Deaths must be registered in the district where the death happened. You can check which council covers what area on GOV.UK.
After someone dies, a medical examiner will check the cause of death to make sure it’s accurate.
They will be a senior doctor and they will not have been involved in the care of the person who has died.
The medical examiner’s office will then contact you to:
- explain the cause of death
- answer any questions you have about this or the healthcare provided to the person before they died
They will then forward the medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD) to the relevant register office. Once received, a member of the registration team will call to book an appointment for you to register the death. Deaths must be registered within 5 days of the certificate being received by the registrars.
If the doctor or medical examiner has referred the death to the coroner, the death cannot be registered until the coroner has issued the relevant paperwork. Please wait until a coroner's officer contacts you to discuss the death.
Who can register the death
You can register the death if you:
- are a relative
- are the partner of the deceased
- were there at the time of death
- found the body
- are an administrator at the hospital, hospice or care home where the person died
- are in charge of making funeral arrangements
- are the personal representative of the deceased
How to register the death
The register office will contact you to book an appointment. If the death has been referred to a coroner, the coroner's office will contact you to discuss the death.
You must have an appointment to register a death. Do not visit the register office without one.
Certificates can be purchased at the appointment at a statutory fee of £12.50 each.
Find out where our register offices are.
What to bring to the appointment
You must bring the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) and if you have it:
- the birth certificate, passport and driving licence for the person who died
- their council tax bill
- their Blue Badge, if they had one
- their marriage or civil partnership certificate, if any
What information we need to know
We'll need this information about the person who died, if you have it:
- their full name and any previous names
- their job
- their address
- their NHS number
- date and place of birth
- date and place of death
- details of any benefits or entitlements they were getting, such as State Pension
- the full name, job and date of birth of their spouse or partner if they were married or in a civil partnership
We'll also need your name and address.
After you’ve registered the death
The registrar will scan and email the burial or cremation form (often called 'the green form') directly to your chosen funeral director.
Tell Us Once service
The Tell Us Once service on GOV.UK lets you report a death to most government organisations in one go.
The registrar will complete the service on your behalf unless you do not have the relevant information, in which case we will give you a reference number to allow you to use this service at home.