Order death certificates
Certificate Ordering
Birth, death and marriage registers for the Hastings, Eastbourne and Lewes areas (1837–2008) are currently undergoing essential preservation work to safeguard them for future generations.
Certificates from these registers can still be ordered from the General Register Office (GRO):
Order a birth, death, marriage or civil partnership certificate - GOV.UK
This does not affect:
- registers from 2009 to present day
- registers for the Crowborough registration district
- marriage registers at places of worship
If we cannot fulfil your certificate order, we will notify you and provide a full refund.
Order copies of death certificates for deaths which happened in East Sussex, as shown in the map. This excludes Brighton & Hove, West Sussex and elsewhere.
- All certificates issued are certified copies of the original register entry and are accepted for official purposes.
If the death was registered in another local authority area, you can order certificates here:
Certificates are only available after the death has been registered by a family member or other qualified informant.
Book an appointment to register a death
Before you order
Check the event was registered in East Sussex.
Make sure you have the person's full name and approximate date of the event.
If you need the certificate urgently, use the Priority Service.
Certificates are sent to the cardholder's billing address.
For the purposes of Public Protection and Counter Fraud, there are some additional restrictions on applications for the certificate of the death of a child.
Processing times do not include Royal Mail delivery. Delivery times can vary and are outside our control.
| Service level | What is included | Total price |
|---|---|---|
| Priority Service | Order processed within 24 hours Monday to Friday (excluding weekends and bank holidays). Certificate sent via 1st class post on the next working day. | £38.50 |
| Statutory Service | Order processed within 15 working days. Certificate sent via 2nd class post on the 15th working day. | £12.50 |
Good to know
- Please keep your order reference as you will need to quote it if there is a problem with your order.
- Email us at registrar@eastsussex.gov.uk or call us on 0345 60 80 198 if something goes wrong.
- Your personal details are protected when using our online forms. Read our privacy statement and our privacy notice.
- Refunds and cancellations
