Register a death

Before you start

• Deaths are registered in person at a Register Office.
• Any relative of the deceased can register a death, including their spouse, legal civil partner or partner.
• All deaths are reviewed by a Medical Examiner or a Coroner before they can be registered.
• Confirmation of the Medical Examiner or Coroner review is sent to the registration Service.
• There is a legal requirement for deaths to be registered within 5 days after the confirmation from the Medical Examiner or the Coroner has been received by the Registration Service.
• You can contact your chosen funeral director before the registration.
• There is no charge to register a death, but a statutory fee applies for death certificates and any future correction if needed to the entry.
• We can only register deaths that have occurred in the County of Suffolk.
• This process does not apply to deaths that are subject to a Coroner Inquest.

Required information

When you attend the appointment, you will be asked for the following information about the deceased:

• Their full name and any other names they were known by or used
• Their date and place of birth and death
• Their usual address
• Their last occupation
• Whether they were in receipt of any public sector pension, e.g. civil service, teacher, armed forces.

And if applicable:

• Their maiden name
• The name, date of birth and occupation of their spouse, or legal civil partner.

It would be helpful but not essential to bring their:

• Passport
• Birth certificate
• Marriage / Civil Partnership certificate.

It would also be helpful but not essential to bring either your own passport or driving licence.

The appointment

Registration appointments are held in private rooms so information can be given in confidence. Please allow 30 minutes for the appointment. There is space for up to 3 people to attend the appointment.

At the end of the appointment the registrar will ask you to check the content of the entry carefully before signing. This is important because to correct any error discovered afterwards you will be charged a statutory correction fee of either £83 or £99. It could also mean a delay to the funeral.

You will be given:

• A Tell Us Once unique reference number to use the Tell Us Once service to inform local and national Government departments.
• Any death certificates purchased, which are £12.50 each.
• An authorisation form for the crematorium or burial authority. This document is often referred to as the ‘green form'.

Book an appointment

Relatives should be informed by the Medical Examiner or the Coroner when the necessary documentation has been issued and given a reference number which may be needed to make the appointment.

Once documentation has been received by the Registration Service from the Medical Examiner or the Coroner for your relative you can book an appointment online:

If you do not have confirmation that the documents have been sent, please notify us about the death by completing the form below. We will make enquiries on your behalf and contact you when we have the necessary documentation.

Alternatively, please contact our offices to book an appointment to register a death.

Additional death certificates can be ordered online.

The short video below gives you information about the Tell Us Once service.