When and how do I register the death?

• You must register the death within 8 days. You can do this at any registrar’s office in Scotland.
• You should phone the registrar’s office before you go there. Sometimes you will need to make an appointment to register a death.
• You can find the contact details of local registrar’s offices in the phone book under 'Registration of Births, Death and Marriages', or on the internet
  (www.gro-scotland.gov.uk).
  
  

• Who can register the death?
• What will I need?
• What will the registrar give me?
• Who else needs to know?

Who can register the death?

• The death should normally be registered by a close relative or partner, or by an executor, someone who was present at the death, or the occupier of the property where the person died.

• However, anyone can register the death as long as they have the information that is needed. So if you feel too upset, you can ask someone else to do this.

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What will I need?

• To register the death, you will need the death certificate.
• It is helpful if you can also take:
• the person’s birth and marriage or civil partnership certificates
• their NHS medical card, and
• documents about a State Pension or any social security benefits.
  
  Don’t worry if you don’t have all these documents. The registrar will still be able to register the death.

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What will the registrar give me?

• When you register the death, the registrar will give you:
• a certificate of registration of death (form 14) – you should give this to the funeral director
• a green social security registration or notification of death certificate (form 334/S1) – you will need this if the person who died received a State Pension or any social security benefits, and
• a shortened version of the death certificate.

• You can also buy copies of the full death certificate. Some organisations may ask for this, for example insurance companies or banks.

For more information, go to the General Register Office for Scotland’s website
(www.gro-scotland.gov.uk) or ask someone at the local registrar’s office.

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Who else needs to know?

• When someone dies, you may need to tell other organisations and services – for example the UK Passport Service and the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency).  

• In some parts of Scotland a new service called Tell Us Once can help you tell government agencies about a death. The registrar will tell you if this is available in your area.

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Page last edited: 23 June 2011