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Arranging a Funeral - Registering A Death
To view a list of local registrars please click here.
All deaths must be registered by the Registrar of Births, death and Marriages within the district where the death occurred. When we meet with you, we will advise you on the location of the registrar's, their opening times and how to make an appointment.
The Registrar will require the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death issued by the doctor (or coroner's certificate) and the deceased's Medical Card (if available), together with the following information:
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Full name of the deceased.
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The deceased's date and place of death.
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The deceased's home address.
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The deceased's date and place of birth.
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The deceased's maiden name, if applicable.
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The deceased's former occupation, where relevant.
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If married, date of birth of surviving spouse.
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Name and address of the informant.
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Informant's qualification for registering.
The following persons may act as Informant, when registering:
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A relative of the deceased present at the death.
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A relative of the deceased in attendance during the last illness.
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A relative of the deceased residing or being in the district where the death occurred.
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A person present at the death.
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The person causing the disposal of the deceased (eg. person responsible for payment of the funeral expenses)
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As Funeral Directors we are NOT allowed to register a death.
If the Registrar issues a Green Certificate this should be handed to us as soon as possible.
Certified Copies of the Entry of Death (often known as Death Certificates) can be purchased for administration of the estate, currently these are £3.50 per copy. The Registrar may issue a Certificate of Registration or Notification of Death (free of charge) for you to send to the Department of Works and Pensions with any pension or allowance books.
Registration must be carried out within 5 days from the date of death. This may be extended if authorised by the Registrar.
Registering By Declaration
Where a death from natural causes occurs in England and Wales and the principle Informant lives a distance from the Registration district in which the death must be registered, it is permissible for the registration to take place 'By Declaration' at a convenient registry office within England and Wales.
Before using this procedure the Informant should contact the Registry office nearest to where the death occurred ('Registrar A') for guidance and clearance.
The Informant then makes an appointment with the convenient Registry office ('Registrar B') and attends with the necessary information and the 'Medical Certificate of Cause of Death' issued by the doctor. As this certificate is normally located at the place of death it must either be forwarded to the Informant or it can be handed to Registrar A who can fax it to Registrar B. (in the interests of security a fax can only be accepted if sent from Registrar A to Registrar B)
If the Coroner is involved, the form that replaces the doctor's Medical Certificate must be faxed instead from Registrar A
Once the above certification or fax has been received by Registrar B and the declaration has been made by the Informant the document(s) will be sent by first class post to Registrar A who will register the death and despatch, by return first class post, the Green Certificate (if applicable); the DWP form, and the Certified Copies of the Entry of Death, if paid for.
Whilst this procedure may be more convenient for the Informant, it will result in
an additional delay before the funeral takes place. A return journey to Registrar A may be well worthwhile to avoid unnecessary hold‑up. |
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