Who can register a death

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Most deaths are registered by a relative of the deceased. If the deceased has no relatives or none are available then any of the following can register the death:

• any relative of the deceased – including a relative by marriage

• a person present at the death

• a person taking care of the funeral arrangements

• the executor or administrator of the deceased's estate

• the governor, matron or chief officer of a public building where the death occurred

• a person living in and responsible for a house, lodgings or apartments where the death occurred

• a person finding, or a person taking charge, of the body

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Information needed to register a death

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To complete the registration you will need to know:

• full name and surname of the deceased

• deceased’s usual address

• date and place of death

• marital status (single, married/civil partner, widowed/surviving civil partner or divorced/civil partnership dissolved)

• date and place of birth

• occupation of the deceased

• if the deceased was married/civil partner, full name and occupation of husband/wife/civil partner

• if the deceased was a child under the age of 16, the full names and occupations of the parents

• maiden surname (if the deceased was a woman who had married)

• name and address of the deceased's GP

• details of any NI Civil Service or Teacher’s pension that the deceased may have held

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Completing the registration

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You should register a death within five working days from when the certificate has been received from the hospital, not from when the death occurred, unless it has been referred to the coroner, you will need to:

• fill in the registration of a death form

• give the medical certificate of the cause of death, signed by a doctor

• bring the form and medical certificate to any District Registration Office in Northern Ireland

There is no cost for registering a death. The only cost will be for copies of the death certificates if needed.

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