Registering a death
Only deaths that occurred in Halton can be registered at Halton Register Office. If the death occurred elsewhere, you will need to contact the register office for that area.
When a death occurs, the paperwork will be handled by either the Medical Examiner or the Coroner. They will advise you when they have sent their paperwork over to the register office for you to book an appointment. Deaths should normally be registered within 5 days of the paperwork being received by the register office.
For deaths that occurred in Halton, you can make an appointment to register by calling 0151 907 8307.
You are advised to pre-pay for death certificates at the time of booking your appointment as there are no payment facilities at Halton Register Office. Pre-paying for the certificates means the registrar will be able to issue them at the appointment. Alternatively, you will have to order these online after the appointment has taken place and they will be posted to you.
Certificates cost £12.50 each. On average people purchase between 3-5 certificates to help them deal with the deceased’s affairs. Please see below the free services available to you that are designed to reduce the number of certificates you may need:
Tell Us Once
Halton operates the Tell Us Once service. This is a free service that allows you to report a death to central and local government all at once. You will be given a unique reference number by the registrar at your appointment which you can then use to access the system. Tell Us Once can be completed either by telephone or online. This service does not require a death certificate.
If the death occurred in Halton and is being dealt with by the coroner, you can email the Fact of Death Certificate to registeroffice@halton.gov.uk to receive a Tell Us Once code to complete the service before the death is registered.
Death Notification Service
Halton also supports the Death Notification Service. This is a free, online service that allows you to notify participating banks, building societies, and insurance companies of a death. By completing the online form, you can make one quick, straightforward notification to all services that are relevant to the deceased. Each service will then contact you within 10 days to advise you of the next steps, which will be specific to the types of accounts and products the deceased held. You will need one death certificate to complete this service.
What is needed to register a death?
Certain people have legal duty to give information for the registration of a death, in order of preference they are as follows:
- a relative or partner of the deceased
- a personal representative of the deceased (a solicitor, family friend, funeral director etc. appointed by the deceased themselves, or by the family)
- a person present at the death
- the person making the funeral arrangements
During a registration appointment, the registrar will ask for the following details about the deceased:
- Where and when the death occurred
- Full name, and any other names they may have been known by in their lifetime
- Date and Place of Birth
- Occupation
- Name and Occupation of their Spouse/Civil Partner (if applicable)
- Home Address
- Funeral Director and Funeral Details (if known)
There is no legal requirement to provide any identification documents at a registration, however if you have access to the deceased’s passport, birth certificate, marriage/civil partnership certificate, medical card etc. it can be useful to bring them to your appointment. When the registration is completed, you will be asked to check and confirm the details entered into the register. Should you later find you have made a mistake, you will be liable for a correction fee of either £83 or £99 – see Correct a death registration: What corrections can be made - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) for more information.