Registration of Deaths
Registering a death
If the death has been referred to the coroner, it cannot be registered until the registrar has received authority from the coroner to do so.
If the death has not been referred to the coroner and you have a medical certificate of cause of death from the doctor, contact the registration service to make an appointment on 01432 260565.
The death must be registered within five days in the registration district in which it occurred (unless this period is extended by the coroner or registrar).
If you are unable to attend at the registrar's office in the district in which the death occurred, the information for the registration may be given to any registrar in England or Wales. You will need to attend your chosen registrar's office to make a declaration of the particulars for the registration. The declaration will then be forwarded to the registrar in the district where the death took place and the certificates will be forwarded to you by post following the registration.
Deaths reported to a Coroner
In any of the following circumstances the doctor may report the death to the coroner.
- an accident or injury
- an industrial disease
- during a surgical operation
- before recovery from an anaesthetic
- if the cause of death is unknown
- the death was sudden and unexplained, for instance, a sudden infant death (cot death)
You will be advised if the death has to be reported to the Coroner, in which case the death cannot be registered nor the funeral take place, without the Coroner's Authorisation. Where a death is reported to the Coroner, the Coroner's Office will contact the relatives.
A Coroner can order a post-mortem examination without getting the relative's permission. This examination will ascertain the cause of death. He may also wish to hold an investigation into circumstances leading up to a death. (This is called an inquest). When an inquest is called, the Coroner's Office will contact the relatives. This should not cause undue distress as it is a legal formality.
In such cases the Death Certificate will be issued direct to you from the Coroner's Office and the relatives must then go to the Registrar to register the death. When an inquest is to be held, the death cannot be registered until the conclusion of the inquest, but a certificate will normally be issued at the opening of the inquest to allow the funeral to take place.
For Herefordshire, the Coroner can be contacted on 01432 355301.
Who can register a death
Wherever possible the death should be registered by a relative of the deceased. However, if a relative is not available this may be done by someone present at the death, the person responsible for instructing the funeral director or in the case of a hospital, care or nursing home death, a manager from that establishment.
When you go to the register office you should take:
- Medical certificate of cause of death
- If available, the deceased's birth, marriage / civil partnership certificate
The registrar will need to know
- The date and place of death
- The deceased's last address
- The deceased's full name and surname (and maiden name if applicable)
- The deceased's date and place of birth (town and county if born in the UK and country if born abroad)
- The deceased's occupation and the name and occupation of their spouse or civil partner
- Whether the deceased was getting a pension or allowance from public funds
- If the deceased was married or in a civil partnership, the date of birth of the surviving widow, widower or civil partner
You will be given
- A Certificate for Burial or Cremation (known as the Green Form) unless the coroner has issued an Order for Burial or a Certificate for Cremation. It should be taken to the funeral director so that the funeral can be held
- A Certificate of Registration of Death (form BD8). This is for Social Security purposes. You will need to fill in the details where applicable and send this to your local Social Security Office
- If you require Death Certificates these may be purchased from the registrar for a fee
Useful links
Directgov Useful information on what to do after a death including arranging a funeral, probate, tax, benefits (including help with funeral expenses) and advice and support for the bereaved. This site also includes advice on what to do if a death occurs outside of England or Wales
What to do after a death booklet
Register Office Opening Times
Funeral Arrangements
When the death certificate has been issued by the Registrar, you will be given a certificate authorising the funeral.
The choice of a firm of funeral directors is important as you should feel comfortable and confident with them. They may be known to you personally, may be recommended by a friend, your GP or religious adviser or may just have a good reputation in your area.
All will have a code of practice and should give you an estimate of costs - their own and those fees they will pay on your behalf and add to the account. You can ask for this estimate in advance and it's a good idea to ask different firms to quote so that you can compare costs.
Your funeral director can make all the arrangements for the funeral, burial or cremation, religious or secular service. The funeral director can also advise on all the procedures and documents needed to register the death.
If you are considering a headstone most cemeteries will advise to wait for a period of approximately six months before placing it. However, you may wish to contact your preferred choice of monumental mason as soon as possible to avoid any unnecessary delay after this waiting period.
Non-Religious Services
There is no requirement to have a religious ceremony, or any kind of ceremony at all at a funeral. Some people may prefer a Humanist Ceremony. This type of ceremony is not intended to oppose a religious funeral, but to provide a dignified and respectful celebration of the death that has occurred.
At this type of funeral the services of an officiant, on the lines of a minister or celebrant are commonly employed. They will conduct the proceedings which can involve readings of appropriate prose, tributes by attendees or the officiant and the playing of appropriate music.
Non-Church of England Funerals
If you have to arrange a funeral for someone who is of a faith different from your own, it is important to contact the equivalent of the local priest of the denomination to find out what needs to be done.
Stillbirths
A still-born child is legally defined as a child born after the 24th week of pregnancy who did not at any time after being born breathe or show any other signs of life.
When a child is still-born a doctor or midwife will issue a medical certificate of still birth. The person who registers the still-birth must take this certificate to the registrar's office.
A stillbirth may not be registered more than 3 months after it occurred. The information given to the registrar is recorded in the still-birth register.
If it is inconvenient to go to the district where the still-birth took place, the information for the registration may be given to a registrar in another district. The details will be recorded on a form of declaration and sent to the registrar of the district where the still-birth occurred. The registrar who receives the declaration will enter the information in the still-birth register. Certificates of the still-birth which may have been ordered and paid for at the time of making the declaration, as well as the document for burial or cremation will be posted out to you. The family should discuss the arrangements with their funeral director and the registrar to avoid any delay to the funeral.
Who can register a stillbirth
- If the parents of the child were married to each other at the time of the stillbirth, either the mother or father may register
- If the parents were not married to each other at the time of the stillbirth, the father's details may be entered in the following circumstances
- the mother and father go to the register office and sign the stillbirth register together
- if the father is unable to go to the register office with the mother he may make a statutory declaration acknowledging his paternity which the mother must produce to the registrar (this form may be obtained from any register office in England or Wales)
- if the mother is unable to attend the register office with the mother she may complete a statutory declaration acknowledging the father's paternity which the father must produce to the registrar
- the occupier of the house or hospital where the child was still-born
- a person who was present at the stillbirth
- a person who is responsible for the still-born child
- the person who found the still-born child (where the date and place of the stillbirth are unknown)
If information about the father is not recorded, it may be possible for the stillbirth to be re-registered to include his details at a later date
The registrar will need to know
Child
- date and place of stillbirth
- the first name(s) and surname if the parents wish to name the still-born child
- the sex of the child
Father (where this information is to be entered in the register)
- first name(s) and surname
- date and place of birth
- occupation at the time of the stillbirth
Mother
- first name(s) and surname
- maiden surname if the mother is or has been married
- date and place of birth
- occupation at the time of the stillbirth
- usual address at the time of the stillbirth
- date of marriage, if married to the still-born child's father at the time of the stillbirth
You will be given
A certificate of registration will be issued free of charge to the person who registers the stillbirth. Any names given to the still-born child and entered in the register will be recorded on the certificate of registration.
The registrar will issue a certificate for the burial or cremation of the still-born child. The certificate is normally passed to the funeral director who is making the arrangements. A funeral cannot take place without this. If there is a delay to the registration it is possible for a certificate for the burial to be issued before registration provided the stillbirth does not need to be reported to the coroner. A certificate for cremation cannot be issued before the registration.
Any application for a certificate not made at the time of the registration should be sent to the General Register Office, PO Box 2, Southport, Merseyside PR8 2JD - click on the link below for further information
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