GUIDANCE
Registering the death
Where and when to register, what to take with you, and the documents you will be given afterwards.
A death in England should normally be registered within five working days, at the register office for the sub district where the death has occurred. It is done by appointment, and it takes around half an hour.
You will leave with the death certificate — buy several copies, as banks, insurers and pension providers each want their own — and the registrars certificate for burial or cremation, which we need before the funeral can go ahead. Ask about the Tell Us Once service while you are there: it notifies most government departments in one go.
What to take, and what you get
Who can register
Usually a relative; otherwise someone present at the death
Medical certificate
Sent by the hospital or GP, or the coroner’s papers
Certified copies
Buy several — most organisations want an original
Tell Us Once
Notifies HMRC, DWP, DVLA and the council in one step
Within five working days
By appointment at the local register office
Helpful documents
Birth and marriage certificates, NHS card, if you have them
The green form
The certificate for burial or cremation, which we then need
Talk to us
No obligation, and no charge for a conversation. We answer the telephone in person, day or night.
What happens when
01
Book the appointment
With the register office for the district of the death.
02
Register in person
Around half an hour; take the certificate and documents.
03
Bring us the green form
Or ask the registrar to send it — then the funeral is confirmed.
Who to contact
| Organisation | What they help with | Telephone |
|---|---|---|
| Rotherham Register Office | Appointments and certificates | 01709 823 542 |
| Tell Us Once | Government notification service | 0800 085 7308 |
| Butterfields — 24 hours | Bringing your loved one into our care | 01709 571 777 |
Not sure what to do next?
Send us a message and we will reply the same working day — or telephone us at any hour if the death has just happened.