Death Registration in India: Required Documents & Filing Procedure

In India, it is necessary to register the death of every person with the state’s Registrar as per the rules of Registration of Birth & Death Act, 1969[1]. The death certificate can be obtained thereafter.

Table of Contents:

1. What is a Death Certificate

2. How to Register a Death?

3. Death Registration Online

4. What documents are needed to register a death?

5. What are the documents required for getting a Death Certificate?

6. Who can Help You?

What is a Death Certificate?

A death certificate is an official document which declares the cause, date and place of a person’s death along with some other personal information of the deceased. It is signed by a doctor and issued by the Government. It can only be obtained after the registration of death.

How to Register a Death?

A death can be reported and registered by different personnel depending on the place of occurrence. Responsible individual as per the place of occurrence is as follows:

• If it occurs in a house, the head of the family should report it

• If it occurs in a hospital, the medical in-charge should report it

• if it occurs in a jail, the jail in-charge should report it

• in case the body is found deserted in an area, it should be reported by the headman of the village or the in-charge of the local police station

It is mandatory to register the death before applying for a Death Certificate. The death has to be registered within 21 days of its occurrence with the concerned local authorities, by filling up the forms prescribed by the Registrar. The certificate is then issued after proper verification.

Permission from the Registrar/Area Magistrate, along with the fee prescribed in case of late registration, is required if the death is not registered within 21 days of its occurrence.

The application form in which you are required to apply is usually available with the area's local body authorities, or with the Registrar who maintains the Register of Deaths.

Consult: Expert Family Lawyers Online

Death Registration Online

In India, while some of the states have made the process of registration of death easier by allowing it to be done online i.e. by electronic uploading of documents, several other states till require physical submission of documents. In New Delhi and Chandigarh, the hospitals have been given the power to issue online death certificates which can be obtained by the family of the deceased, without having to physically visit the hospital. The death certificate can be obtained online via this Civil Registration System in India official website[2]. Following is the procedure of registering death online:

Step 1: To report a domiciliary events (within normal reporting period i.e. 21 days), fill up the mandatory information to register yourself for reporting of an event through the following link.

Step 2: After successful login, users need to fill the complete birth/death reporting form (both legal as well as statistical portion) to the best of their knowledge and belief

Step 3: Get the print out of the application and forward to the concerned Registrar BY HAND at the given address

Step 4: The users will be informed about the status of the application through e-mail immediately after receipt of the application by the concerned registrar.

However, the online access of a death certificate cannot be availed in case of a delay, that is beyond 21 days of the date of occurrence of death. In such a case, a registration form has to be physically obtained from the Registrar’s office along with necessary documents and late fee.

What documents are needed to register a death?

• The following documents are required to register a death:

1. The medical certificate of the cause of death

2. NHS Card (also known as the medical card)

3. Birth certificate of the deceased

4. Driving license of the deceased (if any)

5. Marriage or civil partnership certificate (if applicable)

6. Passport of the deceased

7. Proof of address (e.g. utility bills)

• The following information about the deceased is required by the Registrar before registering the death:

1. Date and place of the death

2. The address of the deceased

3. The full names (including the maiden name of a married woman). Any former married name or other names by which the deceased was known.

4. His/her occupation

5. Details of their wife or husband or civil partner

6. Whether he/she had any Government pension or other benefits

What are the documents required for getting a Death Certificate?

The documents required by the Registrar in a State to obtain the death certificate of an individual are as follows:

• A proof relating to the birth and age of the deceased - For example the birth certificate, matriculation certificate, PAN Card, Voter ID Card, etc. 

• An affidavit specifying the date and time of death.

• Proof of death - For example the crematorium receipt, hospital letter, etc.

• A copy of the ration card of the deceased.

• The required fee in the form of court fee stamps.

• Address proof of the deceased - For example electricity bills, water bills, etc.

• Additionally, the person who wants to obtain a death certificate from the Registrar may also be required to give evidence of his relation with the deceased, his complete address and proof of nationality.

• Form 2 i.e. the Death Report to be filled up by the applicant

• Authorisation letter in case of an authorised person with Photo ID, PAN Card, etc.

However, one might be asked for all or only some of these documents by the Registrar in the State before issuing a death certificate. 

Suggested Read: Death Certificate Need and Application

Who can Help You?

Registering a death and obtaining a death certificate can become a very tedious process. This requires one to understand the legal procedure, as well as pay multiple visits to various government offices, which can become very cumbersome. 

This is where MyAdvo comes to the rescue. Get in touch with a lawyer who is well-versed with the legal registration process and who also best understands your requirements. Do not miss out on tiny details or compliance requirements. 

MyAdvo enables you to find a lawyer online all over India. Now you can book a consultation with an expert lawyer as per your convenience.

You just need to call us at +91-98117 82573 or mail us at support@myadvo.in and we can help you resolve all your legal queries.

External Links:

[1] Registration of Birth & Death Act, 1969: An Act to provide for the regulation of registration of births and deaths

[2] Portal: Birth and Death registration online portal