Registering a death in Kent or the London Borough of Bexley

Registering a death in Kent or Bexley

All deaths must be registered with a Registrar of Births and Deaths in the area where the death occurred. They should be registered within 5 days unless a coroner is investigating the circumstances of the death.

Please note: Deaths that occured at Darent Valley Hospital may now be registered either by The Kent Registration Service or Bexley Register Office. For an appointment at Bexley Register Office please call 0300 333 5430.

What do I need to do first?

When someone dies, a doctor issues a medical certificate of cause of death. If the death occurred in Kent or Bexley and you have this certificate, you can make an appointment using KCC's online booking service. Alternatively you can call 0300 333 5430.

Please Note: Kent does not include the Medway Towns (Chatham, Gillingham, Rochester, Strood) or the London Boroughs of Bromley or Greenwich. Any deaths occurring in these areas must be registered there. If you are unsure where you need to register please call us for advice. You can find out more about where you can register here.

Who can register a death?

A relative.
A person present at the death.
Someone who lives in the house where the person died.
A person arranging the funeral with the funeral director.
A responsible person from the hospital or home where the person died.

What do I need to bring?

The medical certificate of cause of death issued by a doctor (if there has been a post mortem the coroner will send this directly to the Registrar).
If they are available - birth, death, marriage or civil partnership certificates, which confirm the details to be entered into the death register.
Disabled parking 'Blue Badge' if the deceased had one.
Concessionary bus pass (if applicable)
A method of payment for copies of the death certificate (i.e. cash, credit/debit card, cheque book).

What happens when I see the Registrar?

The Registrar will ask you to confirm the following information:

The date and place of death.
The full name that the person who died was using at the time of their death.
Details of any other names they might have been known by.
The date and place of birth.
The occupation and whether or not they were retired.
The current home address.
If the person who died was a married woman or widow, her maiden surname (what her surname was before she was married) and the full name and occupation of her husband.
In the case of a man, the name and occupation of his wife.
In the case of a couple who have registered their civil partnership, the partner's name and occupation.
Your full name and address and your relationship to the person who has died.

The following confidential information will also be required for government statistics:

Was the person who died single, married, widowed, divorced, a civil partner, surviving civil partner or former civil partner?
Is their spouse or civil partner still alive? If so, what is their date of birth?
How long did they stay in hospital or in another establishment (a hospice for example)?
Was the person under 75?
What industry did they work in and what position did they hold?
Did they get a pension paid from government funds? This includes the civil service, teachers, armed forces and war widows. This does not include the state pension or pension credits
The person's NHS number found on their medical card (if available).

Once the registration has been completed you will be asked to sign the entry. It is important that the information recorded is as accurate as possible as the correction of errors discovered after the register has been signed may cause delay and inconvenience.

The Registrar will then give you:

A green form to give to the funeral director. If the death has been referred to the coroner and the funeral is a cremation, the equivalent form will be sent by the coroner to your funeral director.
A white BD8 form, to be completed and sent by you, with any benefit or pension details to the Department of Work and Pensions

Do I have to pay a fee?

No. The service is free of charge. However, certified copies of the death entry (death certificate) can be purchased for a small fee. You will need to produce a death certificate when you are sorting out the finances of the person who has died (for example with banks, building societies and insurance companies). Find out more about certificates at our Certificates page.

It is also possible to order death certificates online.

I want to register the death but I don't live in Kent or Bexley

If the death occurred in Kent or Bexley and you do not live in Kent or Bexley, it is possible to give the details to any Registrar in England or Wales. This is known as registering by declaration. The Registrar to whom the declaration is given does not register the death, but will send the information to the Kent Libraries, Registration and Archives Service, where it will be registered. You may also order death certificates. A charge is made for these and you will need to have a cheque or postal order with you when you give the declaration. The Registrar will send the order and cheque/postal order to us.

Once the death has been registered you will be sent:

Any certified copies of the death entry that you have ordered and paid for.
A green form to give to the funeral director. If the death has been referred to the coroner and the funeral is a cremation, the equivalent form will be sent by the coroner, to your funeral director.
A white BD8 form, to be completed by you, and sent with any benefit or pension details to the Department of Work and Pensions.

These arrangements also apply if you live in Kent but need to register a death occurring elsewhere in England or Wales but do not wish to travel to where the death occurred.

If you are unsure where you need to register please call us for advice.

'In memoriam' Certificate

Special Kentish 'In memoriam' certificates are available from the Registrar.

Tell us Once - helping you to tell the people who need to know

If the person who has died lived in Kent you can participate in a new notification service called 'Tell Us Once' which will make it easier to notify central and local government departments about the death.

Find out more about Tell us Once.

You may also wish to read our online guide book - What to do when someone dies. This provides more information on registering a death as well as legal processes, funeral arrangements and organisations who can provide you with further support.

A Kentish Funeral Ceremony

Kent County Council provides a Kentish civil funeral ceremony which is designed to celebrate a life - reflecting the wishes, beliefs and values of the deceased and their family. It is a personal tribute created by a professional civil funeral Celebrant working with the family or the funeral director. Please ask the Registrar for details or visit our dedicated ceremonies website.

The coroner

When a death occurs in the following circumstances it will be referred to the coroner:

The death is sudden and unexpected.
The cause of death is industrially related.
The cause of death is unknown.
There are suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.
When a doctor has explained that he/she is unable to issue a medical certificate of cause of death.

Deaths reported to the coroner

The coroner will investigate the circumstances of the death and do one of the following:
Issue a certificate allowing the death to be registered.
Arrange a post mortem and when this is complete issue a cause of death certificate allowing the death to be registered.
Arrange a post mortem and hold an Inquest. The coroner will then arrange for the death to be registered after the Inquest has taken place.

Find out more about the role of the coroner.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us on 0300 333 5430.