You are legally required to register a death within 5 days unless the coroner is investigating the death. You need to register a death to obtain documents for the funeral director and for dealing with any money or property belonging to the person who died.
The registration takes around 30 minutes. You must make an appointment with the Registry Office to register the death. If you have the medical card please bring that along with you.
Details of registry offices in Leeds.
You must be one of the following to register a death
- A relative of the deceased
- A person present at the death
- A person arranging the funeral (not the undertaker)
- In certain circumstances others such as the administrator or the occupier of the place where the death took place can register
You will need to know the following information about the deceased:
- The date and place of death
- Their full name and surname and if the deceased was a married woman, the surname/family name used before marriage
- The date and place of birth
- Their occupation.
- If the deceased was married or in a civil partnership, the full name and occupation of the spouse or civil partner
- Their usual address
- If the deceased was married or in a civil partnership, the date of birth of their spouse or civil partner
- Whether the deceased received a pension or allowance from public funds, for example civil service or army pension
Help with funeral arrangements
For more information on deaths, funerals and cremations please visit Leeds City Council
Department for Work and Pensions - What to do after a death (pdf)