Registration of death

You are legally required to register the death of a loved one within 5 days, except in certain circumstances where the period may be extended to 14 days. If the Coroner’s Office is investigating the death they will issue a certificate directly to the Registrar’s Office and then you will be required to register the death in the normal way. In the case of a Coroner’s Inquest it is not required for you to personally register the death and the Coroner will issue you with interim death certificates so that the funeral may take place. The Coroner’s Office will always keep you informed and advise you during the time your loved one is in their care.

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Who can register the death?

People with legal responsibility to register a death include:

• A relative of the deceased

• A person who was present at the death

• The occupier of the premises where the death occurred if he or she knew it was happening

• The person responsible for arranging the funeral (not the Funeral Director)

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What do I need to take with me to register the death?

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The following documents and information will be required:

• Full name of the deceased

• Date and place of birth of deceased

• Date and place of death of deceased

• Occupation of deceased

• If the deceased was in receipt of a pension or allowance from the state

• Date of birth of surviving partner (if applicable)

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Also for deceased married women:

• Married name

• Husbands full name (even if deceased)

• Husbands last occupation (even if deceased)

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What will be issued by the registrar?

• A green certificate (if the coroner is involved, the registration details may differ). This form must be given to the funeral director as soon as possible.

• A form for state payment purposes

• Certified copies of the entry (formal death certificate)

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You may require copies of these for official purposes to settle the estate of the deceased, you can obtain them at the same time for a set fee.