Register a death

You should register a death within five days of when it occurred. This period can be extended by the registrar under certain circumstances, or if the coroner is involved. The registration should take place in the district where the person died.

Who can register a death

Usually a relative of the person who's died registers the death, but others can also do this. This can be:

  • someone present at the death 
  • a person arranging the funeral (not the undertaker)
  • an official from the hospital, or the manager of where the death took place (for example, a care home)

How to register a death

We're informed by the hospital or GP about a death, and they send us a copy of the medical certificate. We'll then call you to make an appointment to register the death at the Register Office in the Town Hall. You don't need to call us to arrange this appointment - we'll contact you.

At your appointment you'll be able to order and pay for copies of the death certificate using a debit or credit card. Please note, we're not able to accept any payments in cash. See our registration charges for certificate costs.

You can also get additional copies of the death certificate in future using our order copy certificates service.

Documents you’ll get from the registrar

The registrar will give you a certificate of registration of death called a BD8 form.

We'll also send a certificate for burial or cremation, known as the 'green form', to the relevant bereavement service or crematorium. This is needed to proceed with funeral arrangements. If a death's been referred to the coroner for a post-mortem, they'll issue you with the 'green form'.

If you're sorting out the person's financial affairs you'll need to ask the registrar for a certified copy of the death certificate. You'll usually need one to deal with any:

  • insurance companies
  • banks and building societies
  • private and company pensions

You can order and pay for copies of the death certificate at your appointment using a debit or credit card. See our registration charges for certificate costs. You can also get additional copies of the death certificate in future using our order copy certificates service.

Tell Us Once

You can use the Tell Us Once service when you register a death in Barnsley. This makes it easier for you to tell council and government departments that someone has died.

We'll give you more information about Tell Us Once and how you can use it when you register a death. 

Watch DWP's video on reporting a death using the Tell Us Once service