Registering a death

Every death that occurs within the boundary of the City of Plymouth is registered at The Register Office, Lockyer Street, Plymouth. If you live some distance from the Register Office and it is more convenient to attend your local Register Office you may give a declaration of the death there and it will be forwarded to Plymouth for registration.

An appointment system operates for Birth and Death Registrations and Notice of Marriage. Call 01752 268331 to make an appointment.

When someone dies there is a legal obligation to register the death but only certain people are qualified or able to register. They are:

• a relative of the deceased
• a person present at the death
• a person arranging the funeral (not the funeral director)
• in certain circumstances there are other people qualified to register a death but you would need to discuss this with the Registrar

Where can a death be registered?

All deaths are registered in the registration district where the death occurred. Therefore all deaths, which occur within the Plymouth city boundary, are registered at the Plymouth Registration District. (Please note that certain areas such as Roborough village and Woolwell estate lie outside the city boundary).

It is possible to give a declaration of a death to another register office who would then forward the declaration to the registration district where the death occurred.