A trade service is prohibited from performing which of the following activities?

A trade service is defined as a business that offers certain specialized services or products in the funeral industry, but it does not engage in the full spectrum of funeral service activities. Conducting funeral services is considered to be a core function that requires a licensed funeral director. This licensure ensures that the individual has the necessary training, knowledge, and ethical grounding to provide sensitive services to grieving families in adherence to state regulations and standards.

Rule and regulations governing funeral practices typically delineate between the activities that can be performed by licensed funeral directors or establishments and those that may be conducted by trade services. While trade services can offer essential support functions such as transportation of the deceased or the supply of goods, they are not authorized to lead or conduct actual funeral ceremonies, which include the carrying out of rituals, ceremonies, and the overall management of the service gathering itself.

Options like providing transportation, arranging memorial services, and advising families can often fall under the purview of trade services as they provide essential logistical support without conducting the core service of funerals. Thus, only licensed professionals should conduct the complete funeral services, making the prohibition of trade services from conducting them strict and necessary for compliance and ethical practice within the field.