LOCAL HOSPITALS
DARLINGTON MEMORIAL
Hollyhurst Road,
Tel: 01325 380100
BISHOP AUCKLAND GENERAL
Tel: (01388) 454000
REGISTRATION OF BIRTHS, DEATHS & MARRIAGES
Bishop Auckland Register Office
Cockton House, 35, Cockton Hill Road
Bishop Auckland DL14 6HS.
Contact can be made in writing to the above address or by Tel: on 01388 607277.
All requests for birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates must now be made to the Bishop Auckland office. All personal requests will be handled the same day although you may have to wait up to 30 minutes. Other requests may take between 10-14 working days to process.
Registration of Deaths
By law, a death must be registered in the registration district where it occurred. However you can visit any registrar office in England or Wales and give details and these will be passed to the appropriate district, (Registering a death outside the area where it occurred will result in a delay in receiving the death certificate).
Who may register a death?
One of the following persons has a legal obligation to register the death:
• A relative of the deceased;
• A person present at the death;
• A person arranging the funeral (not the undertaker);
• A person who is a registered civil partner.
In certain circumstances others, such as the administrator of a care home can register a death.
When does a death need to be registered?
The death must be registered within five days unless a Coroner is conducting an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death.
What will I need to bring with me?
You will need to bring a medical certificate of the cause of death issued by a doctor who has attended the deceased. If the death has been referred to a Coroner, the Coroner’s Officer will advise you what to do. It is useful to have the birth certificate or passport of the deceased with you, but it is not essential.
Will the registrar give me any documents on completing the registration?
Yes, the Registrar will issue you with a form to take to the undertaker (may be issued by the Coroner). You will also be given another form which should be taken or forwarded to the DSS, in respect of state pensions and benefits.
I may need to purchase death certificates for other purposes. Can I obtain these?
Yes. The standard death certificate can be shown to banks, building societies, insurance companies, the post office, company pension schemes and used as a record of the death for family members.
