Register a death

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A death must be registered by the Registrar of Deaths for the district in which the death occurred. A death should be registered within five days, unless the registrar says that this period may be extended.

If it is not convenient for you to visit the registration office for the district, you can go to any registration office in England or Wales to make a declaration of the particulars required for the registration. In that case any forms and death certificates you require will be sent by post. Please contact your local registration office for advice.

There are four offices in Wiltshire and opening hours and days vary. All registration offices operate an appointment system to prevent unnecessary waiting.

Please telephone to make an appointment as soon as the medical certificate of cause of death has been issued to you by the doctor of the deceased, who may be either the GP or a hospital doctor. The registration takes approximately 30 minutes.

You will need to provide a medical certificate of cause of death to the registration officer.

• The date and place of death
• The full name of the deceased (and maiden name where appropriate)
• The date and place of birth of the deceased
• The deceased's occupation and the full names and occupation of spouse or registered civil partner (surviving or deceased)
• The deceased's usual address
• Whether the deceased was in receipt of a pension from public funds
• If the deceased was married or in a civil partnership, the date of birth of the spouse or civil partner.
• Either the National Health Service number of the deceased if known, or the medical card itself if available, should be handed to the registration officer. Please do not delay registration if the medical card is not available.

Care should be taken to give full and detailed information to the Registrar. Missing or incorrect information may lead to delays in administering the deceased's estate.

After the registration the registration officer will issue two forms.

• A certificate for burial or cremation (known as the green form). This should be handed to the funeral director so that the funeral can take place. Occasionally this form is issued by the coroner.
• A certificate of registration of death (form BD8/344). This form is for the Social Security office to enable them to deal with benefits and state pensions. The form contains instructions and a questionnaire which should be completed and forwarded to the local benefits office.

It is preferred that a relative of the deceased registers the death. If there are no relatives then it is possible for other persons to register. Such persons may be someone present at the death, a senior administrator of the establishment in which the death occurred, or the person instructing the funeral director.

Payment

There is no charge for the registration.

To deal with the deceased's estate, you may need to purchase death certificates which are certified copies of the entry. These may be required for banks, building societies, insurance claims, solicitors and some pension schemes. There is a fee for each certificate issued. Please see the registration fees page for details of current charges.

If you have any questions our staff will be pleased to explain further.

Related information

• Registration service office locations and opening times

Related links

• General Register Office
• National Association of Funeral Directors
• A Consumer's Guide to Funerals

Last updated: 4 January 2012