Register a death
Deadline for registering a death
A death must normally be registered within five days, unless it has been referred to the Coroner, in the registration district in which it took place.
Please make sure you book an appointment. Book your appointment 24/7 online now.
This may not be the same district in which the person had lived. You can provide information about a death at any registration office in England or Wales. The registration officer will send the information through to be registered in the appropriate district. Please bear in mind that this will take a little longer and could delay the funeral. You will need to contact the appropriate registration office if you are outside Gloucestershire.
A stillbirth must normally be registered within 42 days but cannot be more than 3 months after its occurence. There is more information about registering a stillbirth at Direct Gov: Registering or changing a stillbirth record
Tell Us Once
We only want you to have to tell us once so at the end of the appointment you will be given an opportunity to provide information that could be passed to different government and local government services which will inform them of the death on your behalf and should take away the need for you to contact these services individually.
You will need to bring the following documents relating to the deceased, if applicable, with you to your appointment:
- National Insurance number
- Passport
- Driving Licence
- Blue Badge
- Bus Pass
Read more about the tell us once service at direct gov.
Read our 
tell us once leaflet [811kb]
What other information and documents need to be supplied for the registration of a death?
Please bring the following information about the person who has died, which will be needed by the registration officer:
- Date and place of death
- Full name and surname, including maiden name if applicable, and any other names by which the deceased was known
- Date and place of birth
- Occupation
- Usual address
- Medical Certificate of Cause of Death
Occupation and the full name and occupation of their spouse or Civil Partner may also be required. The registration officer will need to know whether he or she was in receipt of any other government pension, in addition to Social Security benefits.
The information will then be written into a register, and you will be asked to check all details carefully before signing to say that they are all correct
Who can register a death?
It is a legal obligation to register a death, and a relative of the person who has died should do this.
If no relative is available, then it is sometimes possible for someone else to do it. This could be someone who was present at the death, for example, a senior member of staff from the establishment in which the death occurred or the person making the funeral arrangements but not the funeral director.
Certificates
After the death has been registered, the registration officer will issue you with two documents free of charge:
- Certificate for Burial or Cremation (green form)
This Certificate should given to the funeral director to enable the funeral to take place - Certificate of Registration of Death (BD8-white form)
This Certificate is for Social Security purposes. Please complete the form and return it to your local Benefits Agency office
You may also need to purchase death certificates. A death certificate is a certified copy of the entry in the register of deaths. It is subject to crown copyright and so cannot be photocopied.
As death certificates may be required by solicitors and financial organisations or for pensions and insurance claims, you may wish to purchase several copies at the time of registration. Certificates issued at the time of registering the death will cost £4.00 each. Please bring the correct money with you to your appointment.
You can also order copies of a death certificate online after the death has been registered at a charge of £10.00.
