When someone dies, the doctor who was treating the deceased gives the relatives a medical certificate stating the cause of death.

The person who will be registering the death must take this certificate to the District Register Office where it occurred within 5 days of the date of death. The details are recorded in the death register and the person registering the death signs the record.

If the death occurred overseas the process of registration is different. Full details are available on the General Register Office website.

To register a death in Trafford you will need to book an appointment with the Register Office. To do this, you can either:

• Book an appointment online
• Call us on 0161 912 3026

The Register Office is open from 9am to 4pm, Monday to Friday.

We now offer a Tell Us Once service free of charge for anyone registering the death of a person who resided within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford. With your permission, we will inform the relevant Council services that need to know and provide you with the completed forms and letters to inform national government agencies, such as the DVLA and HMRC.

People with a legal responsibility to register include:

• A relative
• A person present at the death
• The occupier of the premises where the death occurred if he/she knew of it happening
• The person arranging the funeral - this does NOT mean the funeral director (See also the list on the Notice to Informants attached to the Doctor's Medical Certificate of Cause of Death).

The Medical Certificate of Cause of Death issued by the doctor treating the person who has died. This is essential - the Registrar can do nothing without it. (If the Coroner is involved, the Coroner's office will advise you what to do).

• The deceased person's birth certificate or passport (If available) can be helpful
• The deceased person's medical card (Don't worry if this is not available)

The Registrar will interview you in private and will need to know the following information:

• The date and place of death
• The full name and surname, and maiden surname if the person who has died was a married woman
• The date and place of birth
• The occupation and, if the deceased person was a married woman or widow, the full name and occupation of her husband
• The usual address
• If the person who has died was married, the date of birth of the surviving spouse
• Whether the person who has died was receiving a pension from public funds.

The Registrar will enter all these details into a computer and will then give you the opportunity to check that they are correct. The information will then be written into a register. This is the 'original' legal record and you should check it through very carefully before signing it, as any mistakes discovered later on may be difficult to correct.

• You will not be given an original copy death certificate but you will be able to purchase certificates from the registrar at £3.50 each
• A 'Green Form' which enables you to arrange the funeral (If the Coroner is involved different procedures may apply)
• You will also be given a form (form BD8/344) for Social Security purposes.