Registering a Death

The death can be registered by:

• Any relative of the deceased, or
• Any person present when the person died, or
• The deceased's executor or other legal representative, or
• The occupier of the property where the person died, or if there is no such person,
• Anyone else who knows the information to be registered.

Any death which occurs in Scotland must be registered within eight days by the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages. The death can be registered in any registration district in Scotland.

You should note that a burial or cremation can only take place after the death has been registered.

To register the death you should provide:

• The medical certificate of cause of death (this is sent directly to the registrar from the hospital or health centre);
• The deceased's birth and marriage certificate;
• The deceased's NHS medical card;
• Any documents relating to the receipt of a pension or allowance from government funds.

Do not worry if any of these documents are not available as the registrar can still proceed to register the death.

You will be asked to provide the registrar with the following information to register the death:-

• Full name;
• Date, place and country of Birth;
• Marital status; 
• Occupation;
• Address;
• Full names and occupation of all spouses or civil partners;
• If the deceased was married at the time of death, the date of birth of the surviving spouse is required;
• Father's full name, occupation and any other surnames used;
• Mother's full name, maiden surname, occupation and any other surnames used;
• If the parents are still alive and whether they are retired;
• The name and address of the deceased's registered doctor.

When the registration is complete the registrar will issue, free of charge:

• A certificate of registration of death (Form 14), this will be sent directly to the funeral director or the person in charge of the burial ground or crematorium;
• An abbreviated death extract.  Additional abbreviated or full extracts can be obtained for a fee ( currently £10.00 per extract)

You should register the death according to local regulations in the country concerned and obtain a certificate of death. 

Tell Us Once is a free service offered by HM Government.

When someone has died, there are lots of things that need to be done, at a time when you probably least feel like doing them.

Tell Us Once enables you to tell certain organisations about a death, including central and local government services securely and confidentially.  This service notifies:

• the local council - to update services such as Council Housing, Housing Benefit, Council Tax, Blue Badge and remove the person from the Electoral Register
• HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) - to deal with personal tax and to update regarding Child Benefit and Tax Credits claims (contact HMRC separately for business taxes, like VAT)
• Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) - to update benefits information for example: State Pension, Universal Credit
• Passport Office - to cancel a British passport
• Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) - to cancel a driving licence and to remove registered keeper details, possibly for up to five vehicles
• Public Sector or Armed Forces Pension Schemes - to update pension records

How do I use the service?

After the death has been registered the registrar will provide you with a unique Tell Us Once reference number, which will enable you to access the service at https://www.gov.uk/after-a-death or via the telephony service 0800 085 7308.

If you have requested to register the death face to face in the registration office, the registrar can complete the Tell Us Once service at the same time.

It will help you to have all the relevant information listed below about the person before using Tell Us Once:

• date of birth
• address of the deceased
• National Insurance number
• driving licence number
• vehicle registration number
• passport number

You will also need:

• details of any benefits or entitlements they were receiving, for example State Pension, Universal Credit
• details of any local council services they were receiving, for example Adult Social Services, Blue Badge, travel pass
• the name and address of their next of kin
• the name and address of any surviving spouse or civil partner
• the name, address and contact details of the person or company dealing with their estate (property, belongings and money), known as their ‘executor’ or ‘administrator’
• details of any public sector or armed forces pension schemes they were getting or paying into