You need to contact us to change or cancel an appointment.
Tell us once
At your appointment, the registrar will explain the tell us once service to you and either complete the service with you or give you a reference number to contact the service yourself.
When to register a death
A death must legally be registered within five days from the registrar getting the medical certificate of cause of death from the medical examiner. The medical examiner will confirm to you when they have sent this to us.
The timescales can be different if the coroner is investigating. Visit our coroners and death investigations page to find out about registering a death when there is a coroner's investigation.
At your appointment
Where possible, we ask that no more than two people come to the appointment.
What you need to bring
If possible, you should bring:
documents to confirm details about the person who has died, for example, a birth or marriage certificate, passport or medical card
a reference number for any government pension the person who died was getting
any North Yorkshire cards or passes, for example a Blue Badge or bus pass, for the person who has died - we can return these for you
documents about yourself showing your name and address, for example a passport, driving licence or utility bill
an interpreter if nobody attending the appointment speaks English
You do not need to bring a copy of the medical certificate of cause of death. The medical examiner will send this to us electronically.
If you cannot bring documents confirming the details of the person who has died, this will not prevent the registration continuing.
Information you need to give us at the appointment
You will need to give us the following information about the person who has died:
full name
date and place of death
any other names they may be known by, for example, maiden name or a name changed by deed poll
date and place (town and country) of birth
what their job was and whether they were retired
their usual address
full name and occupation of their spouse, whether they are alive or not
NHS number if possible
You will need to tell us the following information about yourself:
full name and address
relationship to the person who has died or why you are able to register the death
Death certificates and green forms
We do not issue free copies of death certificates. You will be able to buy a copy at your appointment which will help with the finances of the person who has died.
We will give you a free green form (unless the coroner has already issued one) which will need to be given to the crematorium, cemetery or church. If you are using a funeral director, they will usually do this for you.
If the person who has died was getting a pension from certain public funds, for example because they worked in the civil service, as a teacher or at a post office, we will inform the relevant organisation directly.
Changing details on a death certificate
You cannot change a death certificate after it has been issued. However, you can apply to add a note to the original entry in the death register and then buy an updated certificate that shows the note of correction.
In England and Wales, a death must be registered at the register office in the area where the death occurred.
If the person died outside North Yorkshire, you can either:
travel to the register office in the area where the person died to register the death in person - you will need to contact the other register office directly to make an appointment
go to a register office in North Yorkshire and give us the details for the register entry which we will post to the register office in the area where the person died – this will cause a short delay in getting your certificates and relevant paperwork because the other register office will post it to you
Taking the deceased abroad
If you want to take the deceased abroad, you must give written notice to the coroner. They will tell you within four days if further enquiries are needed.
