Registration
Why Do I Have To Register The Death?
All deaths have to be registered, and the people closest to the deceased have a legal obligation to do this. Deaths in England and Wales or Northern Ireland should be registered within 5 days – if this is not going to be possible, you should inform the Registrar. In Scotland, deaths must be registered within 8 days.
Which Registrar’s Office Should I Go To?
In England and Wales, the death has to be registered at the Registrar’s Office in the district where the death occurred. This is the case even if the death occurred a distance from home. However, there is a facility available to attend your local registrar’s office to register a death that occurred in another area. This is called ‘Registration by Declaration’, and involves the two Registrars transferring documents between them. In ALL cases, an appointment to attend the Registrar must be made in advance – please see below.
What Do I Need To Register The Death?
Steps to registering a death
When a death is expected
- The GP surgery is notified (there is no paperwork relating to registration to collect from the surgery – information is shared electronically with the Medical Examiner and Registrar).
- For expected deaths outside of a hospital setting, the Funeral Director will notify the GP surgery.
- For expected deaths in hospital, the hospital’s bereavement team notify the GP.
- The GP sends the ‘Medical Certificate of Cause of Death’ (MCCD) to the Medical Examiner.
- The Medical Examiner contacts the next of kin and discusses the MCCD with them.
- Once the discussion with Medical Examiner has taken place, the person who will register the death books an appointment with the Registrar.
- The Registrar issues a ‘Registrar’s Certificate for Burial or Cremation’ (form 9) plus a white form (9D).
The certificate for burial or cremation is usually emailed directly to the Funeral Director by the Registrar. The Funeral Director sends these (with other necessary paperwork) to the crematorium or burial authority before the Funeral can take place.
When the death is not expected
- If the cause of death is unknown, sudden or unexplained, the death may be reported to the coroner.
- The coroner will send their documents directly to the Registrar.
- You will be contacted by the Coroner’s Office to confirm you can register the death.
For more information on how to register a death in the UK or abroad:
How to register a death in the UK or abroad
When the Coroner is involved, the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death is replaced by one from H. M. Coroner. In this circumstance, we will advise when the Registration can take place.
It is important to remember that Registration can ONLY be carried out by appointment
Appointments can be made using the following numbers:
West Dorset
01305 225153
Monday to Friday : 9.00am – 4.00pm
East Devon
0845 155 1002
Monday to Friday : 8.00am – 8.00pm
Saturday : 9.00am – 1.00pm
Somerset
01823 282251
Monday to Friday : 9.00am – 5.30pm
Tell Us Once
‘Tell Us Once’ is a free and simple service to help you tell us that someone has died.
When someone has died their death needs to be registered with the Registrar. Once the registration has taken place, several other organisations may have to be contacted and given the same information.
There is a service to help you give the information to the Department of Works and Pensions. They then pass it on to a number of other government departments and local authority services.
How to contact this service
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In person: If you would like to talk to an advisor, you may do so after you have registered the death. Further information will be given to you when you call to make your appointment with the Registrar.
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By telephone: If you would like to speak to someone on the telephone, please call the DW&P on 0800 085 7308 after you have registered the death. The lines are open Mon-Fri 8am-8pm. This number is free to call from a BT landline but other providers may charge you.
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Online: https://www.gov.uk/when-someone-dies. Select option 2 'Tell government about the death'
Who they can give information to:
They will contact the following organisations, if required:
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Department for Work and Pensions
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The Pension Service
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Disability and Carers Service
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Jobcentre Plus
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HM Revenue & Customs (Child Benefit/Tax Credits)
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Identity and Passport Service
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Housing Benefit Office / Council Tax Benefit Office
The service can also contact the following organisations:
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Council Housing / Council Tax
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Blue Badges
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Adult & Children’s Services
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Children’s Services
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Collection of payment for council services
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Electoral Services
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The DVLA
This service requires the Deceased’s National Insurance Number
Do I Have to Register the Death Before Arranging the Funeral?
No. It is important to understand the difference between arranging a funeral and the funeral itself.
The funeral arrangement involves us discussing the type of funeral required, and offering you advice and information as appropriate. This can be done as soon as you have made certain decisions about the funeral – i.e whether it is to be a burial or cremation. The funeral itself cannot proceed without the death being registered but this is usually completed during the time between making the arrangements and the actual funeral itself.
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