registering a death

If you are not clear about any aspect of registering a death  please contact us
 
You might also like to look through the pages at The National Register Office website

 
 
Who should register a death?
You normally need to register a person's death within 5 days. If the person has died either in a house or hospital the person who registers the death needs to be
  • a relative
  • someone who was present at the death
  • an occupant of the house/official from the hospital, if that is where the death occurred
  • the person making the arrangements with the funeral directors

Deaths taking place anywhere else can be registered by:

  • a relative
  • someone present at the death
  • the person who found the body
  • the person in charge of the body
  • the person making the arrangements with the funeral directors
Where to register a death
When someone dies in England or Wales the death needs to be registered within 5 days at the register office for the district in which it happened. You can go to a different office if it is more convenient, but the process will take a day or two longer because the registrar will need to forward your information to the original district where the registrar will issue and send out the death certificate and other paperwork. Doing things this way may mean a slight delay to the funeral, since it is not possible for a burial or cremation to take place until after the registrar has issued the necessary paperwork.

Register office opening hours vary from one district to another and most operate an appointment system.

To find details of your local or other register office, visit the appropriate county council (or London or Metropolitan borough) website. Please put the town or postcode into the search box on the right hand side of this page to return a link to the website you need. Alternatively, addresses and phone numbers for local register offices can be found in the local area phone book.

You should allow about half an hour to complete the registration process
 
What documents do I need?
You just need the medical certificate of cause of death which was issued by the doctor treating the person who has died. The registrar will need to refer to it when making the registration. If possible, you should also take the deceased’s NHS medical card.

If the death has been reported to the coroner, the registrar will need additional documentation from him or her before the death can be registered.