Legal Registration Procedure

1. From 9th September 2024, all deaths in England and Wales will be independently reviewed by a Medical Examiner, or in some cases a Coroner.  A Medical Examiner is a senior medical doctor who will oversee the process of death certification.

Following a death, the attending practitioner who has treated the deceased will issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) and send this directly to The Medical Examiners Service for review. The Medical Examiner may then discuss the cause of death with those involved in caring for the deceased and the next of kin. Once the Medical Examiner is satisfied, the MCCD is sent directly to the Registrars.  The Medical Examiner will notify the next of kin to advise when this has been completed.

Once the MCCD has been issued, the death should be registered within 5 days in the district in which your loved one passed away. Please note that all Registrars require an appointment to be made to register a death.

The Registrar will contact you, often via a text message from GOV.UK, and this is a link that you click on, follow the relevant steps and this is how you will make the appointment to register the death.

2. The Registrar will need the following information about the deceased:

• Full name


• Date and place of birth


• Date and place of death


• Marital status


• Home address


• Last occupation (even if retired)


• If married at date of death – date of birth of surviving partner


• If female and either married or widowed, maiden name and husband’s full name and occupation

3. The Registrar will issue a GREEN CERTIFICATE. This is used to verify the identity of the deceased and will need to be supplied to us before the funeral can take place. In most cases this is emailed directly to us from the Registrar once you have completed your appointment.