Registering a Death
In England and Wales, a death must be registered within five (5) days. Registration must be carried out by the Registrar of Births and Deaths, for the area in which the death occurred.
If you are unsure whether or not you have authority to register the death, we will advise you.
When attending the office of the Registrar, you (the Informant), must take the following things with you:
- Medical Certificate of Cause of Death
- Deceased’s Birth Certificate
- Marriage Certificate (where relevant)
- Deceased’s National Health Medical Card (if possible)
The Registrar will ask you to provide information about the person who has passed away:
- First name/s, surname and any other names used officially (and maiden name where relevant)
- Usual home address
- Date and place of death
- Date and place of birth
- Occupation (if the person was a married woman, then the name and occupation of her surviving husband or civil partner is also required)
- Date of birth of surviving partner
- Whether the deceased was in receipt of a pension or allowance/s from public funds
The Registrar will ask you, as Informant, to provide information about yourself:
- First name/s and surname
- Relationship to the person who has passed away
- Usual home address
The Registrar will give you the following documents:
Certified Copy of an Entry, (commonly known as the Death Certificate)
The Registrar will charge a fee of £11 per copy. Should you need to purchase further copies at a later date, these are also £11 each. This document is often required for purposes of Probate, banking, shares, bonds, pensions and insurance. It is also useful for finalising many other legal aspects of the person’s estate as well as for private family records.
Certificate of Registration of Death (form BD8) Registrars' Certificate for Burial or Cremation
This is green in colour and may be referred to as the 'Green Form'. This document must be handed to your funeral director.
Deaths referred to the coroner
If a death is referred to the coroner, it cannot be registered until it is agreed with the coroner. This is not uncommon and there are two outcomes of a death being referred.
There won't be an inquest
You will be sent a form from the coroner to confirm that the death can now be registered. This will usually let you know whether a cause of death certificate will need to be acquired from the doctor. Once the registrar has received documentation from the coroner, you can register the death.
There will be an inquest
You may be offered a ‘Coroner's Certificate of the Fact of Death’ [certificate] before the inquest, which can help you to deal with estate affairs etc. However, you will not be able to register a death with this. When the inquest is concluded the documentation will be sent by the coroner to the registrars' office to register the death. You do not need to be present for this, but you will need to contact the registrar should you require copies of the death certificate.
The following is a list of Register Offices in the area:
Chippenham Registration Office
- 4 Timber Street,
Chippenham, SN15 3BZ - 0300 003 4569
Swindon Register Office
- Civic Offices, Euclid Street,
Swindon, SN1 2JH - 01793 522738
Royal Wootton Bassett
Register Office
- The Library, Borough Fields,
Royal Wootten Bassett, SN4 7AX - 0300 003 4569
Calne Register Office
- The Library, The Strand,
Calne SN11 0JU - 0300 003 4569
Devizes Registration Office
- The Beeches, Bath Road,
Devizes, SN10 2AL - 0300 003 4569
Trowbridge Register Office
- The Chestnuts, Bythesea Road,
Trowbridge BA14 8JN - 0300 003 4569
Marlborough Library Register Office
- The Library, 91 High Street,
Marlborough, SN8 1HD - 0300 003 4570
Bath Register Office Births & Deaths
- Guildhall, High Street,
Bath, Somerset BA1 5AW - 01225 477234
