How to register a death

From Monday 9 September the statutory process for registering a death will change. All deaths are required to be scrutinised by the Medical Examiner. This means that all qualified medical practitioners who complete the cause of death certificate are required to send this documentation directly to the Medical Examiner before there is any Registration Service involvement.

The Medical Examiner will discuss with bereaved families of the deceased the cause of death recorded by the doctor. They will also decide whether there is to be coronial involvement or whether the paperwork may be sent to the Registration Service for an appointment to be made to register the death. Due to this additional process, it is recommended that no date for a funeral is booked until the Registration Service have contacted you to book an appointment to register. The 5 day statutory period to register a death does not commence until the paperwork has been received by the Registration Service during working hours (Monday to Friday). The Registration Service will contact you when all necessary paperwork has been received.

When someone dies there is a lot to sort out and often lots of different organisations to inform of the death. At a very difficult time, the Tell Us Once service can help with this process by notifying various government departments and agencies on your behalf. For more information on this service, please go to our Tell Us Once page.

For advice and help with bereavement please see our bereavement support pages.  

If the deceased was a former coal miner, or a dependent, in receipt of a mining pension, you can access specialist support during the coronavirus outbreak. 

A death should be registered within five days unless the Coroner is involved, or there is a delay in us receiving the medical certificate of cause of death.

If the death occurred in Nottingham city, please contact Nottingham City Council to make an appointment.

It is a legal requirement to register a death. Doing so will provide you with the documents needed to arrange the funeral and to deal with the deceased's estate.

It is primarily the responsibility of a relative of the deceased to register the death. If a relative is not available then the following people can register the death:

  • someone present at the death
  • the occupier of the house where the death occurred or an administrator of the hospital
  • the person making arrangements with the funeral directors.

If the death took place in Nottinghamshire (but outside the City boundary) you can register the death at the register office most convenient for you.

If you're not sure the death took place in Nottinghamshire you can check which county the death took place in by searching for the town, street or postcode if it is known. 

If the death took place in another county but it is more convenient to register the death in Nottinghamshire, you can complete a declaration at your local office and the details will be sent on to the correct council who will then post out the death certificate paperwork to you.

  • your own personal identification (e.g. passport, Council tax Bill, Driving Licence or Proof of Address such as a utility bill).

In addition, it is often useful to take the deceased's:

  • birth certificate
  • NHS medical card
  • marriage certificate (if applicable).

  • Certificate of burial or cremation (green form) - This must be handed to the funeral director so that arrangements can be made for the funeral to take place. In certain circumstances a form will be issued by the Coroner instead
  • Certified copies of the register entry – you can purchase as many certificates as you wish. For full details please see our fees page.
  • Payment for certificates can be made with cash or card, as well as Apple Pay and Google Pay via your mobile phone.

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