Registering a Death

Registering a death is a paramount part of organising a funeral, it is usually a simple and straightforward process. One part of the 'funeral process' that we can not do on your behalf is registering the death.

Below is what you need to know:

After the initial step process has been completed and the Medical Examiner Officer has forwarded the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death to the registrars on your behalf a registrar will contact you directly to arrange an in person appointment to officially register the death.

Please note: If the death is unexpected it is likely that the Coroner will be involved. During this time you will be unable to register the death until their involvement is complete (the death will not be able to be registered if an inquest into the death has to be opened).

It is important to remember that in most circumstances the death must be registered in the district the deceased has passed away in. For example, if you live in Oldham but the deceased passed away in Tameside General Hospital, the death must be registered at Tameside Register Office.

2. Who Can Register A Death?

• A relative of the deceased
• A long-term partner of the deceased
• Someone present at the time of death
• The person making the funeral arrangements
• A personal representative of the deceased, such as a Solicitor or family friend
• In some instances a Funeral Director
• An official from the hospital or the manager of where the death took place

3. You will need to register the death within 5 working days of the register office receiving the Medical certificate. The registrar will ask you for a variety of information about the deceased:

• The date and place of death
• Full name and usual address (including the maiden name of a married women)
• The date and place of birth
• The occupation (if retired, they may ask what their occupation was before retirement)
• Details of any surviving Spouse

Once this information has been processed you will be given various documents; most notable, Death Certificates, and the Certificate for Burial or Cremation (Green Note). The Certificate for Burial or Cremation must be handed to the Funeral Director.

Note: Death Certificates are obtained on payment of the prescribed fee, it is currently £12.50. It is advisable to obtain 2 or 3 copies, as these are needed to deal with the affairs of the deceased. For example, accessing and closing bank accounts and claims on insurance policies etc.

4. For ease, you may wish to take documentation relating to the deceased, these may include a birth certificate, driving license, passport and proof of address. These are not essential though.

5. The registration process will take approximately 30minutes. Most registrars now offer a 'Tell Us Once' service, this allows you report a death to most Government based organisations in one go. Please ask the registrar for more information or visit https://www.gov.uk/after-a-death/organisations-you-need-to-contact-and-tell-us-once

We hope this information is easy to understand and helps you through the process. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any further queries.