Registering a death
Where do I register a death?
By law a death has to be registered in the registration district where it occurred, within 5 days of the event.
However, you can visit any register office in England and Wales to give details for the registration by declaration and these will be posted to the appropriate office. This will result in a short delay in you receiving the necessary documents for the funeral, DSS and attending to the deceased's estate.
To make an appointment to register a death, call (0191) 427 7000.
For all other enquiries, call the Register Office on (0191) 424 6350.
Who can register a death?
One of the following persons has a legal obligation to register the death:
A relative of the deceased, but if there are no relatives:
- a person present at the death
- the occupier of the residence the death took place in
- the administrative officer of a hospital or nursing home in which the death took place may be qualified as occupier
- the person arranging the funeral (not the funeral director)
What documents do I need to register a death?
If the deceased was attended by a doctor during the last illness it is usual for that doctor to issue a medical certificate of the cause of death to a relative of the deceased. The medical certificate must be presented to the registrar before the death can be registered.
If you have access to the birth certificate and marriage certificate of the deceased it is useful to bring them to the register office. However, these documents are not essential and the death can be registered without them.
In the event that the deceased was not attended by a doctor during their last illness the death will need to be reported to the coroner. The coroner will usually order a post mortem to establish the cause of death. If the coroner does not think it necessary to conduct an investigation into the circumstances of the death he will issue a document to the registrar setting out the cause of death. This document will have to be in the possession of the registrar before the death can be registered and it is advisable to check that the document has been received before attending the register office.
What the registrar will need to know
The registrar will see you in private to ask for details about the deceased. The information detailed below will be required. It would be helpful if you know this information before seeing the registrar.
It is very important that the information registered is correct. The register is a legal record and it is difficult to correct at a later date. Please check spellings and dates carefully.
Details of the deceased
- Date of death
- Place of death
- Forename(s)
- Surname
- Date of birth
- Town of birth (or country outside of England or Wales)
- Occupation
- Usual address at time of death
- If married at time of death, date of birth of surviving spouse
- National Health Service number (if available, please bring medical card)
( please note: On occasions the deceased's GP may be unaware of the death. Please remember to inform him/her). - Was the deceased in receipt of a pension or allowance from public funds, for example, Civil Service or army/war pension?
If yes, details will be required.- In case of a married woman additional details needed
- Maiden surname
- Husband's forename(s)
- Husband's surname
- Occupation of husband (if retired state previous occupation)
How much does it cost to register a death and what documents do I receive?
There is no charge to register a death and the registrar will issue a document to allow a burial or cremation to proceed if the coroner has not already done so. This document needs to be given to the funeral director as the burial/cremation cannot proceed without it.
The registrar will also issue a document for the Department of Social Security (DSS). This document (Form BD8), will clear up any outstanding pension entitlement, if appropriate, and also gives the DSS information on the benefit entitlement of the surviving spouse.
These are the only two documents that the registrar will issue free of charge.
The only cost involved is where the person registering the death requires certified copies of the death entry for personal purposes (eg to wind up the deceased's estate). Each copy attracts a statutory fee see list of fees
I may need to purchase further death certificates for other purposes. How do I get these?
Yes, the standard death certificate can be shown to solicitors, banks, building societies, insurance companies, the Post Office, company pension schemes and probate office. This can also be used as a record of the death for family members or genealogy purposes.
How do I request a certificate?
What do I need if I want to bury or cremate a body abroad?
Before a body can be removed from England and Wales the coroner must issue an authorisation.
The forms that need to be completed can usually be obtained from the funeral director who will normally liaise directly with the coroner's office on your behalf.
However, if you have any difficulty obtaining the necessary documents your local register office will assist.
What do I need to do if I want to bury or cremate a body in this country if the death took place abroad?
You need to take the death certificate issued by the foreign registration authority to the registrar of the district in which the burial or cremation is taking place.
The registrar has to issue a document called a 'Certificate of no liability to register'. This is the document that will be given to the funeral director in order to allow the funeral to proceed.
Why has the death been referred to the coroner's office? And why can't you register the death?
There are a number of reasons why a death might have to be referred to the coroner.
The most common reason is that there was no doctor treating the deceased during the last illness and therefore there is no doctor who is legally qualified to issue a medical certificate of the cause of death.
It may be that the doctor certifying the death has not seen the deceased after death or within 14 days of the death.
It may be that the death was the result of an accident, injury, self neglect, occurred during an operation or was the result of an industrial disease related to the deceased's occupation.
In all these circumstances the registrar is legally obligated to report the death to the Coroner in order to properly establish the cause of death. The registrar cannot register until the Coroner has notified the registrar that he is satisfied.
