How to Get a Death Certificate in England and Wales¶
One piece of paper unlocks almost everything that follows.
Banks won't release money without it. Building societies won't transfer property. Pension providers won't pay death benefits. Insurers won't honour claims. Councils won't adjust council tax. The DVLA won't cancel a driving licence.
This single document, a certified copy of the entry in the Register of Deaths, is the key to almost every administrative task after a death. And it's the one thing people consistently order too few of.
This guide covers how the registration works, how to order copies, how many to order, and what happens when a coroner is involved. It is for England and Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland follow similar but distinct processes.
If you can only do one thing today: Order at least 5 to 10 copies of the full certificate at the time of registration. Different organisations all want their own copy, several won't return it for weeks, and ordering more later is slower and pricier. [source: gov-uk/order-death-certificate-2026-04-29.html]
Two different documents, often confused¶
The phrase "death certificate" is used loosely. Two documents are involved.
The Medical Certificate of Cause of Death is completed by the attending doctor or the hospital. It records the medical cause of death and is the document used to register the death. You don't need multiple copies; the original is passed to the registrar. [source: gov-uk/register-a-death-2026-04-29.html]
The death certificate itself, formally a certified copy of an entry in the register of deaths, is issued by the registrar after the death has been registered. This is the document that banks, insurers, the DVLA, the Probate Registry, and HMRC ask to see. It states the person's full name, date and place of birth, date and place of death, the cause of death as recorded by the doctor, the informant's details, and the date of registration. [source: gov-uk/register-a-death-2026-04-29.html]
The full certificate (sometimes called the "long form") contains all of this information. A shorter version exists with only the name, date of death, and cause of death; many institutions will not accept the short form, so you'll often end up paying for the full version anyway. Order the full certificate from the start. [source: gov-uk/order-death-certificate-2026-04-29.html]
How registration works¶
The hospital or attending doctor completes the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death first. The family is then responsible for registering the death, in person, at a local Register Office.
In England and Wales the death must be registered within 5 days of death. Scotland is 8 days. The 5-day count includes weekends. [source: gov-uk/register-a-death-2026-04-29.html]
You'll need to bring:
- The Medical Certificate of Cause of Death from the doctor or hospital
- Proof of the deceased's identity if you have it (passport, driving licence, birth or marriage certificate)
- Your own identification
The registrar enters the details into the register and issues:
- A Certificate for Burial or Cremation (the "green form"), which the funeral director needs
- A Certificate of Registration of Death (form BD8), used to deal with the State Pension and benefits
- One or more certified copies of the entry, which is what most organisations call "the death certificate" [source: gov-uk/register-a-death-2026-04-29.html]
You can find your local Register Office at gov.uk/register-offices.
Costs in England and Wales¶
A certified copy of the entry in the register costs £12.50 in England and Wales. Extra copies are the same price. A priority next-day service is available at £38.50 per copy. [source: gov-uk/order-death-certificate-2026-04-29.html]
Order as many as you'll need at the time of registration. Ordering later by post is the same per-copy price but adds processing and postal time, and standard service runs to several working days plus delivery. [source: gov-uk/order-death-certificate-2026-04-29.html]
How many copies to order¶
A realistic shopping list for a typical estate:
- One per bank or building society account
- One per pension provider
- One per life insurance or critical illness policy
- One for the mortgage company (if applicable)
- One for the local council (council tax)
- One shared across the utility providers (some accept emailed scans)
- One for the DVLA (driving licence), though Tell Us Once cancels this if you use it
- One for HMPO (passport), also covered by Tell Us Once
- One for Premium Bonds or NS&I products
- Two for the probate application: one for the Probate Registry, one for your own file
- One for the IHT return if inheritance tax is involved
That commonly adds up to 12 to 15. Many organisations return the certificate after they've taken what they need, but several take weeks to do so, and you'll often need a second copy in circulation while the first is still out.
Ordering 10 to 15 copies on the day of registration costs around £125 to £190. Ordering them later in piecemeal batches costs the same per copy but creates weeks of administrative delay you don't need. [source: gov-uk/order-death-certificate-2026-04-29.html]
What's on the certificate, and what you can't change¶
A full death certificate records the deceased's full name, date and place of birth, date and place of death, occupation, the cause of death as given by the doctor, the informant's name, address, and relationship to the deceased, and the date and details of registration. [source: gov-uk/register-a-death-2026-04-29.html]
You cannot redact information on a certified copy. If an organisation asks for "just the date of death", you still send the whole document. Note in particular that the informant's address is on every copy, so the family member who registered the death has their address shared with every organisation that receives a copy.
If the recorded cause of death is later shown to be incorrect (for example, by a post-mortem report), you can apply to the registrar to amend the record. The amendment process requires evidence in writing and takes time. Errors most commonly come to light when an insurer queries the recorded cause; raise it with the registrar promptly if it happens.
Practical points worth knowing¶
A few details about death certificates surprise families, and they're worth being prepared for.
The recorded cause of death can be wrong. The doctor completes the medical certificate based on what they believe caused death; later evidence (a post-mortem report, an insurer's medical review) can show it should have been recorded differently. You can apply to the registrar to amend the entry by submitting evidence in writing. The amendment process takes time, so raise it as soon as you spot the error.
The informant's name and address are on every copy. The person who registered the death has their full name and address printed on each certified copy that's issued. If you'd rather not share a personal address with every bank, insurer, and utility provider, the choice of informant matters; the address can't be redacted afterwards. [source: gov-uk/register-a-death-2026-04-29.html]
Some institutions ask for solicitor-certified copies. A small number of insurers and overseas institutions require the death certificate to be certified separately by a solicitor (a written confirmation that the solicitor has seen the original and that the copy is true). Solicitors typically charge a fee per certification. Ask the institution before sending originals.
Ordering later is the same price per copy, but slower. The fee is the same whether you order at registration or by post afterwards, but ordering later adds the registrar's processing time and postal time, both of which can run to several working days. If you under-order on the day, expect a delay before the next batch arrives. [source: gov-uk/order-death-certificate-2026-04-29.html]
Recent certificates come from the local register office, not the GRO. The General Register Office in Southport holds the historical archive of deaths in England and Wales since 1837 and issues certificates from those records. For a recent death, certificates are issued by the local register office where the death was registered. People sometimes try the GRO first for a recent death and lose time being redirected.
There is no digital death certificate yet. Despite long-running discussions about online registration and digital certificates, registration in England and Wales is still done in person and certificates are still issued on paper. Plan around paper handling.
When the coroner is involved¶
If the death was sudden, unexplained, violent, or occurred in unusual circumstances, the coroner is notified. This significantly changes the timeline.
While the coroner investigates, you cannot register the death and the registrar cannot issue a final death certificate. The coroner's office can issue an interim death certificate (sometimes called an interim certificate of the fact of death) that confirms the person has died and that an investigation is in progress. Many institutions will accept the interim certificate to release funds, pay life insurance, or open probate while the inquest concludes.
A coroner's investigation typically takes 4 to 12 weeks. If a full inquest is opened, the timeline can extend to 3 to 6 months, occasionally longer. The final death certificate is issued within days of the inquest concluding. [source: gov-uk/register-a-death-2026-04-29.html]
The funeral director usually liaises with the coroner about releasing the body. The body can often be released for the funeral while the investigation continues; the registration is what waits. With an ordinary death, body release happens within a day or two of registration. With a coroner involvement, it can take weeks before the body is released, even when the funeral itself can then proceed normally. The funeral director handles the day-to-day liaison, but the family should expect the timeline to feel uncertain.
The interim certificate covers most administrative needs while the inquest runs. Banks, life insurers, the Probate Registry, and HMRC will usually accept it to begin probate, release funds, or pay claims; a small number of organisations will hold off until the final certificate is issued. Where this happens, the interim certificate is normally accepted on appeal once the family explains the situation in writing.
A typical timeline, day by day¶
For a death without coroner involvement, the registration process runs roughly to this shape [source: gov-uk/register-a-death-2026-04-29.html]:
- Day 0: Death occurs; the doctor or hospital completes the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death.
- Day 1 to 2: A family member collects (or receives) the medical certificate.
- Day 1 to 5: The informant attends a register office in person, registers the death, and is issued the first certified copies. Order the additional copies at this point.
- Day 5 to 7: You have the full set of certificates and can begin notifying organisations.
- Weeks 2 to 8: Use certificates as needed for banks, building societies, pension providers, insurers, the council, the DVLA, the Passport Office, the Probate Registry, and HMRC. Many organisations return the certificate after processing; some take several weeks to do so.
Where a coroner is involved, the registration step pauses until the investigation or inquest concludes. The interim certificate covers most needs in the meantime, and the final certificate follows within days of the inquest's conclusion.
After the certificate¶
Once you have the certificate(s), the next administrative step for most families is the Tell Us Once service, which uses the death certificate details to notify multiple government departments at once. After that, you can begin contacting banks, insurers, and pension providers individually, and start the probate application if one is needed.
What this guide doesn't cover¶
This page is for England and Wales only. Scottish registration runs through National Records of Scotland, with an 8-day registration window and slightly different fees. Northern Ireland uses the General Register Office for NI, also with its own fees and forms. Separate Scottish and Northern Irish guides are planned.
If you're struggling, you don't have to do this alone. Samaritans (116 123, 24/7) | Cruse Bereavement Care (0808 808 1677) | Mind (0300 123 3393)
Next: Tell Us Once
Last verified: 29 April 2026 against gov.uk/register-a-death.