Register a death
A death must be registered, and the necessary forms completed before any burial or cremation can take place.
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When to register
After someone dies, their doctor must confirm the death with an independent medical examiner who will review the cause of death and check the medical records.
The medical examiner’s office will then contact you and send the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) to us (South Gloucestershire Register Office). This can take up to a few weeks.
You will have the opportunity to raise any questions or concerns when they call you. Find out more about the medical examiner service.
Once you have heard from the medical examiner, you can book an appointment to register the death.
Deaths need to be registered within 5 days of speaking to the medical examiner.
If you have not been contacted by the medical examiner’s office 2 weeks after the death, you should contact the GP practice first to check if the paperwork has been completed.
If needed, you can then contact the medical examiner’s office on 0117 414 0074.
If the death has been reported to the coroner
You cannot register the death until the coroner’s investigation is complete.
The coroner’s officers will keep you informed and let you know what happens next.
You can find more information about when a death is reported to the coroner on GOV.UK and the Avon Coroner website.
Who can register
A death may be registered by:
- a relative of the deceased
- a partner of the deceased
- a person present at the death
- 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
Where to register
You should register the death at the local register office for the area where the death happened. Check which council covers a specific area (GOV.UK)
If the death happened in South Gloucestershire, you need to book an appointment to visit one of our register offices.
Appointments take place at:
If you cannot get to a South Gloucestershire register office
If the person died in South Gloucestershire and you cannot attend our register office, you can go to another register office in England or Wales. They will take the details and send them to us. This is called making a declaration.
We will register the death once we receive the information and issue the form (often referred to as the Green Form) to the funeral director, and send you the death certificates once payment has been received.
Call 01454 863140 if you need help with this process.
If the death happened outside South Gloucestershire
If the person died outside South Gloucestershire, the death should be registered at the register office for the area where the death happened.
If you cannot attend that register office, you can make a declaration at a South Gloucestershire register office. We will take the details and send them to the correct office.
We are unable to provide any death certificates or the form for the funeral director.
The register office where the death occurred will register the death and issue the form (often referred to as the Green Form) to the funeral director. They will also send you the death certificates once payment has been received.
Book an appointment
To register a death you can book an appointment online.
If you are unable to book online you can phone 01454 863140 to arrange an appointment.
What to bring to the appointment
Take as many of the following documents as possible with you to the appointment. This helps ensure the accuracy of information, but you can still complete the registration without them.
If you have them, and if applicable, you should take deceased’s:
- birth certificate
- marriage certificate
- passport
- driving licence or ID card
Bring your own ID documents and proof of address as this helps avoid mistakes in recording spellings of names and addresses.
What information we need to know
If applicable, you will also need to know the:
- date and place of the death
- full names and surname of the deceased together with any other names they have ever used
- place of birth of the deceased and their age (or date of birth)
- maiden surname of a woman who has married
- occupation of the deceased
- name and occupation of the deceased’s husband or wife or surviving civil partner
- deceased’s home address, including postcode
- date of birth of any surviving spouse
It is important that the information provided and the entry in the register is correct. It is your responsibility to ensure that there are no mistakes, including spelling errors.
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.
If we can correct it, there will be a fee to pay. Depending on what needs to be changed it will cost £83 or £99.
Issue of certificates
Once a death has been registered the registrar will give you a certificate for burial or cremation, often referred to as the Green Form, which you will need to give to the funeral director.
You will also be able to buy death certificates which you will need when you tell organisations, such as banks or insurance companies, that the person has died. Certificates cost £12.50 each.
We accept debit and credit cards (Visa and Mastercard).
You will be able to buy copies of the death certificate in the future if needed.
Tell Us Once service
Tell us Once lets you report a death to most government organisations in one go. We will give you a reference number when you register the death so you can use this free service.
Find out more about the Tell Us Once service (YouTube video)