What to do next
Registration of a Death
Registering the Death
Following a death, registration should take place as soon as is practically possible. Generally in Scotland, all passings should be registered within eight days. If the passing does not occur in Scotland, please contact us for further advice.
How to Register a Death
You can register a death if you:
- are related to someone who has died
- were there when the person died
- are an executor or solicitor of the person who has died
- lived with the person who died, if they died at home
If you're none of the above, but no one else can register the death, you can register the death as long as you:
- know the details of the person who has died
- have the right documents
An appointment is required to attend the Registrar’s Office. It will take approximately one hour to complete the registration.
Our local Registrars offices are located at:
Highland Archive and Registration Centre, Bught Road, Inverness IV3 5SS
T: 01349 781131
Ross House, 71 High Street, Dingwall IV15 9RY
T: 01349 868507
A death can be registered at any Registrars office throughout Scotland.
Documents to give the Registrar
- The Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (Form 11) given to you by the doctor or medical staff
- The deceased's Birth Certificate
- Any Marriage or Civil Partnership Certificates, if applicable
- Any Divorce papers, if applicable
- The deceased's Medical Card (if this is not available, you can get the NHS number from the person's medical practice)
Please do not delay registering the death if some of these documents are not available as the only compulsary form is the Form 11.
Documents the Registrar will give you
- Certificate of Registration of Death (Form 14) ~ pass to Funeral Director
- Form BD8 ~ to inform the Department for Work and Pensions about the death
- An abbreviated certificate (Extract) ~ proof of death
- Full Extract certificates can be purchased when registering or at a later date ~ they may be required for financial purposes
Review of Medical Certificates of Cause of Death
Some medical certificates will be selected for review and you will be informed by the Registrar if a review is taking place. This is done to help check that medical certificates are correct.
When a medical certificate is chosen for review, it means there could be a delay in registering a person's death. If you're trying to arrange a funeral for someone, the funeral can't go ahead until their death has been registered. The delay should be no more than 1 to 3 working days.
If you object to the delay, for example if your religion requires the funeral to go ahead quickly, you can apply for 'advanced registration'. If advanced registration is given, you'll be able to go ahead with the funeral without delay.
If you wish to make an application for advanced registration, tell the registrar when you attend to register the death.
Tell Us Once
Registrar’s Office's offer the 'Tell Us Once' service. This is used to notify government departments, including Department for Work and Pensions and different services in the council. The Registrar will notify the relevent departments about the death on your behalf.
To use this service the Registrar will require the following items (if applicable) relating to the deceased:
- National Insurance Number
- Passport
- Driving licence
- Blue Badge
For more information about this service, visit www.gov.uk/tell-us-once.