How to register a death and get a death certificate

Who usually does this

Usually the funeral director, who registers the death on the family’s behalf. If no funeral director is involved, the person managing the final arrangements registers it.

What they will ask for

• The full name, date of birth, and date and place of death of the person
• Details from the medical certificate of cause of death, or from the coroner
• Family details, such as parents, spouse and children
• Proof of your identity and your relationship to the person when you apply for the certificate
• The fee for the certificate

How to tell them

The death is registered with the Births, Deaths and Marriages registry in the state or territory where the person died. A funeral director lodges the registration and usually applies for the death certificate at the same time.

Without a funeral director, you register directly with the registry using its own form, online or on paper depending on the state.

What happens next

The registry records the death and issues the death certificate to the applicant. Registries also pass death information to some government agencies, such as the Australian Electoral Commission, so those do not always need a separate call.

Timeframes for registering and for receiving the certificate are set by each state and territory.

Each state and territory has its own registry, forms, fees, timeframes and rules about who may apply for a certificate.

The official page

Things change, so check their own page before you start: myGov: how to register a death.

The longer read

Death certificates: how many and why