Registering a Death

How do I make an appointment to Register a death?

The certifying Doctor will email the Medical Cause of Death Certificate to the Register Office with the next of kin details.
The Register office will contact the next of kin to make an appointment to register the death.
 

Who can register a death?

In the event of a death one of the following persons has a legal obligation to register the death:

• a relative of the deceased
• a person present at the death
• a person arranging the funeral (not the undertaker)

In certain circumstances others, such as the administrator of an elderly persons home can register a death, for advice please contact the Register Office.

 

When should I register a deaths?

A death should normally be registered within 5 days unless the Coroner is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death.
 
It is best to carry out the registration in the district in which the death occurred – this will mean that the documents necessary will be obtained more easily, minimising any delays to the registration.

 

What is needed to register?

You have to register a death in the Registration District where the death took place, although it is possible to give a declaration of the details to be registered to a registrar in another area.

You will need to provide the following information about the deceased:-

• Full name, surname
• Address
• Date of birth
• Place of birth
• Occupation
• Maiden surname, if applicable
• If the person who has died was married, widowed or in a Civil Partnership the full names and occupation of the spouse/partner.

Your GP surgery, hospital or hospice will send the Register Office an electronic copy of the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) and also the informants details, The Registrar will contact you by telephone to make an appointment for you to attend the Register Office in person to register the death. It is requested a maximum of 2 attend the Register office to register the death.

If the deceased received a pension or allowance from public funds, eg: Civil service or army pension please inform the registrar.

Supporting documents for the deceased to help with:	Supporting document:
Full name, surname	Passport or driving licence or full birth certificate
Address	Utility bill
Date of birth	Passport or driving licence or birth certificate
Place of birth	Birth certificate
Occupation	n/a
Maiden surname, if applicable	Marriage certificate
If the person who has died was married, widowed or in a Civil Partnership the full names and occupation of the spouse/partner	Marriage certificate

Supporting documents for the informant to help with: 

Supporting documents for the informant to help with:
Name	Passport or driving licence
Address	Proof of address

If these documents are not available the Registrar can still proceed to register.

 

Tell Us Once

Tell Us Once is a service that lets you report a death to most government organisations in one go.

The Registrar will explain the Tell Us Once service when you register the death. They will give you a unique reference number so you can use the service yourself online or by phone.

 

Emergency “out of hours”

An emergency “out of hours” service is available for the following only-

• People needing to register a death and make burial arrangements at short notice due to religious beliefs. 

 

This service can be requested via the Council’s 24 hour emergency call centre on 0161 342 2222.
 

Register a death abroad

 

 

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