Register a death

Contents of page

• What you need to do when someone dies
• Registering a death
• What happens if the death is referred to the Coroner
• Who can register a death
• The appointment
• Tell us Once
• Life Ledger
• Correct a death registration
• Register a Stillbirth
• Emergency out-of-hours services

What you need to do when someone dies

Registering a death

A death must now be registered in person and the registration must take place in the district where the death occurred.

The Medical Examiner will independently scrutinise a death that occurs in the hospital and hospice, and in some cases the community. Their role is to liaise with the family about the cause of death and where necessary engage with the coroner if the doctor hasn’t already done so. The role of the Medical Examiner will become statutory in September 2024 when all deaths will be scrutinised before the registration.

Once scrutinised the doctor will email a copy of the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death to the Register Office. Upon receipt of the paperwork from the doctor, we will contact the next of kin to arrange an appointment.

If you are the next of kin and have not heard from us within 2 days of the date of death, please telephone us to check we have the paperwork and to schedule an appointment. If we have not received the paperwork you will need to contact the doctor directly to ask them to forward this.

A death must be registered within five days from the date it occurred. This period can be extended if the coroner is involved and in some other exceptional circumstances.

If the death occurred in the Wakefield district, you will be able to register in person at one of the offices shown below;

Wakefield Register Office                
Wakefield Town Hall       
Wood Street                                        
Wakefield
WF1 2HQ                            

Pontefract Registration Office
Town Hall
Bridge Street
Pontefract
WF8 1PG

If it is difficult for you to get to the Registration Office, you may visit your local Register Office and declare the necessary information. Please be mindful that registration by declaration will usually delay the issue of the document needed for the funeral arrangements. 

What happens if the death is referred to the coroner 

In some cases, a death will be referred to the Coroner for investigation. Once the Corners investigations are completed he/she will contact you and will provide written notification to the registrar for the registration to proceed.

Inquests – if an inquest is held the Coroner will inform the registrar once the inquest is over and the death will be registered. You do not need an appointment to register. If you wish to purchase death certificates you can order these online on our Ordering a certificate page here, or contact us by telephone.

View the Coroner's court diary here.

Who can register a death

The primary responsibility for registering a death rests with the closest relative by blood or marriage. If no relative is available to register, please contact us for advice.

The appointment 

When we contact you we will arrange an appointment for you to attend either the Wakefield or Pontefract office.  The appointment will be confirmed by email.  It is important that you arrive on time for your appointment, or we may not be able to see you.  The appointment will last approximately 30 minutes.

The registrar will require certain information from you to register the death, this can be found here.

You can also find an accessible ODT version of this document here.

Documents relating to the deceased that may be helpful but are not essential at the point of registration are;

• Passport and/ or Birth Certificate

• Proof of Address i.e. utility bill

• Deed Poll (if applicable)

• NHS Medical Card

• Marriage and /or Civil Partnership Certificates – including any from previous relationships which are available

What documents you will receive from the registrar

After the information has been recorded the registrar will issue the necessary forms and certificates.   Death certificates can be purchased at a statutory fee of £11 each and we would ask for payment to be made by debit or credit card.

The Form 9 (green form) - the forms required to proceed with the funeral arrangements will be sent electronically to the relevant council's Bereavement Services Team.

Tell us Once 

Tell Us Once is a free local and central government bereavement notification service. Tell us Once will contact government and local council services on your behalf, following a death registration. This short information video provides further information.

At the end of your appointment the registrar will issue you with a unique reference number so you can use the service online or by phone.
For more information visit the GOV.UK advice page here.

Life Ledger

Life Ledger is a free, easy-to-use service that allows families to inform companies such as banks, insurance, gas, water, telecoms, and social media, connected to the deceased, from one place. Please visit their website for more information.

Correct a death registration