Register a death

A death must be registered within 5 calendar days from when the relevant paperwork is received by the register office. The next of kin will receive a text and / or email on the same day the paperwork is received by us.

How to register a death

It is a legal requirement to register a death or stillbirth in person with the registrar.

Step 1 – Medical certificate of cause of death

The medical examiner will send the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) to us.

Appointments to register a death cannot be booked until we have received and reviewed the MCCD.

Step 2 – Book an appointment to register a death 

Once we have received the electronic copy of the MCCD from medical examiner or coroner's paperwork, we will send the next of kin an email and / or text to invite them to book an appointment to register the death.

Please note: Only 2 persons will be admitted to the appointment.

Step 3 – Confirmation of the registration appointment

Once you have booked the appointment, we will send you a confirmation email which will explain what information you will need to give to the registrar at the appointment.

If you live outside Central Bedfordshire

If the death occurred in Central Bedfordshire, but you live elsewhere, you can register the death by making a declaration to any registrar of births and deaths in England or Wales. The details will be forwarded to us and we'll record the death. Once it's registered with us, you can apply to us for the death certificate. If this is what you would like to do, please call us on 0300 300 8089 once you have received notification to let us know which register office you want to attend.

Who can register a death?

You can register a death if you are:

• a relative of the deceased
• a partner – (a person who has been living with the deceased as partners in an enduring relationship)
• a person who was present at the death
• the occupier of the premises where the death occurred (if they knew about it)
• the person arranging the funeral – this does not include the funeral director
• a personal representative – a person appointed by and acting on behalf of the deceased’s family such as a solicitor

Purchase of death certificates

Once your appointment to register the death has been made, you may pre-order your certificates online via certificates for births, marriages, deaths or civil partnerships. Your pre-ordered certificates will be issued to you at the end of the death registration appointment. If you would prefer to order your certificates after the death has been registered, these can either be collected from our Ampthill office during office opening hours or can be posted to your home address.