Death certificates: how many and why

The two types of death documents

There are two separate documents involved when someone dies, and they are often confused.

The Medical Certificate of Cause of Death is completed by a doctor who was caring for the person just before they died, or who examined them after death. It records the cause of death and goes to the Births, Deaths and Marriages registry so the death can be registered. You do not receive a copy and do not need to do anything with it. If the death is reported to the coroner, the doctor does not complete it and the coroner's process takes its place.

The death certificate is the official document the registry issues once the death is registered. This is the one banks, super funds, insurers, Centrelink, the ATO and most other organisations will ask about.

How many copies to order

Order a few death certificates from the registry, around three, and use them to make certified copies for most organisations.

A certified copy is a photocopy that someone authorised, such as a justice of the peace or a lawyer, has checked against the certificate and signed as a true copy. Most organisations accept one. That means you rarely need to hand over a registry certificate, and a few go a long way.

Order more if the estate is large, if there is property, if the person had accounts with many organisations, or if family members dealing with the estate live in different states. The cost of a spare certificate is small next to waiting weeks for the registry when you are trying to get something done.

Which organisations accept a certified copy

Most of them. The banks, super funds and insurers we checked ask for a certified copy of the death certificate, and some also accept the certificate itself. Several let you show the certificate in a branch instead of handing it over, and bank staff can often certify a copy for you.

Do not post a registry certificate unless the organisation has asked for it. One major bank tells families not to post originals because they may be destroyed, and the ATO says it will not return documents sent to it by mail.

A few places are worth knowing about:

• The ATO. If you notify online, you show your documents at a participating Australia Post outlet and take them home again. If you notify by mail, you send certified copies. If you already have a grant of probate or letters of administration, you can send that instead of the death certificate. Our guide to notifying the ATO after a death sets out what to bring.
• Centrelink, Medicare and the Department of Veterans' Affairs. These may ask for a death certificate. Ask what they need when you contact them.
• Probate. The Supreme Court in each state sets its own rule. In New South Wales the court accepts the certificate or a certified copy. In Queensland a certified copy is attached to your affidavit and stays on the court file. In Victoria you upload a scan. Our guide to probate explains the process.
• Property. The land registry needs evidence of the death before a title can be changed, usually the certificate or a certified copy. Your conveyancer or lawyer will confirm what your state needs.

How to order death certificates

Death certificates are issued by the Births, Deaths and Marriages registry in the state or territory where the person died, not where they lived.

The funeral director usually registers the death as part of their service, and often orders the first certificate on the family's behalf. You can also order certificates directly from the registry.

Registering the death has its own page: how to register a death and get a death certificate.

Not everyone can order one. Registries limit who can apply, usually to close family, the executor and a few others, and ask you to prove your identity. Most take applications online. You give the person's name and the date and place of death, plus the registration number if you have it. Copies can be ordered at any time after registration, with no deadline.

Cost by state and territory

A standard death certificate costs roughly $50 to $75, depending on the state or territory (2026 to 2027 fees). Some registries charge more for a priority service. Fees change each year, so check the registry's own fee page.

Each registry has its own ordering system, and this guide has a page for each one: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory.

How long does it take

Processing times vary by registry and by how busy it is. Published times range from about one week to four weeks, and several registries offer a faster priority service for an extra fee. The page for your state gives the figure the registry itself publishes.

If you need a certificate quickly, for example to release funds for the funeral, ask the funeral director whether they can speed it up.

If you run out of copies

You can order more at any time. The registration number on any certificate you already have makes it quicker.

Keep a list of the organisations you have sent documents to, and the date. It helps you track what has been done and follow up anyone who has not replied.