Registering a Death

How quickly can the death be registered?

It is possible to register the death as soon as you have obtained either a ‘Medical Certificate of Death’ from the Hospital/Doctor or a Form Part B from the Coroner’s Office – the only exception being when an inquest is being held. In this case the registration of death will only occur once the Coroner has given his permission.

If the death has occurred in a nursing home or private residence then it is advised that you phone the deceased’s G.P. as soon as possible to arrange collection from the surgery of the medical certificate (also known as the death certificate) to take with you to the registrars. We can also help you with this if you prefer.

Legally, the death must be registered within five days of it occurring – though this period may be extended in certain circumstances, for example when the Coroner has been consulted. If you are unsure about the time limitations, or think you may not be able to register within five days, please telephone the Register Office for further information.

Where can the death be registered?

A death can usually only be registered in the registration district in which the death occurred. In exceptional circumstances a death can be registered in another registration district. This may delay the funeral as time needs to be given for documents to be posted between registrars offices.

Registration in person

To register the death then you need to make an appointment. You can make an appointment by contacting the Register Office during our normal opening hours.

Llandudno Registrars
(for all deaths occurring in Conwy, Llandudno, Colwyn Bay and surrounding areas)

• Town Hall, Lloyd Street, Llandudno
• Tel: 01492 576625

Rhyl Registrars
(for deaths occurring in Glan Clwyd Hospital)

• Morfa Clwyd, Marsh Road, Rhyl, Denbighshire, LL18 2AF
• Tel: 01745 366610

Bangor Registrars
(for deaths occurring in Bangor Hospital)

• Town Hall, Bangor, LL57 2RE
• Tel: 01766 771000

Who is able to register the death?

The death must be registered by a qualified informant and this person must be one of the following:

• a relative, usually the closest one, if this is not possible please phone the registrars to check if you’re a qualified informant
• someone who was present at the death
• someone who is instructing the funeral director
• in rare circumstances another person may qualify as an informant – if you think that this may be the case then you should contact the Register Office for further advice

Important
An executor is not automatically entitled to register a death unless they are also arranging the funeral.

Please feel free to ask a relative or friend to accompany you to the Register Office. However, please remember that the death must be registered by a qualified informant and, regrettably, a friend cannot register on your behalf.

What information needs to be supplied to the Registrar?

When you attend to register the death, the Registrar will need to see the following documents:

• a ‘Medical Certificate of Cause of Death’ (as issued by the doctor who certified the death)
• if the doctor has had to inform the Coroner about the death, the Coroner may need to issue another certificate and in that case, the Registrar will need the Coroner’s document in order to register the death
• the deceased’s NHS medical card (if available)
• it is also useful if you have the deceased’s passport, birth certificate and (if applicable) marriage certificate to hand but these documents are not essential provided you are able to give the Registrar the correct information

In addition the Registrar will need to know the following information:

• the date and place of death
• the deceased’s last (usual) address
• the deceased’s full names and surnames (and the maiden surname where appropriate)
• the deceased’s date and place of birth (town and county if born in the United Kingdom, and country if born abroad)
• the deceased’s occupation and the name and occupation of their spouse, and of previous spouses (if appropriate)
• whether the deceased was receiving a pension or allowance from public funds
• if the deceased was married, the date of birth of the surviving widow or widower
• other statistical information (some of which you are required by law to give)

Documents provided by the Registrar

The Registrar will give you, free of charge, the following:

• A Certificate of Registration of Death (Form BD8) This is for Social Security purposes only. Read the information on the back of the certificate and if any of it applies to you, fill in the certificate and send it or hand it in to your Social Security Office.
• A Certificate for Burial or Cremation (Form 9)This is known as the Green Form and gives permission for the body to be buried or for an application for cremation to be made and should be delivered to the funeral directors so that the funeral can be held. However, in certain circumstances the Coroner may make one the following available in place of the above:
  • an Order for Burial (Form 101)
  • a Certificate for Cremation (Form 6)

Obtaining death certificates

A death certificate is a certified copy of the entry in the Register of Deaths. The Registrar can issue copies of this on payment of a statutory fee and this is currently £4.00 per copy at the time of registration. The ‘original’ is the actual entry in the register and any copies issued from it carry the statutory fee which, unfortunately, we are unable to waive. You may purchase as many certificates as you need at the time of registration, for a fee of £4.00 per certificate. The day after the registration the price of these certificates will increase to £7.00 until such time as the Register has been completed.

Once the Register has been completed and deposited in the vault, the cost of any further certificates you may wish to purchase increases to £10.00 per copy.

Please remember that if you chose to go to another Register Office and make a death declaration, and you wish to purchase certificates, you will need to enclose the appropriate payment of£4.00 per certificate (at the time of registration). The certificates will then be forwarded on to you from Chelsea once the death has been registered here.

Important
Copies of death certificates are only available from the office where the death is registered.

You may need a death certificate for the Will and for any pension claims, insurance policies, bank accounts and premium bonds and it is easier to purchase these copies at the time you visit the Registrar.