REGISTERING A DEATH
The death of a family member or close friend is distressing and the formalities that need to be followed after that death can prove very stressful. West Sussex Registration staff will provide a sympathetic and sensitive service when guiding you through the process of registering the death. If you need more help and information call one of our offices, the staff there will be pleased to help.
Formalities after death
The doctor who was attending to the deceased, will issue a medical cause of death certificate. This certificate will be placed in an envelope, sealed and must then be handed to the Registrar. Some deaths may need to be referred to the coroner. The doctor may refer cases and so may the Registrar. The Coroner will decide on a course of action, he may
- Take no further action. He will inform the Registrar direct of his decision
- Carry out a post mortem. The Coroner will issue the cause of death certificate and send it direct to the Registrar.
- Hold an inquest. Advice on this procedure will normally be issued by the Coroner’s Office within a day or two of the death. Until the Coroner’s decision is known, the Registrar will be unable to register the death.
Normally a death is registered within 5 days, in the registration district where the death took place. The certificates and documents are issued to you at the time of the registration. If you are unable to register at that office, you may attest the death by declaration at any register office in England and Wales. The information you give will be sent to the district where the death occurred, when they have registered the death in their register, they will send you the certificates and forms you request. Please be advised that this could take up to a week.
Registering a death
A “qualified” informant is needed to register a death. Normally this means a relative of the deceased, but if there are no relatives, then it is possible for other persons to register.
- A person present at the death
- Owner/Manager of residential home
- The person responsible for organising the funeral
For further advice it is recommended that you contact your local register office.
You will be asked by the Registrar for the following information concerning the deceased:
- Date and place of death
- Full names of deceased, including maiden name where appropriate
- Date and place of birth of deceased
- Deceased’s occupation, where appropriate
- Deceased’s usual address
- If the deceased is a married/widowed woman, the full names and occupation of her husband/late husband will be required
- If the deceased was married, the date of birth of the spouse
- Was the deceased receiving any pensions or allowances from public funds.
It may be a good idea to look out some documentation for the deceased if you are unsure of any of the above, such as birth certificate, marriage certificate (if applicable) and NHS medical card.
When the death has been entered in the register by the Registrar, you will be issued with two certificates which are free of charge. These certificates can only be used for specific purposes.
- A green certificate for burial or cremation. You need to take this to the funeral director so that the funeral arrangements can take place. For some registrations this form will have been issued by the Coroner. The registrar will advise you if this is the case.
- A white certificate of the Registration of Death ( also called form 344 or BD8). This form is for the Department of Social Security. All you need to do is to complete the back of the form and send it to your local DSS office.
Certified copies of the death certificate are available at the time of registration for a small fee. You may need these for insurance or probate purposes. The Registrar may be able to advise you how many you will need.
Contact
Cemeteries Administrator
Hills Cemetery
Guildford Road
Horsham
West Sussex
RH12 1TT
Tel: (01403) 253191