Registering a death

One of the first things that needs to happen when someone dies is for the death to be registered.

The process takes about 30 minutes - and the registrar will guide you.

On this page:

When to register
Where to register
Who should register
What to take with you
What the registrar will give you

When to register

Time limits apply as follows:

• England, Wales and Northern Ireland - within 5 days
• Scotland - within 8 days

In England and Wales, it is possible to delay registration for a further 9 days, providing that the registrar receives written confirmation that the Medical Cause of Death certificate has been signed by a doctor.

In general, registration of the death should take place before the funeral can go ahead.

Exceptions are deaths subject to investigation by the coroner (procurator fiscal in Scotland).

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Where to register

In England, the registration should be made in the district in which the death occurred - unless the death occurred in a county that has adopted a county-wide system.

If you cannot get to a registrar in the district (or county) in which the death occurred, you may attend elsewhere but the issue of the Death Certificate will be delayed as documents must be sent between the registrars by post.

In Scotland, the registration can take place at any Scottish registration office.

If you need help finding your nearest Register office, please call us on 0800 195 2924.

Most registrars operate appointment systems. Some operate an emergency out-of-hours service for families needing immediate burial for reasons of faith. You can call your main council switchboard to find out if there is an out-of-hours service in your area.

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Who should register

Only relatives and certain other individuals are legally qualified to become the 'informant' i.e. to register a death. This depends on where the death occurred.

When you call the registrar to make the appointment, you should give the name and relationship of the person who will be attending to check that they are best person for the task.

If the death occurred inside a house or public building such as a hospital, the following people may register the death:

• A relative
• Someone who was present at the death
• The occupier of the house or an official from the public building
• The person making the arrangements with the funeral director

If the death took place elsewhere, the following people may register the death:

• A relative
• Someone who was present at the death
• The person who found the body
• The person who is in charge of the body
• The person making the arrangements with the funeral director

Please note that funeral directors are not permitted to register a death.

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What to take with you

You must take:

• Medical Certificate of Cause of Death from the hospital or doctor.
• If the coroner has been involved, the documentation needed will usually be sent by the coroner to the registrar.

If possible, you should also take the deceased's:

• NHS card (also called the medical card)
• Birth certificate
• Marriage or civil partnership certificate (if applicable)
• Documents relating to the receipt of a pension or allowance from government funds

Don't worry if some or all of these documents are unavailable; the registrar will still be able to register the death.

The registrar will need the following information about the deceased:

• Date and place of death
• Address
• Full names - including the birth name of a married woman, any former married names and other names by which the deceased was known
• Place and date of birth - the town or county is sufficient if the exact address is not known. The country of origin is all that's needed for people born outside the UK
• Their current or former occupation
• Details of their wife or husband or civil partner
• Whether they had any Government pension or allowance

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What the registrar will give you

When the registrar has all the information they need and this has been entered in the register, they will supply:

Death certificate

This is a certified copy of the death entry in the register and proves that the death has been registered.

This has to be purchased and the cost varies according to the local authority.

We recommend that you buy a copy of the death certificate for each asset holder, e.g. for each bank or building society where there are accounts, and each pension or insurance policy.

Without a sufficient number of death certificates, sorting out the estate takes longer and extra certificates are more expensive to purchase at a later stage.

Photocopies of the certificate are not normally accepted for legal, financial and insurance companies and are a breach of copyright.

Certificate for burial or cremation

This is often called the 'green form' and it is issued free of charge.

The registrar will issue a certificate for the burial or cremation of the body. This is usually passed to the funeral director by the person making the funeral arrangements.

The funeral cannot happen until this certificate is given to the burial authority or the crematorium.

This certificate will not be issued in certain circumstances when the coroner has been involved.

Certificate for Department of Work & Pensions benefits

This is the BD8 form Registration or Notification of Death; a certificate to send to the Department of Work & Pensions. It is issued free of charge.

Details of the death are given on one side and on the reverse side is a form to be completed with further details of the person who has died and the person dealing with the estate.

Some register offices issue an envelope with this form, but it can also be returned to the office from which any pension or benefit has been issued or to a local Jobcentre Plus office.

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