What to Do Next
Simple guidance to help you register a death correctly.
You Can Find More Advice Online Here: https://www.gov.uk/when-someone-dies
First Steps:
After someone dies, their doctor must confirm the death before contacting the medical examiner. This can take a few days. The form that is completed by them is called Medical
Certificate Cause of Death (MCCD)
A medical examiner will then check the cause of death to make sure it’s accurate. They will be a senior doctor and they will not have been involved in the care of the person who has died.
The medical examiner’s office will then contact you to:
- Explain the cause of death
- Answer any questions you have about this or the healthcare provided to the person
before they died - This is voluntary and you do not have to speak to them.
You must wait for the medical examiner’s office to confirm you can register the death. You must register the death within 5 days (8 days in Scotland) of getting the confirmation. This includes weekends and bank holidays. If you need more than 5 days, you must tell the register office immediately.
Most registration offices operate appointment systems, so please wait for a telephone call before you visit. It is helpful to take the following with you, although these are not essential: birth and marriage certificates for the deceased, details of any state benefits, the NHS medical card and the National Insurance number of the deceased, and also that of a surviving husband, wife or civil partner.
Tell Us Once is a service that lets you report a death to most government organisations in one go. The Registrar will explain the Tell Us Once service when you register the death.
They will either:
- Complete the Tell Us Once service with you
- give you a unique reference number so you can use the service yourself online or by
phone. They will give you the telephone number.
Once you have a reference number you can proceed online here: https://tell-us-someone-died.dwp.gov.uk
Where the funeral is to be arranged quickly for religious or cultural purposes there is a Registrar available on the usual number 0789 906 0396 at the weekends and most bank holidays (except 25th December and 1st January) between 10 AM and 12 noon.
This Registrar will only follow the process above and contact the informant provided by the Dr for the Registration once the MCCD has been received electronically.
Medical examiners have a legal obligation to report cases to the Coroner where there is reason to suspect that:
- The death was unnatural or violent
- The cause of death is unknown
- The death occurred in custody or other state detention
This can include cases where the death is due to the person undergoing a treatment or procedure of a medical or similar nature - for example, a death during an operation or before full recovery from an anaesthetic, where the cause was not natural.
In addition, there will always be cases which may, on one view be ‘natural’, but which have some other element (for example, concerns about neglect or standards of care) which brings them within the remit of the Coroner. These must be reported to the coroner.
When a death is reported, it is for the Coroner to decide whether their legal obligation to investigate is needed.
You’ll get a certificate for burial or cremation (often called ‘the green form’).
Give the “green form” to your funeral director, crematorium or burial authority. You must do this before the funeral can take place.
After the death has been registered, the ‘informant’ can buy a certified copy of the register entry - the ‘death certificate’ - which includes an exact copy of the cause of death information described on the MCCD. This gives them information on how the person died, which may be important for their own health and that of future generations. The informant is someone who meets the legal criteria to register the death with the registrar. The informant is often a member of the deceased person’s family.
You may need more than one copy of the death certificate for legal institutions such as banks; insurance companies; utility companies; DVLA; HMRC etc.
If a death is reported to a coroner, the documents you need to register the death may be different.
The coroner will try to find out how the person died. They’ll release the body for cremation or burial once they’ve carried out their examinations.
The coroner might decide that they do not need to investigate after a death is reported to them. The medical examiner will contact you to confirm you can register the death.
If the coroner finds the cause of death or if the coroner decides that the cause of death is clear, they’ll issue a certificate to the registrar saying that an inquest is not needed and the Registrar will contact you to arrange for the death to be registered.
A coroner must hold an inquest if:
- The cause of death is still unknown
- The person might have died a violent or unnatural death
- The person might have died in prison or police custody
If you need proof of the death while you wait for the inquest to finish, ask the coroner for an interim death certificate.
Once the inquest is over, you can get the final death certificate from the registrar. You can use either the interim or final death certificate to:
- Apply for probate
- Report the death to more than one government organisation using Tell Us Once - the registrar can help you to do this (see above - Registering A Death)
The coroner may decide a post-mortem is needed to find out how the person died. This can be done either in a hospital or mortuary.
A post mortem might take place even if a coroner decides not to investigate the death.
You cannot object to a coroner’s post-mortem - but if you’ve asked, the coroner must tell you (and the person’s GP) when and where the examination will take place.
The coroner will release the body for a funeral once they have completed the post-mortem examinations and no further examinations are needed.
If the body is released with no inquest, the coroner will send a form (‘Form CN2’) to the registrar stating the cause of death.
The coroner will also send a ‘Certificate of Coroner - form Cremation 6’ if the body is to be cremated.
You can get free, independent support from The Coroners’ Courts Support Service.
The Coroners’ Courts Support Service Helpline (England and Wales)
Telephone: 0300 111 2141
Monday to Friday, 9am to 7pm
Saturday, 9am to 2pm
Documents From the Registrar
Certified Copies of the Death Certificate
The death registration is a permanent record and is retained by the registrar. You may purchase as many copies of this document as you need, and these are what is meant when banks and others ask to see an “original” death certificate. The price in Nottingham for a death certificate is £11 but usually rises significantly if you need more later. Also, double-check with companies if they need an original or if they will accept a scanned copy.
Certificate for Burial or Cremation
This is free and is commonly referred to as “the green form”. It proves to the funeral director and the cemetery or crematorium authorities that a funeral may take place. The green form is replaced by a document from the coroner if there will be an inquest or if the funeral will be a cremation following a coroner’s post-mortem examination.
‘Tell Us Once’ service
When someone dies, there can often be several government departments and agencies to notify. For example, a passport or driving license may need to be cancelled, or benefits stopped.
The “Tell Us Once” service is designed to make things simpler for you, by helping you give this information to the government only once. They will give you a unique reference code, as well as instructions on how to use it and who will be informed.
Local Registration Offices
Nottingham City Council Register Office
Mon - Fri: 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Nottinghamshire County Council Register Office
Mon - Thu: 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
then 2 PM - 4.30 PMFri: 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM then
then 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Registering the Death
Once you have collected the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death from the GP surgery or Hospital Bereavement centre, you will need to contact the local registrar.
The death will need to be registered in the sub-district where the death occurred. You can find which Registrar’s Office to use, based on the location of the death by visiting:
https://www.gov.uk/register-offices
The Registrar will issue you with the Registrar’s Certificate for Burial or Cremation. This form will be green in colour and should be given to your chosen Funeral Director.
This is also where you can purchase your Certified Copy of an Entry which is commonly known as a death certificate. These will come at a cost of £11 per copy and you will not need to purchase one for us. Registering a death usually takes around 30 minutes.
- Relative or Civil Partner of the Deceased
- Relative or Civil Partner present at death
- Relative or Civil partner residing in sub-district where the death occurred
- Any person present at death or any person who found the body
- The person in charge of making the funeral arrangements
Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (Signed by the Doctor)
If available but not necessary:
- Birth Certificate
- Council Tax Bill
- Driving License
- Marriage or Civil Partnership Certificate
- NHS Medical Card
- Passport
- Proof of Address
- Deceased full name and maiden name (if applicable)
- Date of death
- Date of Birth
- Place of Birth and Death
- Usual address of the Deceased
- Any government benefits that the Deceased was receiving
- Deceased occupation (and Husband’s occupation if deceased is a married woman)
- Name and date of birth of any surviving Widow/Widower
- Informant’s Full name, what qualified them to register the death (Relationship)
- Home Address
- Registrar’s Certificate for Burial or Cremation (This green form needs to be given to the Funeral Director)
- Certified copy of an Entry (these come at a cost of £11 per copy)
- BD8 Notification of death – This will allow the cancellation of any Pensions or government benefits the Deceased may have had.
This is a service that lets you report a death to most government organisations such as building societies, DVLA, HMRC revenue and customs, local councils etc.
When you register the death the registrar will:
- Give you the phone number for the Tell Us Once service
- Give you a unique reference number to use the Tell Us Once service online or by phone
To use the ‘Tell Us Once’ service you will need the following details of the person who has passed away:
- Date of Birth
- National Insurance Number
- Vehicle Registration Number
- Passport Number
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us.