What documents will I need?

You will need to take the following documents when you attend to register a death:

• the Medical Certificate of cause of death issued by the doctor or hospital (if the doctor referred the death to the Coroner for any reason then the registrar will have to have received the paperwork form the coroner before proceeding with the registration).
• the deceased’s Medical Card, if possible

What information will I need to supply?

The registrar will ask you for the following information:-

• About the Deceased
• Date and place of death
• Forename(s) and surname of the deceased
• Maiden name, if the deceased had been married
• Date and place of their birth (town and county or foreign country)
• Occupation
• Forename(s), surname and occupation of spouse, where the deceased was married or widowed or,
• Forename(s), surname and occupation of civil partner, where the deceased was in a civil partnership or was a surviving civil partner
• Usual home address including their postcode
• If the deceased was married or in a civil partnership, the date of birth of the surviving spouse or civil partner
• Whether the deceased was in receipt of a pension or benefits from public fund
• About the person (informant) registering the Death
• Informant’s forename(s) and surname
• Their current address
• Informant’s relationship to the deceased

Tell Us Once Service

When someone has died, there are lots of things that need to be done, at a time when you probably least feel like doing them. One of these is contacting government departments and local council services that need to be told. We are providing a service which we hope will make things easier. This new service means that you can just tell us and these organisations will be contacted. Find out more about this service.

What if I make a mistake in the register entry?

The register is a Legal Document. It is therefore important the information recorded in the register is correct. If any mistakes are made it will put you to some inconvenience to have the mistake corrected. You should therefore, check the information recorded in the register very carefully before you sign. If at any time you discover an error has been made in an entry, you should contact us as soon as possible.

Warning: Any person who knowingly and wilfully GIVES FALSE INFORMATION to a registrar for insertion in a Death Register, or MAKES A FALSE DECLARATION for the purposes of the registration of a Death is LIABLE TO PROSECUTION FOR PERJURY.

What documents will the registrar issue?

Once the registration has been completed, in most cases, you will be issued with the following documents:

• a Green Form (form 9W) – a certificate for burial or cremation which is normally passed to the funeral director, who cannot proceed with the funeral without it. In cases where a death has been reported to the coroner, the coroner will usually issue a certificate for cremation direct to the funeral directors so that the funeral can go ahead as soon as possible.
• a White Form (form BD8) – a certificate of registration of death which requires completion and return to the Department of Work and Pension (DWP). The form allows the DWP to sort out what happens to any benefits and/or state pensions.
• Bereavement information and advice leaflets

The above paperwork is the only paperwork issued free of charge.

The Death Certificate

After registering the death, you will be given the opportunity to purchase one or more death certificates. The certificates may be required for a range of administrative purposes (for example, banking and insurance). The certificate is a certified copy of the entry in the death register. If you go to a Register Office other than the one where the death took place the required certificates may be ordered at the time of the declaration and will be sent to you by post.

What are the costs?

The cost per Death Certificate at the time of registration is £3.50. The Certificate becomes £7.00 the following day and £9.00 once the register containing the entry is deposited with the Superintendent Registrar (approximately one month after the registration but please ring to confirm). We can accept payment by cash, cheque, postal order and debit/credit card (card payment by phone only). Please make cheques payable to “The Superintendent Registrar”.

Certificate fees are set by statute and reviewed annually.

What is a certified copy?

A certified copy (Birth, Death, Stillbirth or Marriage Certificate) is an exact copy of a register entry. Certified copies are issued by the registrar and should be used for all legal and evidential purposes. These certificates are printed on water marked paper and are subject to Crown Copyright. Certificate fees are set by Statute and reviewed annually.

Can I register the death bi-lingually?

If you would like to have the death registered in both English and Welsh, please discuss this with the registrar when you telephone to book an appointment. Please note bi-lingual registrations are not available in England.

What do I do if I don't speak English very well

If English is not your first language and you would like someone to help you with the registration, please ask a relative or friend to accompany you to the Register Office.

Please remember you must register the death personally. You cannot ask a relative or friend to attend instead of you.

What should I do, if I require special assistance?

If you require any assistance when registering, then please discuss your needs with the registrar when you make an appointment.