Informant¶
The informant is the person who attends the register office in person and gives the official details of the death. Only one person needs to attend; their name and address are recorded on every certified copy of the death certificate that's issued and cannot be redacted afterwards. [source: gov-uk/after-a-death-register-the-death-2026-04-29.html]
Eligibility runs in priority order: a relative who was present at the death; a relative who was in attendance during the last illness; a relative who lives in the district where the death occurred; anyone else present at the death; the occupier of the building where the death occurred (a care home manager, for example); or the person arranging the funeral, but not the funeral director. In practice, the informant is usually a spouse, civil partner, or adult child. [source: gov-uk/after-a-death-register-the-death-2026-04-29.html]
The choice of informant matters because their address appears on every death certificate used afterwards. Where a family member would prefer not to share a personal address with banks, insurers, and pension providers, it's worth deciding deliberately who registers rather than defaulting to the closest available person.
Last verified: 29 April 2026 against gov.uk/register-a-death.