Registering a death
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.
