Registering a death

The First Steps

Once the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death
has been obtained, or the coroner has given you permission to register the death, you will make an appointment at the Registry Office in the district of where the death took place.

Links to our local Registry services

Who can register a death

In most cases the death will be registered prior to the funeral by a relative of the deceased. If no relative is available, then this may be done by any of the following:

What the registrar will require

The date and place of death.
The full name of the deceased.
The occupation of the deceased.
If they were in receipt of a pension or allowance from public funds.
If married, the date of birth of the surviving spouse.

Questions that will be asked

The Medical Certificate of Cause of Death.
The Birth Certificate of the Deceased
National Health Service number of the deceased.
The Medical Card of the deceased (if available)
The Marriage Certificate of the deceased (if applicable)

The Registrar will then issue what is known as a ‘Green Form’ for
burial or cremation, which will be required by the funeral director
prior to the funeral taking place.

The Registrar will also issue the Certified Copy
of an Entry of Death (Death Certificate).

There will be a small charge for each copy (£11) and it would be
advisable to obtain more than one, as a death certificate is sometimes
required for legal or financial purposes.

A Certificate of Registration of Death (form BD8) will also be issued.
This form is for social security purposes if the deceased was in
receipt of a state pension or benefits. Read the information on the reverse of this form and, if applicable, return the form.

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