Registering a Death in England and Wales (2026): Step-by-Step Guide

You must register a death within five days of the date of death in England and Wales. The five-day period starts once the medical examiner has issued and sent the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) to the register office — not simply from the day the person died. If the coroner is involved (for example after a sudden, unexplained, or unnatural death), registration is delayed until the coroner releases the body, which can take weeks. Failure to register within five days without a valid reason is a criminal offence, though prosecutions are rare. If you cannot register within five days, contact the register office as soon as possible.

In England and Wales, the following people are qualified to register a death, in order of priority: (1) a relative of the deceased who was present at the death; (2) a relative present during the last illness; (3) a relative living in the same sub-district where the death occurred; (4) a person present at the death who is not a relative; (5) the occupier of the premises where the death occurred (e.g. a care home manager) if they knew of the death; (6) a person arranging the funeral (other than an undertaker acting in a professional capacity). A funeral director cannot register the death on your behalf but can advise on the process.

You should register at the register office for the district in which the death occurred — not the district where the person lived. If you register in a different district, the registrar can accept the registration by declaration but cannot issue the death certificates on the day; they must be obtained from the register office for the district where the death occurred. Always check your local council website or gov.uk to find the correct office, as many areas operate by appointment only.

The registrar needs the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD), which the doctor or medical examiner sends directly to the register office — you do not carry this yourself. You will need to bring: the deceased's NHS medical card (if available), their birth certificate, marriage or civil partnership certificate (if applicable), their passport (if available), and any documents confirming their address (e.g. a utility bill or driving licence). None of these additional documents is strictly mandatory — the registrar can register the death without them — but they help the registrar record complete and accurate information.

The registrar records: the date and place of death; the deceased's full name (including maiden name if applicable); date and place of birth; occupation; usual address; whether they were married or in a civil partnership; if so, the name and occupation of their spouse or civil partner; and the name and address of their doctor. For a death in hospital, the hospital name and address is also recorded. The informant (the person registering) must give their own name, address, and qualify their relationship to the deceased.

After registration you receive: (1) a death certificate — an official certified copy of the entry in the death register. You will almost certainly need several copies (typically 4–10), as banks, HMRC, pension providers, insurers, and solicitors each require an original certified copy. Additional copies cost £12.50 each at the time of registration or £12.50 each if ordered later. (2) A Certificate for Burial or Cremation (the 'green form') — this authorises the funeral to proceed. For cremation, a medical referee must also approve. (3) A BD8 form (Notification of Death) — if the deceased was receiving state benefits, this is sent to the DWP.

Tell Us Once is a free government service that allows you to report a death to most government departments in a single notification, rather than contacting each separately. When you register, the registrar will give you a Tell Us Once reference number, which you then use online or by phone. Tell Us Once notifies: HMRC (income tax, personal tax credits), the Department for Work and Pensions (state pension, benefits), the Passport Office, the DVLA, the Electoral Registration Office, and some local council services (housing benefit, council tax). It does not notify banks, insurance companies, pension providers, utilities, or HMRC for inheritance tax purposes — those require separate action.

If the death is referred to a coroner (because it was sudden, unexplained, occurred during an operation, was suspicious, or the doctor did not attend recently enough to certify the cause), registration cannot take place until the coroner decides how to proceed. The coroner may issue a form (called a 'pink form' or Form 100B) that allows registration before an inquest, or may conduct a full inquest. Inquests can take months or years. You cannot obtain death certificates or arrange probate until registration is complete. The coroner's office will keep you informed of timescales; many families use a funeral director to liaise with the coroner during this period.

Most estates require between four and ten certified copies. As a rule of thumb, you need one for each bank or building society account, one for each investment or pension, one for HMRC (for inheritance tax), one for the probate registry, one for the solicitor if you use one, and one to keep for your own records. Joint accounts often require a copy for each institution even if you were a joint holder. Ordering extra copies at registration is cheaper and quicker than ordering them later — the fee is the same but later orders are processed by post and take longer. If in doubt, order ten.