A death should normally be registered within five days.  However if a coroner is investigating the death, this may take longer. The death should be registered at the register office in the district where the death occurred.

For deaths in Warrington, you should register it at Warrington Register Office.

Who can register a death

It's preferable for a close relative of the deceased to register the death. However other people can do so, such as: 

• A person who was present at the death
• The person arranging the funeral (not a funeral director)
• The administrator of the care home where the deceased was resident

You will need to make an appointment to register a death please call 01925 443322.  If the death is COVID-19 related or the coroner is involved, call 01925 442194.  From Monday 6th April, our Register Office will be closed as part of our COVID-19 measures. Your appointment will be conducted by telephone.

What you need for your appointment

You cannot register a death without a medical certificate.

However, the doctor will pass the medical certificate to the Register Office to enable the appointment to go ahead. If the death has been referred to the Coroner, you will be told what to do by the Coroner’s office.

It is useful to have other documentation relating to the deceased, available for the telephone appointment, such as;

• Passport
• Driving licence
• Utility bill
• Birth and marriage/civil partnership certificates
• NHS medical card
• Deed poll/name change documents

If they had a blue badge, please mention it to the Registrar during your appointment and they will advise you what to do next.

It is also useful to have available for your appointment:

• Passport
• Driving licence
• Proof of address (such as a utility bill or council tax statement, for example)

Do not worry if any of these documents are not available as the registrar is able to complete the registration without them. However, please be advised that as of 1 November 2017 there will be a charge of between £75.00 and £90.00 for a correction to a registration. Please ensure that you know all the necessary information and that you check the register page extremely carefully before signing it. Errors or omissions in registers can lead to problems using copy certificates for official purposes in the future, and applying for a correction can be time consuming as well as costly.

Information you'll be asked

The registrar will need to know the following information about the deceased:

• date and place of death
• full name, surname and maiden surname if a married woman
• date and place of birth
• occupation and if a married woman or widow, the full name and occupation of her husband
• usual home address
• if married, the date of birth of the surviving widow or widower
• whether the deceased was in receipt of a pension or allowance from public funds.    

Certificates and forms

A green form will be discussed at your registration appointment and the Registrar will send it to your funeral director. This will allow them to go ahead and plan the funeral arrangements (other procedures may apply if the death has been referred to the Coroner).

You can buy death certificates at your appointment. These are £11.00 each and payment can be made by credit/debit card.