Registering the Death
How to use this webpage
This page offers a space for people who have received the "What Should I Do Now?" booklet, to access further information and guidance about the process of registering a death and informing services about a death. We have included the information from within the booklet on pages 3 and 4 below, followed by helpful links and resources.
You could write down the phone numbers and web addresses detailed on this webpage (for yourself, or the person you are supporting) in the notes section on page 13, at the back of the booklet.
Registering the Death - A copy of the guidance written in the booklet on pages 3 and 4:
Please note, there is a glossary below the text for words that are in bold with an asterisk (*)
"There are several steps in the process of registering a death, after somebody has died. This page aims to give an overview of these steps. It’s ok to feel uncertain and to ask questions as you go through the process. You can register a death at any register office, however if the person died in Sheffield, using the Sheffield register office means that you’ll be given the required documents the same day as you register the death. Attending a different register office can delay receiving the documents.
Information
After someone dies, their death needs to be registered. Before this, a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death is needed.
Certifying the Death:
A medical examiner* will work with a doctor to understand the cause of the death. Once confirmed, the medical examiner service will:
• Contact the next of kin to explain the cause and answer any questions
• Organise for the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death to be sent to the register office
• Inform you when the death can be registered, which you must then do within 5 days
Registering the Death:
After the call from the medical examiner’s office, contact the Sheffield register office to book a telephone appointment (via their website or phone number - detailed below).
In your telephone appointment, you’ll speak with a registrar* .
They will then book an in-person appointment with you for the following day, where they’ll guide you through the paperwork.
After registering the death, you’ll receive a death certificate* and a burial/cremation certificate (“The green form*”).
Please note:
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Sometimes, the death certification process may be referred to a coroner*. The Coroner’s office will guide you through next steps
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The Register office will share with you a list of things to take to your appointment. This list can be found on our webpage
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The Register office will support you to use the government’s ‘Tell Us Once’ service
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When you feel ready, you’ll need to contact and inform the person’s bank and utility companies.
Glossary:
Medical examiner: Senior medical doctors who are contracted to provide independent scrutiny of the causes of all deaths not investigated by coroners
Registrar: The professional who is responsible for registering deaths, as well as births and marriages, at a registry office
Death certificate: A legal record of the death needed in order for a funeral to be organised and an estate to be distributed
The green form: Certificate for the burial or cremation of the body. This should be given to the funeral director, crematorium, or burial authority
Coroner: An independent judicial officer who investigates deaths that are reported to them, for example if the cause of death is unknown. Their role is to find out how, when, and where a person died.
Registering the Death
Contact Details for the Sheffield Register Office:
Website: Visit this website to book your phone call appointment: https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/births-deaths-marriages/register-death
(Scroll down their web page and click on the button/link that says "Arrange a call with the registrar" - it's just above the title "What happens next" about half way down their web page.)
For those who don’t have access to the internet please call the register office:
Phone number: 0114 203 9427
Opening hours:
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday: 9am to 5pm
Wednesday: 9am to 5pm (10:30am to 5pm on the first Wednesday of each month)
Friday: 9am to 4:30pm
Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays: closed
Address:
Sheffield Registrar’s Office
The Town Hall (Back entrance)
Pinstone Street
Sheffield
S1 2HH
Who can register a death?
You can find guidance about who can register a death on the Sheffield register office website.
Information that you will be asked for at your appointment to register the death:
When you attend your appointment at the register office to register the death, you will be asked to share some information about the person who has died.
Where applicable, the registrar will need to know the following information about the person who has died:
• The date of their death
• Where they died
• Their full name
• Their maiden surname, if applicable
• Their date and place of birth
• Their occupation
• The name and occupation of their spouse, if they were married or widowed
• The name and occupation of their civil partner, if they were in a civil partnership or were a surviving civil partner
• Their usual address
• Whether they received a pension or allowance from public funds
If available, you may be asked to also take their:
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Birth certificate
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Marriage or civil partnership certificate
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National Insurance number
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NHS medical card
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Proof of address, such as a utility bill
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Driving licence
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Passport.
You'll also be asked to take your own proof of identity, such as a driving licence.
Purchasing extra copies of the Death Certificate:
You may need several copies of the Death Certificate, to support you with the process of notifying non-governmental organisations, such as banks. This is because many organisations that will need to see the death certificate will not accept photocopies, and they may not return the death certificate to you quickly.
You can purchase extra copies from the Register Office at your appointment.
Purchasing extra copies after your appointment will increase the cost of them, so it can be helpful to discuss the cost, and how many copies you may need at your appointment.
When you post copies to organisations to inform them of the death, you may wish to include a stamped envelope with your address on so that they can return the certificate to you.
Who to inform about the death
The "Tell Us Once" service
When you register the death, the Register Office will support you to use the government’s ‘Tell Us Once’ service
Website: www.gov.uk/after-a-death/organisations-you-need-to-contact-and-tell-us-once
This process enables different official organisations such as local government departments to be informed about the death at the same time, rather than needing to contact each department separately. The register office will provide you with details required to access this service, which can be done online or via telephone.
If applicable, some of the departments that can be informed by using the "Tell Us Once" service include:
Local Councils
• Housing benefit office
• Council tax payments and benefits office
• Council housing
• Libraries
• Blue badges - please bring the blue badge with you if available
• Adult Social Care
HM Passport Office
• Passport cancellation
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
• Driving licence cancellation
Other services and organisations to tell
When you feel ready, you’ll need to contact and inform the person’s bank and utility companies.
It can help to start by writing a list of the companies and services first, so that you can keep track of who you need to tell and who you have already told.
If you can, it can be helpful to ask a trusted friend or loved one to support you with this.
Some examples of services and providers to contact include:
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Utility companies such as gas, electricity, water, broadband
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Banks and building societies
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Landlord
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Mobile phone contract provider
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Pension providers
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Insurance companies
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Health and social care services
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Places of education e.g. university
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Place of work
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Faith leader
You may also need to consider:
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Cancelling any upcoming appointments they might have had.
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Managing their digital legacy, for example their social media platforms.
Hospice UK have some helpful guidance around this:
www.hospiceuk.org/information-and-support
Untangle Grief also have a helpful blog which describes key considerations and options for what you can do with the person's social media accounts. Here is the link to the blog:
untanglegrief.com/managing-social-media-accounts-after-a-loss/
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The Bereavement Register provide a service to help reduce the amount of unwanted marketing post being sent to the person who has died. This is their website: www.thebereavementregister.org.uk/
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The Telephone Preference Service offer a similar option to help reduce unwanted telephone calls. This is their website: www.tpsonline.org.uk
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Stop Mail is provided by the Bereavement Support Network, it helps families and friends to locate services and to cancel unsolicited mail following a loss. You can visit their website stopmail.co.uk or call them on 0808 168 9607
The Good Funeral Guide is a not-for-profit organisation that has helpful guidance around the “paperwork of death” including further details describing the medical examiner’s role and what happens when a death is referred to a coroner:
www.goodfuneralguide.co.uk/the-paperwork-of-death/
Government Guidance
The Government website contains official guidance and information about what to do when someone dies. You can access this via the website below.
Finding the right information
The information and links on this page include signposting to external websites that we hope you might find useful for accessing further information or support.
We make every effort to ensure the links are up to date and as helpful as possible.
Please note, we don’t own or control these external sites.
Everyone’s needs are different, so please explore the different options to decide what information and guidance is helpful for you or the person you are supporting.
Questions
If you have any questions about the information on this page, please don’t hesitate to contact a member of our team.
Latest page update: 17/04/2026