California Code, Business and Professions Code - BPC § 7666

(a) The term of apprenticeship shall be two years.  However, if an apprentice after having served his or her apprenticeship fails to pass the examinations required for an embalmer's license, he or she may continue for one additional term of apprenticeship, which shall be the maximum apprenticeship permitted and provided further that an apprentice may, upon filing an application therefor, be permitted to continue the apprenticeship for a period not to exceed six months, if approved, for any of the following reasons:

(b) Terms of apprenticeship may be served before, after, or divided by the mortuary science program at the option of the apprentice;  provided, however, that the term of apprenticeship must be completed, excluding time spent in active military service, within six years from the date of original registration, or from the date an apprentice successfully passes the examinations for an embalmer's license required in Section 7646, whichever first occurs, and provided further that if the term of apprenticeship is not completed within the six-year period, the bureau may require that the applicant serve the additional term of apprenticeship, not to exceed two years.

(c) A student attending a mortuary science program may register as an apprentice during the program term but shall receive no credit for apprenticeship on the term required by this code unless he or she is also a full-time employee of a funeral director.

(d) An apprentice while serving his or her required term of apprenticeship shall be a full-time employee in the funeral establishment in which he or she is employed.