Funeral director fined for practicing without an Iowa license for 12 years

A Minnesota funeral home operator has been fined $1,000 for doing business in Iowa without a license for 12 years.

According to the Iowa Board of Mortuary Science, Daniel Dingmann, who operates a funeral home in southern Minnesota, became an Iowa-licensed funeral director in 1998.

From 1998 to 2012, Dingmann completed the yearly renewal of his Iowa license via regular mail. According to state records, the license became inactive after 2012 — possibly because Dingmann stopped receiving license-renewal notices as the board transitioned to an electronic application process.

In late 2023, Dingmann realized his Iowa license was inactive and inquired with the board as to the renewal process. The board staff instructed him to go online and set up an account, which he attempted to do but without success because of technical issues. Even with assistance from the board staff, Dingmann was unable to successfully establish an online account in order to renew his license.

As a result, he eventually submitted a paper copy of a renewal form along with a check to pay for a new license. The board then notified Dingmann it would be imposing a $1,000 civil penalty against him for handling Iowa funeral services without a license. Dingmann objected, noting that it was he who brought the issue to the board’s attention that he had subsequently tried to reactivate his license with no success.

In May 2025, after the dispute had already gone to a hearing before an administrative law judge, the board moved to drop prosecution of the matter in favor of a dismissal that would still involve a $1,000 civil penalty. Administrative Law Judge Laura Lockard rejected the deal, noting that it amounted to a settlement agreement rather than a dismissal and that only the board itself, rather than an administrative law judge, could legally approve such an agreement.

As a result, the board’s motion to dismiss the case was denied, and Lockard approved the $1,000 civil penalty. In doing so, she noted that there had been no complaints regarding Dingmann’s work in Iowa, nor any evidence of any harm to the public, or any evidence of action taken against his license in other states. Taking into account “the economic benefit gained” by Dingmann as a result of practicing without a license, Lockard concluded a $1,000 civil penalty was appropriate.

In her June 10, 2025, decision, Lockard noted that Dingmann could continue his attempts to renew his license, a process that had yet to be completed at the time of his hearing in April.

Iowa Capital Dispatch was unable to reach Dingmann for comment.

This article first appeared in the Iowa Capital Dispatch.