Register a death

When someone dies the doctor, or the hospital, sends the registrar the contact details of the informant of the death and also the Medical Certificate Cause of Death (known as the death certificate). 

The Registration Team will call the informant to arrange a suitable time to complete the registration. Death registrations are now done over the phone - but if you wish to come to the office let the team know and we will make an appointment for you. It may take up to 3 working days before the registrar is able to call you to carry out the death registration. The law allows a death to be registered in any registration district in Scotland.

After the death has been registered the registrar will issue the Form 14 which the funeral director needs before the funeral can go ahead. Some funeral arrangements can be made, but funeral dates must not be finalised until the funeral director has the Form 14.

Find your nearest office and make an appointment

Tell Us Once

Tell Us Once is a service we use to notify government departments, including Department for Work and Pensions and services in the council. You tell us which departments apply and we notify them for you, if the death occurred in Scotland. Use tell us once online.

Watch a BSL version of the video "Reporting a death using the Tell Us Once service"

Documents we will issue

We will provide:

1. An abbreviated death certificate -  a full certificate this costs £10.00
2. Form 14 for the funeral director

If you do not use the Tell Us Once service to inform the Department for Work and Pensions, we will give you a BD8 form so you can notify them yourself.

For more information please visit the National Records of Scotland website.

Death Certification Review

The Death Certification Review service checks on the accuracy of a sample of Medical Certificates of Cause of Death (MCCDs).

If the MCCD you bring to the registrar is selected, the registration cannot be completed until the review is finished. The registrar will contact you when the review is completed.

More information about this is on the Health Improvement Scotland website.