Losing a loved one is a difficult and stressful time. There are procedures which must be followed, to help ease the burden visit Bury council's Bereavement Service which provides advice with dealing with a death of a loved one.
A death must be registered within five days unless the coroner is investigating the circumstances around the death. There may be a delay until the coroner has completed their investigations. The death must be registered in the district where the death occurred.
Details of the death may be given at another register office in England and Wales by making a declaration which will be forwarded to the district where the death took place. However, documents may be delayed as these cannot be issued until the death has been registered.
The following people, in order of preference, are legally required to register a death.
- a relative
- a person present at the death
- the occupier of the premises where the death occurred, if he or she was aware of the death
- the person arranging the funeral (this does not mean the funeral director)
You must bring a medical certificate of cause of death issued by the doctor who was treating the deceased. The funeral director will advise you what to do if the Coroner has been informed of the death.
Who can register a death?
The following people, in order of preference, are legally required to register a death.
- a relative
- a person present at the death
- the occupier of the premises where the death occurred if he or she was aware of the death
- the person arranging the funeral (this does not mean the funeral director)
Information needed to register a death
To register a death, the registrar will need to know the following information
- the date and place of death
- the full forenames and surname. If the deceased was a married woman, the surname used before marriage, the date and place of birth
- the occupation. If the deceased was a married man or woman or widower or widow the name of their spouse and occupation or if the deceased was in a civil partnership the surviving civil partners name and occupation
- the usual address
- if the deceased was married or in a civil partnership the date of birth of the surviving widow, widower, or civil partner whether the deceased received a pension or allowance from public funds
Death certificates
You will not be given a death certificate free of charge. You may purchase certified copies of the original register entry. Additional copies can be purchased anytime once the death is registered.
The current fee for this is £11 for each certificate.
Making an appointment to register a death
- You must only book an appointment once the doctor/hospital have confirmed they have emailed the medical certificate of cause of death or the coroner's office have confirmed the paperwork has been issued to Bury register office
- The funeral director will advise you what to do if the coroner has been informed of the death
- You can pay for certificates in advance, certificates costs £11 each. You can pay by a credit or debit card
- Book an appointment online to register a death, including a still birth or infant death.
What happens next?
You will receive a confirmation email once you have booked your appointment and paid for your certificates. If you need to cancel or reschedule, follow the link on your email.
When you attend your appointment, it will last approximately 30 minutes and you must arrive on time for your appointment. A registrar will interview you in private and ask questions about the person who has died.