Registering a Death

Before the burial or cremation can take place, you will need to collect the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death from the deceased doctor and register their death with the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages. This will need to be completed within five days of their passing if you are in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.

You should register their death at a registration office within the district where they died. You will need to book an appointment with the registrar in advance; the appointment can take around half an hour.

  • A close relative of the deceased
  • Someone present at the death
  • The occupier of the premises where the death took place (member of the senior staff team at a hospital, institution, nursing home )
  • The person making the funeral arrangements (but not the funeral director).

Registrar for Births, Deaths and Marriages for the County of Shropshire

Shirehall
Abbey Foregate
Shrewsbury
SY2 6ND

Open: Monday to Friday: 9.15am to 4:30pm (closed on bank holidays) 

Location of registration service points in Shropshire (reduced opening hours):

  • Bishops Castle
  • Bridgnorth  
  • Church Stretton  
  • Ludlow  
  • Market Drayton
  • Oswestry
  • Wem
  • Whitchurch

To book an appointment at one of the above registration service points, please call the main Shropshire register team on: 0345 678 9016

 

To register a death, you will need to provide the following information:

  • The Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (issued by their Doctor), unless there is a Coroner involved in which case the Coroner’s office will advise.
  • The full name of the deceased (including their maiden surname if appropriate or any previous names)
  • The address of the person who has died
  • The date and place of birth of the deceased person
  • The date and place of death of the deceased
  • The former occupation of the deceased
  • Information regarding any benefits or state pension they were receiving
  • The full name, occupation, date of birth and usual address of the spouse or civil partner of the deceased.
  • Whether the deceased was in receipt of a pension from public funds (for e.g. Civil Servant or member of the Armed Forces)

Please also bring along any blue badges or bus passes, which will be returned to the relevant department.

 

You will also need to provide two forms of identification for yourself and two for the deceased. Having the following documents can help:

  • Birth certificate
  • Council tax bill
  • Driving licence
  • Marriage or Civil Partnership Certificate
  • NHS medical card
  • Proof of address
  • Passport
  • NI number

 

Tell Us Once

Tell Us Once is a service that lets you report a death to most government organisations in one place. It is worth asking the registrar when you go to the appointment and they can give you further information. View our full guide here.

 

What documents will you receive from the Registrar at the appointment?

  • Certified Death Certificate
    Multiple certified copies of the death certificate may be needed when dealing with the deceased’s estate (solicitors, banks, insurances, probate etc) as most places will only accept certified copies, not photocopies. The fees for death certificates ordered at a later date are higher, so you should consider this when deciding on how many copies to order when registering the death. The fee for a death certificate is £11 in England and Wales.
  • Certificate for Department of Work & Pensions benefits (BD8 form)
    The back of the form will need to be filled in and sent to the department of work and pensions alongside any pension books to notify them of the death if the deceased received a state pension or any other benefits. It will need to be posted to DWP address on the form or handed in at a Jobcentre Plus office. This form is free.
  • Certificate of Burial or Cremation (also known as the ‘green form’)
    This form which is free of charge will need to be handed in to your funeral director to confirm that the death has been officially registered and that a funeral may take place. This form is replaced by a document from the Coroner when an inquest is underway or if the funeral arrangements are for cremation and the Coroner has requested a post-mortem examination.