Registering a death

It's difficult to know what to do when you have suffered a bereavement. The first step is to register the death within 5 days of the date of death. The death must be registered at the Register Office for the district where the death occurred.

If you're not able to travel to one of our Shropshire register offices you can contact your local Register Office to enquire about making a declaration of registration.

When can you complete a death registration?

Legally, the death must be registered within five days of it occurring - though this period may be extended in certain circumstances, for example when the coroner has been consulted. The death must be registered in person by a relative, someone who is arranging the funeral or someone who was present at the death.

There is no longer a requirement for those registering the death to collect the Medical Certificate of Cause (MCCD) as the hospital or GP surgery will scan a copy of the relevant paperwork directly to the Register Office. We regret that legislation does not allow the death to be registered remotely, such as online, by e-mail or by telephone.

If you are unsure about the time limitations, or think you may not be able to register within five days, please telephone the register office on 0345 678 9016 or email us at registrars@shropshire.gov.uk for further information.

How do I register a death?

You're able to register a death or make a declaration of particulars in Shropshire at one of our register offices in Shropshire, Monday to Friday. All registrations are by appointment only. Once we have the Medical Cause of Death Certificate from the Hospital or Doctor we will call you to make appointment. You can call us on 0345 678 9016 or email registrars@shropshire.gov.uk

Who is able to register the death?

The death must be registered by a qualified informant and this person must be one of the following:

A relative, usually the closest one
Someone who was present at the death
Someone who is instructing the funeral director
In rare circumstances another person may qualify as an informant - if you think that this may be the case then you should contact the register office for further advice

Important - an executor is not automatically entitled to register a death unless they are also arranging the funeral.

What information needs to be supplied to the registrar?

Once you have made an appointment you will be emailed a form for you to complete prior to attending the Register Office which we ask you to complete with all the details about the deceased. This will then need to be returned to the Registrar ready for your appointment.

The registrar will need to know the following information:

The date and place of death
The deceased’s last (usual) address
The deceased’s full names and surnames (and the maiden surname where appropriate)
The deceased’s date and place of birth (town and county if born in the United Kingdom, and country if born abroad)
The deceased’s occupation
If the deceased was married, widowed or in a civil partnership, the full name and occupation of their spouse or civil partner
The date of birth of a surviving spouse or civil partner their NHS number
Details of any public sector pension e.g. civil service, teacher or armed forces

When you attend to register the death:

A ‘Medical Certificate of Cause of Death’ (as issued by the doctor who certified the death) will have been sent by the Doctor or Hospital directly to us
If the doctor has had to inform the Coroner about the death, the Coroner may need to issue another certificate and in that case, the registrar will need the coroner’s document in order to register the death, this will be sent directly to the Registrar from the coroner
The deceased’s NHS medical card (if available)
It is also useful if you have the deceased’s passport, birth certificate and (if applicable) marriage certificate to hand but these documents are not essential provided you are able to give the Registrar the correct information
How many death certificates you wish to purchase

Documents provided by the registrar at your appointment

You can purchase a certified copy of the death entry (death certificate) at the appointment which are £12.50 each. Please note we only accept card payments.

The Certificate for Burial or Cremation (Form 9), this is known as the 'Green Form' and gives permission for the body to be buried or for an application for cremation to be made will be transmitted electronically to the undertakers.

However, in certain circumstances the Coroner may make one the following available in place of the above:

An Order for Burial (Form 101)
A Certificate for Cremation (Form E)

You will be given a reference number enabling you to use the Tell Us Once service – a free and highly recommended service which will inform the main government agencies of the deceased’s death, all in one go. For more information visit the Tell Us Once page.

The Coroner

When a death occurs in the following circumstances, it will be referred to the Coroner:

The death is sudden and unexpected,
The cause of death is industrially-related,
The cause of death is unknown,
There are suspicious circumstances surrounding the death,
When a doctor has explained that they are unable to issue a medical certificate of cause of death.

Deaths reported to the Coroner

The Coroner will investigate the circumstances of the death and do one of the following:

Issue a certificate, allowing the death to be registered
Arrange a post-mortem, and when it is complete, issue a cause of death certificate that allows the death to be registered
Arrange a post-mortem and hold an inquest; the Coroner will then arrange for the death to be registered after the inquest has taken place