applicable).

Business Operations

Describe your business model and include the following:

  • Identify how many staff, their responsibilities (embalmer, funeral director, etc.), and their licensing/credentials,
  • Identify what arrangements are in place to satisfy Iowa Code § 523A.501(1),
  • Provide a copy of each preneed purchase agreement to be used, and
  • Provide a copy of the price list to be used.

Financial History

For each individual who has a financial interest in the business, provide the following:

  • Documentation of current loans, dates of loans, amount of loans, and payments on loans,
  • Documentation of current liens against property,
  • Most recent financial statements, income statements, and/or balance sheets that set forth assets, liabilities, and net worth.

Funding Methods

Identify what funding method(s) the business intends to offer to fund preneed purchase agreements (trust funding, insurance funding, annuity funding).  Please provide documents that demonstrate these funding methods have been set up:

  • Trust agreement if using a trust fund,
    • If trust funding, identify if you will trust at 100% or less than 100%? A fidelity bond/insurance is required if funding is less than 100%, see Iowa Code § 523A.201(5).
  • Identify employees licensed to sell insurance or other appropriate arrangements with an insurance agent if funding by insurance or annuity,

License Renewal

Preneed seller licenses expire on April 30th of each year following issuance.  A courtesy renewal reminder will be sent to the primary email address the Division has on file approximately 60 days before the license expires.  Preneed sellers who wish to renew their license should complete the renewal application through the NIPR LicenseHub and pay a renewal application fee in the amount of $15.00.

License Status

Preneed seller applicants can check the status of their license and preneed sellers licensed to do business in Iowa can verify their expiration date.  Preneed sellers can also print their license.

How long does it take for a pending application to be reviewed?

Allow up to 10 business days after the Division has received all requested documents for the application to be reviewed and processed.

When will my license expire?

A preneed seller license expires on April 30th of the year following issuance.

Annual Reporting

A preneed seller is required to file an annual report with the Division each year pursuant to Iowa Code § 523A.204.  At the time of filing the annual report, a preneed seller is required to pay $20.00 in fees on each purchase agreement sold during the previous calendar year, pursuant to Iowa Code §§ 523A.204 and 523A.814.  Reports are due each year on or before April 15.

Filing the Annual Report in OPTins

The Division requires the use of OPTins (Online Premium Tax for Insurance) for the submission of the preneed seller annual report and payment of fees.  OPTins is a secure Web application, using 128-bit SSL encryption, which facilitates the submission of premium tax, surplus lines, and other state-specific filings and payments to participating states.

If you do not have an OPTins account, contact the OPTins Marketing Team at optinsmktg@naic.org or call 816-783-8787 and leave a message. Setup of a new account may take 7-10 business days.  If you already use OPTins, you do not need to contact OPTins Marketing; just enter your username and password at OPTins User Login.

In OPTins, a preneed seller will be able to download the annual report template to enter the required information, upload a completed annual report, and pay the filing fees.  OPTins charges a flat fee of $17.95 per filing. For your convenience, step-by-step instructions to access and submit the preneed seller annual report have been created.

All annual reports must be filed under the Preneed Seller name. If you are submitting a report for more than one Preneed Seller, they MUST BE filed individually.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions:

If further information is needed regarding licensing or the filing of a report, you may contact: riu@iid.iowa.gov or call 515-654-6472.