Registering a death

A death must be registered in the District Registration Office where it happened. The Registration Office for Fareham is at 4-8 Osborn Road South, Fareham PO16 7DG. You can phone 0300 555 1392 between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday and 9.30am to 4pm on Saturday to make an appointment . You can also make a declaration to register the death before any Registrar in England and Wales so that it can be posted to the Registration Office for the district where the death took place. However, this may lead to a delay in receiving the documents or in making funeral arrangements.

When does a death need to be registered?

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland you must register a death within five days of it happening.  It can be delayed for a further nine days if the Registrar receives written confirmation that a medical certificate of the cause of death has been signed by a GP.

Who can register a death?

People with legal responsibility to register include:

• A relative of the deceased
• A person present at the death
• A person arranging the funeral (this does not include the funeral director).

In some circumstances, other people, such as the administrator of an elderly persons' home, can register a death. For advice please contact the Registration Office .

What information do you need to register a death?

The Registrar will interview you in private and will need to know the following:

• The date and place of death
• The full name and surname (and maiden name in the case of a married woman)
• The date and place of birth
• The occupation and, if the deceased person was a married woman or widow, the full name and occupation of her husband
• The usual address
• If the person was married, the date of birth of the surviving spouse
• Whether the person who has died was receiving a pension from public funds.

You will need to take:

• The medical certificate of cause of death issued by the doctor treating the person (this is essential; if the death has been referred to the Coroner, the Coroner's Office will advise you what to do)
• Details of any pension or allowance from public funds the deceased received, such as a civil service or army pension.

The Registrar will enter these details into a computer system and will give you the opportunity to check that they are correct. The information will be written into a register.  This is the 'original' legal record and you should check it very carefully before signing it as any mistakes may be difficult to correct later on.

What documents will you be given?

• A 'green form' so that you can arrange the funeral (if the Coroner is involved different procedures may apply)
• A form for social security purposes.

Both documents are free of charge. You can buy a death certificate from the Registrar.

Notifying Fareham Borough Council

To contact us please phone 01329 236100 or use our online form 

Notifying other governement departments

The Government's Tell Us Once online form . They will then pass on the details of the deceased to all of the relevant departments.

Financial support

You can find information about financial support that may be available to you on the Government's website:

• Funeral expenses payment 
• Child funeral costs 
• Bereavement support payment 
• Bereavement guide for families of service personnel