How To Register A Death?

When someone dies, it is a legal requirement to formally register the death within 5 days. There are specific requirements that must be met and a process that must be followed. In this article, how to register a death, we take a look at the process and mechanism involved.

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Who should you contact?

When someone dies at home, the death should be registered at the registered office for the area where they lived. If the death took place in a hospital or in a nursing home it must be registered at the registered office for the area in which the hospital or home is situated. The registration of the death is the formal record of the death. It is done by the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages. Their details can be found by searching for them online and this should be your first point of contact.

Who should register the death?

The death should be registered by one of the following (in order of priority):

• a relative who was present at the death
• a relative present during the person’s last illness
• a relative living in the locality where the death took place
• anyone else present at the death
• an owner or occupier of the building where the death took place and who was aware of the death
• the person arranging the funeral (but not the funeral director).

It is important to note that you cannot delegate responsibility for registering the death to anyone else.

What documentation and information will I need to provide?

You must take with you the medical certificate of death, as the death cannot be registered until the registrar has seen this. If possible, you should also take the person’s NHS medical card and birth and marriage certificates. The registrar will want from you the following information:-

• date and place of death
• the full name of the person (including maiden name) and their last address
• the person’s date and place of birth
• the person’s occupation
• the full name, date of birth and occupation of a living or dead spouse or civil partner
• if the person was still married, the date of birth of their husband or wife
• whether the person was receiving a pension or other social security benefits.

What are the responsibilities of the registrar?

The registrar will issue copies of the following:

• a green Certificate for Burial or Cremation, or in Scotland, a white Certificate of Registration of Death.
• a form or certificate to send to the Department of Work and Pensions.

The Registrar will also issue:

a death certificate, which is a copy of the entry in the death register. There is a charge for copies of this. You’ll still be able to get extra copies of the death certificate at this time, but there may be delays in getting these posted to you.

What happens if you don’t register a death within 5 days?

A death should be registered within 5 days in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or 8 days in Scotland. If the death has been reported to the Coroner or Procurator Fiscal you can’t register the death until the investigations are finished.

You can’t get someone to register the death on your behalf. It is a criminal offence not to register a death within the specified time frames.

When a coroner is needed?

Anyone who is unhappy about the cause of a death can inform a coroner about it, but in most cases a death will be reported to a coroner by a doctor or the police.

A coroner is a doctor or lawyer appointed by a local authority to investigate certain deaths. In Northern Ireland, the Lord Chancellor appoints a coroner. They’re completely independent of the authority and have a separate office and staff. You will find the address of your local coroner’s by searching online.

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Authored by Ben Posted in News, Private Client Tagged as