In Times of Bereavement

In the unfortunate event that a person has passed away, there are three things that must be done in the first few days;

  • Get a medical certificate from your GP or hospital doctor (this is necessary to register the death)
  • Register the death within 5 days (8 days in Scotland). You will then receive the necessary documents for the funeral.
  • Make the necessary funeral arrangements.

What to do when someone dies

Register the Death

If the death took place in Hertfordshire you can register at any of our 8 register offices. You should register the death within five days of the date of death.
To book an appointment online or obtain further information, please follow this link:
www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/registeradeath 


For online appointment bookings you will be able to pre-pay for death certificates at £11 per copy. The certificates will be issued at the appointment.

Medical Paperwork


The Medical Certificate of Cause of Death will be issued by a medical practitioner and scanned to the registration service. Please do not book an appointment until you have confirmation from the medical practitioner that the paperwork has been scanned to the Registration Service.
We are unable to proceed with a registration if the paperwork has not been received.


If the death has been referred to the coroner, a coroner’s officer will advise you when the paperwork has been issued to the Registration Service. Once this has been received, a registration appointment can be booked online.
Coroner Service information can be found here:


www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/coronerservice