Ideally it should be a member of the family. If this is not possible it should be someone who was present at the death, the person instructing the funeral director or the occupier of the premises in which the death occurred.

What do I need to bring?

The only thing you need to bring to the appointment is the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. If the coroner has ordered a post-mortem these details will be sent directly to the Registrar.

What information do I need to provide?

You will be asked for the:

Date and place of death
Full names of the deceased (including maiden name if applicable)
Date and place of birth
Name and date of birth of surviving widow/widower

Tell Us Once

You can, if you wish, notify other government departments and local councils about the death at your appointment. This includes those dealing with state benefits, housing/council tax benefits, passports, driving licences etc. For more information please visit the Tell Us Once page, or download a copy of the Tell Us Once leaflet (pdf, 734kb) (opens in a new window)

What will I be given at the appointment?

You will be issued the Certificate for Burial or Cremation (green form) which allows the funeral to go ahead
Form BD8 which will deal with any state pensions or benefits the deceased was receiving
You can also have as many certified copies of the Death Certificate as you need. These will cost £4.00 each.

What if the death occurred outside Dorset?

You can still make an appointment at an office in Dorset to register a death that occurred elsewhere in England and Wales. The details will then be sent to the district in which the death occurred and will be registered there. The Green Form and Form BD8 will then be sent on to you. Bear in mind that this may delay the funeral.

For more information please visit Directgov (opens in a new window) .