A Death Certificate is a document issued by the Government to the nearest relatives of the deceased, stating the date, fact and cause of death.
What is a Death Certificate?
A Death Certificate is a document issued by the Government to the nearest relatives of the deceased, stating the date, fact and cause of death. It is mandatory under the law to register every death with the concerned State Government within 21 days of its occurrence. If a death is not registered within 21 days of its occurrence, permission from the Registrar/Area Magistrate, along with the fee prescribed in case of late registration, is required.
What is the need for a Death Certificate?
It is essential to register death for the following reasons:
- To prove the time and date of death,
- To establish the fact of death for relieving the individual from social, legal and official obligations,
- To enable settlement of property inheritance,
- To authorise the family to collect insurance and other benefits.
- To present evidence in criminal cases.
- Help keep population statistics, highlighting cause of death by local health department.
Where do you register for a Death Certificate?
In India, it is mandatory under the law (as per the Registration of Births & Deaths Act, 1969) to register every death with the concerned State/UT Government within 21 days of its occurrence. It is registered in the place of occurrence. The Government accordingly has provided for a well-defined system for registration of Death, with the Registrar General, India, at the centre and the Chief Registrars in States, running through district registrars to the village and town registrars at the periphery.
Click here to find the place from where the death certificate can be obtained.
Type the name of their state and follow the steps in the link.
What are the documents required to obtain the Death Certificate?
The documents required to obtain a Death Certificate are:
- Proof of birth of the deceased
- An affidavit specifying the date and time of death.
- Proforma of affidavit. You can download the form here.
- A copy of the ration card
- The required fee in the form of court fee stamps
- Person requesting the death certificate is required to provide the evidence of relationship with the deceased and complete address with nationality