Register a death
Book an appointment
Most deaths are scrutinised by the Medical Examiner (ME). Some deaths are investigated by the Coroner in the following situations:
- the cause of death was sudden, violent or unnatural
- the cause of death was an industrial disease
- the death occurred in any other circumstances that may require investigation
The Medical Examiner or Coroner will tell you when you can book an appointment to register the death.
- Once the Medical Examiner or Coroner tells you to register, you should register within 5 days.
- Please arrive no more than 10 minutes before your appointment.
- Our offices are small, only those essential to the registration should attend.
Who should register?
- A relative of the deceased.
- The partner of the deceased.
- A person present at the death.
- The owner or manager of the residential home where the death occurred.
- The person responsible for organising the funeral.
- The personal representative of the deceased, appointed by and acting on behalf of the deceased person’s family (such as a friend, solicitor or funeral director).
If you cannot register within 5 days, you should ask someone else to register. You can appoint a personal representative to act on your behalf.
A personal representative can be appointed by the family without any formal process. This can be a friend, solicitor or funeral director. You should ensure they have all the relevant information.
Where should I register the death?
For deaths that occurred in East Sussex (excluding Brighton & Hove).
You can register the death at one of our Register Offices.
For deaths that occurred elsewhere.
You should register with the local registration service where it happened.
For deaths that occurred overseas.
The process of registration is different. For advice visit Register a death (gov.uk).
What do I need to register a death?
For most deaths, the Medical Examiner (ME) will instruct you when you can register.
Some deaths will be investigated by the Coroner. They will tell you if/when you need to register.
When you register, it may be useful to bring the deceased’s:
- Passport
- Driving licence
- Utility bill
- Birth and marriage certificates
If these are unavailable, we can still register without them.
What will the registrar ask me?
| Details required | Guidance notes |
|---|---|
| Date of death | The date you understand the death took place on |
| Place of death | The name of the hospital or nursing home, the name or number of the house, the name of the street and town. Death can take place in an ambulance, car or some other place without a recognised address. You would need to provide further details. The registrar will provide guidance. |
| Name and surname | The name the deceased was known by at the time of their death. You should also provide any other names the deceased was known by. |
| Sex | Male or Female |
| Maiden surname of a woman who has married | If the deceased was a woman, this is the surname in which she contracted her first marriage. |
| Date of birth | Be as accurate as possible, but if the exact date is not known please provide approximate date. |
| Place of birth | The town and county (or London borough). If they were born outside of the UK, the registrar only needs to know the country. |
| Occupation | The deceased’s most recent or main occupation. You should also tell the registrar if the deceased was retired. |
| Marital status | If the deceased was married or in a civil partnership, at the time of their death. What are/were the names of their spouse or civil partner (including if they are deceased). |
| Usual address | Including the name or number of the house, name of the street, town and county. |
Tell Us Once
After registering the death, you can access Tell Us Once, a free Government service.
This allows you to notify local and central government about a death, in one simple step.
Agencies that can be notified through the scheme include those responsible for,
- Income Support
- Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Pension Credits
- Council tax
- Housing benefit
- Other state benefits
- The electoral register
- Disabled blue badges
- Bus passes
- Driving licences
The Registrar will give you a unique reference number. This will enable you to access Tell Us Once (gov.uk).
To use Tell Us Once, you should have the deceased’s;
- Date of birth
- Address
- National Insurance number
- Driving licence number (if applicable)
- Vehicle registration number (if applicable)
- Passport number (if applicable)
You will also need:
-
Details of any benefits or entitlements they were receiving, for example:
-
State Pension
-
Universal Credit
-
- Details of any local council services they were
receiving, for example:
-
Adult Social Services
-
Blue Badge
-
Bus Pass
-
- Name and address of the next of kin
- Name and address of any surviving spouse or civil partner
- Contact details of the ‘executor’ or ‘administrator’ (if applicable)
- Details of any public sector or armed forces pension schemes they were getting or paying into
Before you give their details, you will need permission from:
- The next of kin
- The executor or administrator (if applicable)
- Anyone who was claiming benefits or entitlements jointly with the person who died
Agencies informed by Tell Us Once may contact the bereaved family as necessary.
Tell Us Once is not a claim to benefit, please contact Benefits (gov.uk) or the relevant department for advice.
Tell Us Once does not notify any commercial organisations of the death.
Tell Us Once cannot arrange for redirection of post.
What happens next?
After you have registered, you can buy death certificates.
These are needed for notifying banks, insurance, probate and other services. These are charged for at the statutory fee of £12.50 each.
Authorisation for burial or cremation will be issued directly to the funeral director of your choosing.
Urgent death registrations
East Sussex Register Offices are open between 9am and 5pm daily, excluding weekends and bank holidays.
Telephone 0345 60 80 198 during these hours or book online for an appointment to register a death.
In the event of an emergency which cannot wait until we are next open, telephone 01273 33 70 40.
- This telephone line is only monitored outside of office hours.
- We cannot authorise a burial or cremation until the Medical Examiner or coroner has certified the death.
- If your call goes to voicemail, please leave your name and phone number. The Registrar on duty will call you back as soon as possible
Perjury warning
Any person who knowingly and wilfully gives false information to a registrar for the purposes of the registration of a death is liable to prosecution for perjury.
Privacy Notice
To book your appointment and to register a death you will need to share some personal information with us.
Please refer to our Privacy Notice for details about how and why we use your data.
