Registering a death
All deaths must be registered with a Registrar of Births and Deaths in the area where the death occurred. Contact should be made within five days unless a Coroner is investigating the circumstances of the death.
What do I need to do first?
Due to the Corona Virus Pandemic, the ‘normal’ procedure for what you need to do has changed, but we think for the better. When someone dies, a Doctor issues a medical certificate of cause of death. Pre Covid, you would need to collect this and then make an appointment to register the death. Now, this certificate will be sent directly to the Registrars in the area where the death occured, along with next of kin details. The Registrars will then phone that person, so the registration can all be done over the telephone. This new system will mean that you no longer need to physically go to the doctors, hospital or Registrars.
Should you need them, contact details for the Registrars are below:
If the death occurred in Kent you may use Kent County Council’s online service at: www.kent.gov.uk/registration.
Alternatively you can call KCC’s contact centre on: 03000 415151.
Please note: Kent does not include the Medway Towns (Chatham, Gillingham, Rochester, Strood) or the London Boroughs of Bexley or Bromley. Any deaths occurring in these areas must be registered there. If you are unsure where you need to register please call 03000 415151 for advice.
If the death occurred in East Sussex you will need to contact the Registration Office on 0345 60 80 198 for advice or online at www.eastsussex.gov.uk