Register a death

From 9 September 2024 new regulations apply to the registration of deaths where the coroner is not involved.

Under the new regulations medical examiners will:

• provide independent scrutiny of causes of death
• give bereaved people an opportunity to ask questions and highlight any concerns they have about the care of the deceased person prior to their death
• review medical records and work with doctors to complete the medical certificate of cause of death accurately

You can read the full details of the changes and regulations on GOV.UK:

An overview of the death certification reforms

What this means for next of kin

Deaths need to be registered within 5 days of the registrar receiving notification of the cause of death from the medical examiner or the coroner. This includes weekends and bank holidays.

The medical examiner’s officers will forward your details to South Gloucestershire Register Office for deaths in South Gloucestershire, we will then contact you to arrange an appointment to register.

If the coroner is involved due to an unexpected death, the coroner’s officers will keep you informed of progress.

Who can register a death

A death may be registered by:

• a relative of the deceased
• a person present at the death
• a partner of the deceased
• the occupier of the institution, home or hospital in which the death occurred
• the person making the funeral arrangements
• a personal representative of the deceased

How to register a death

The registrar will receive contact details from the medical examiner’s officers for the next of kin or person qualified to register the death. They will call to make an appointment to register the death.

Please wait to hear from us before chasing an appointment as we may not have received the form from the medical examiner.

If you do need to contact us our email address is registrationservice@southglos.gov.uk, or phone 01454 863140. Out of hours number: 01454 868009

We will need your name, contact phone number and some brief details of the deceased so the registrar can call you back.

If the death took place outside South Gloucestershire

If the person died outside of South Gloucestershire you must register the death at the local register office for the area where the death occurred.

If you prefer you can provide us with details and we will pass the information on to the registrar for that area.

They will register the death and send you the form for the funeral director. We are unable to provide that form, or any death certificates however.

Documents needed

When you register a death you need to take as many of the following documents as possible with you to the appointment.

You should take:

• the deceased’s medical card or National Health number
• the deceased’s birth certificate and marriage certificate (if you have them)
• the deceased’s passport (if applicable)
• ID documents and proof of address for yourself (this helps us avoid mistakes in recording spellings of names and addresses)
• details of any pensions or allowances paid from public funds to the deceased

You will also need:

• the date and place of the death
• the full names and surname of the deceased together with any other names they have ever used
• the place of birth of the deceased and their age (or date of birth)
• the maiden surname of a woman who has married
• the occupation of the deceased
• the name and occupation of the deceased’s husband or wife or surviving civil partner
• the deceased’s home address, including postcode
• the date of birth of any surviving spouse

Errors discovered after you have signed the register may take considerable time to process and cause delays in dealing with the deceased person’s estate.

It costs between £83 and £99 for corrections to be made after the register has been signed.

Issue of certificates

Once a death has been registered you will be issued with a form for the funeral director.

You will be able to purchase a full death certificate at your appointment, or a shorter version which does not show the cause of death. This may be helpful for some situations.

The cost of both kinds of certificates will be £12.50 each.

We only accept debit and credit card payments (Visa and Mastercard). You cannot pay for a death certificate from a power of attorney account.

Tell Us Once

Once you have registered a death you can use the Tell Us Once service to give relevant information to the Department of Work and Pensions.

They will pass this on to other government departments and council services on your behalf.

Find out more about the Tell Us Once service (YouTube video)

This service is voluntary and free to use and will be offered during your appointment with the registrar.