By law a death must be registered within 5 days, unless the Registrar says that this period may be extended or if the Coroner is involved.
Unless the Coroner is involved you will be issued with a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death by the doctor of the deceased, who will either be a General Practitioner or a hospital doctor. You will then need to contact the relevant Register Office, before attending with the Medical Certificate, as you will need to make an appointment, which will usually last about 30 minutes.
Where can I register the death?
The death will be registered in the District in which the death occurred. If it is not convenient for you to visit the Register Office for the District you can go to any other Register Office in England or Wales to make a declaration of the particulars required for the registration. In that case, any death certificates you require (and have paid for), the form issued for social security purposes and the one issued for the burial or cremation to proceed will be sent to you by post.
Who can register the death?
It is usual for a relative of the deceased to register the death. If there are no relatives then it is possible in certain circumstances for other individuals to register, for example someone who was present at the death or the person responsible for organising and paying for the funeral. Please contact any Register Office for specific advice where a relative will not be able to attend to register.
What information will I need to supply to the Registrar?
The registrar will first ask questions to make sure he/she is the proper registrar to register the event and that you are a person qualified by law to give information for the registration.
The registrar will then ask for particulars about the death which you are required by law to give for entry in the register.
You will also be asked for other personal information which you are required by law to provide. This additional information is confidential, relates to the status of the deceased and will not be entered in the register. It will be used for the preparation and supply of statistical information by the Registrar General.
Finally you will be asked to provide additional information about the occupation(s) recorded in the register. You are not obliged to give this information but it does serve a useful purpose in the compilation of medical and social statistics both by the Registrar General and approved researchers.
Please note that the death cannot be registered without either the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death or documents from the Coroner as the case may be.
About the deceased
- The date and place of death
- The forenames and surname by which they were known, and any other names used, including a maiden name where the deceased was a married woman
- The date and place of birth
- Their occupation, and the full names and occupation of her husband if the deceased was a married woman or a widow
- Their usual address
- Whether they were in receipt of a specific employment pension from public funds, eg Armed Forces, Teachers, Police or Civil Service
- If they were married, then the date of birth of their spouse
About the person registering
- The forenames and surname by which they are known
- Their usual address
- Their relationship to the deceased
- Other relevant information
If available the deceased's NHS card should be given to the registrar or the NHS number provided. Please note that this is not their National Insurance Number and this is not mandatory requirement.
Although it can be helpful to take copies of the deceased's birth and marriage certificates to assist these are not essential for the death registration, provided the information they contain can be provided.
The Registrar will ask for the name of the Funeral Director you will be using, if you have decided.
What the person registering will receive
After registration you will normally be issued with two forms:
a green form for you to take to the Funeral Director. The registrar will issue a certificate for the burial or cremation of the body which is normally passed to the funeral director by the relative who is making the arrangements. A funeral cannot proceed until this certificate is given to the burial authority or the crematorium. If there is a delay to the registration of the death, it is possible for a certificate for the burial of the deceased's body to be issued before registration. A certificate for cremation cannot be issued before the registration of the death. If a post-mortem has been held under the direction of the Coroner then a certificate for cremation will be issued by the Coroner and not the Registrar;
a white form for Social Security purposes. The registrar will issue a notification for sending to the Department of Social Security. This will be given to the person registering the death or other applicant. The form serves a dual purpose - details of the death are given on one side and the other side is the application for applicable claim forms. This should be read and completed before returning to the local department of Social Security Office as soon as possible.
Certified copies of the entry in the register are available at the statutory fee of £3.50 each at the time of registration or while still in a current register and £7.00 at a later date.
If English is not the first language of the person registering the death and help is needed with registration, it would be helpful for a relative or friend to accompany them to the register office and act as an interpreter.
Copies of death certificates
If you require extra copies of a death certificate please download and complete the form and send with remittance of £7.00 to the Register Office where the death was registered. If you need the address of your local register office please click on this link: your local Register Office
All Certificates purchased are Crown Copyright and cannot be photocopied.
When a body is to be taken out of England and Wales
If a body is taken out of England and Wales, notice must be given to the coroner for the area where the body is lying. There is no restriction on the removal of bodies within England and Wales, but notice is necessary where the removal is to Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, as well as abroad.
A Form of Notice (form 104) may be obtained from a registrar or a coroner. Any certificate for burial or cremation already issued by the registrar or a coroner must be given to the coroner with the notice.
The coroner will acknowledge receipt of the notice and say when the removal of the body may take place. This will normally be after four clear days from when the coroner received the notice. If it is urgent, the person giving notice to the coroner should speak to him or her personally since it may be possible to allow the removal sooner than the four days.
Where can I get further advice?
Further advice about registering a death in England and Wales may be obtained from your local registrar or from:
General Register Office, Smedley Hydro, Trafalgar Road, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 2HH or visit their website at the link below.
Telephone: 0151 471 4805
E-mail: registering.deaths@ons.gov.uk
Probate does not have to be done by a solicitor. For further advice on probate please telephone the local area office on 0121 6813400.
For information on benefits available refer to the Department of Social Security and the Inland Revenue. There is also further information for the bereaved through the government's "UK Online" project.
For information regarding Northamptonshire Crematoria and Cemeteries please telephone 01604 858280.
Contact the Northampton Branch of CRUSE for bereavement counselling and advice on (01604) 416800.
British Consul and High Commission registration of deaths
There are certain countries where death registrations may be made for British subjects overseas. The British Consul or High Commission may register the deaths and issue certificates.
During the year following the registration, a copy of the entry is sent to the General Register Office, when certificates would be obtainable from here also.
If you wish to apply for this form of registration, or would like further information please contact:
Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Consular and Passport Section, 1 Palace Street, London SW1E 5HE
Telephone: 020 7238 4567 (am only 9.30-12.30)
There are certain countries where a death cannot be registered with the British Authorities. There is a high standard of civil registration in these countries, some of which are listed below:
- Ascension Islands
- Australia
- Nevis
- St Helena
- South Africa
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- Zimbabwe
- Bermuda
- Canada
- Cayman Islands
- Christmas Island
- Falkland Islands
- Gibraltar
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