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What do I do if I need to register a death as an emergency?

Who to contact and how to book an urgent appointment if you need to register a death out of office hours.

To use this service, we will need a medical certificate of cause of death from the medical examiner. The examiner will send the certificate to the register office by email. We must have received this before we can make an appointment with you.

Emergency registration, Monday to Friday

If you need to make an emergency registration form on a weekday, email us for an urgent appointment. Contact us between 9am and 3pm, Monday to Friday.

Email: registration@luton.gov.uk 

Emergency registration, Saturday and Sunday

The emergency call out registration service is in operation on a Saturday or Sunday only, from 9 to 11am

To use this service:

  • you will need a death certificate (medical certificate cause of death)
  • there must not be any referral to the coroner

Deaths which have to be reported to the coroner

Some deaths have to be reported to the coroner before:

  • they can be registered
  • the document allowing the funeral to go ahead can be issued

This may be for reasons such as:

  • there is no doctor who can issue a medical certificate of cause of death
  • the cause of death is unknown
  • the cause of death is believed to be unnatural or suspicious
  • the death was during an operation
  • the death is due to industrial disease or industrial poisoning
  • the deceased was in hospital less than 24 hours

The registrar cannot go ahead with the registration until the coroner has issued the necessary clearance/paperwork.

As the coroner does not provide an out of hours service at the weekend the registration will be deferred until the clearance has been received from the Coroner’s office.

Register a death as an emergency

This emergency number is only in operation on a Saturday or Sunday, from 9 to 11am. At all other times, send us an email. 

Emergency mobile number: 07770 636 038

Email: registration@luton.gov.uk