If the death occurred in Somerset, you can register at any of our offices.

In most cases all you need to take is the medical certificate of cause of death which was issued by the doctor treating the person who has died. If possible you should take the NHS medical card for the deceased person. In some circumstances the death will have been reported to the Coroner. The registrar will need to receive documents from the coroner before the death can be registered. If the death occurred outside of Somerset, it will need to be registered at the Register Office for the District in which the death occurred. If you cannot get there, you can register the death ‘by declaration’ at any Register Office in England and Wales. This means that the details you give to the Registrar will be sent to the correct District to be registered. You should only make provisional arrangements for a funeral until the authority for the funeral has been issued, either by a Registrar or the Coroner.

After the death registration has been completed, you may also like to tell us about the Council/Government services that the deceased used so that we can cancel these services on your behalf. If you wish to give us this information, you will need to bring as many of the following documents as possible with you to the appointment:

  • Passport
  • Driving Licence
  • National Insurance Number
  • Blue Badge

If you do not have this information handy, or you do not wish to provide this information during the registration appointment, you can choose to use a dedicated telephone service at a later date. The registrar will provide you with a unique reference number and details of who to call.

Documents required that will confirm your name and address:

  • Passport
  • Driving Licence
  • Proof of address