How do I make/apply for a death certificate?

Under Section 8 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 (as amended by Act 20 of 2023), the duty to report a death within 21 days falls on:

(1) Head of family — for deaths at home;
(2) Medical Officer in charge — for hospital deaths;
(3) Jail Superintendent — for deaths in custody;
(4) Village headman or Gram Panchayat — for deaths in rural areas not covered above;
(5) Police — for unidentified bodies or where death occurs in a public place;
(6) Master of the vessel or aircraft — for deaths in transit.

Beyond 21 days, late fees, affidavits and additional approvals kick in. Beyond a year, you need a Magistrate's order. Don't delay — every additional step adds weeks of bureaucracy.

Standard documentation:

(1) Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (Form 4/4A) — issued by the hospital or attending doctor. Mandatory for all natural deaths in urban areas;
(2) Proof of identity of the deceased — Aadhaar, PAN, voter ID, passport;
(3) Proof of address of the deceased — utility bill, rent agreement, electoral roll;
(4) Proof of relationship between the applicant and the deceased — if you're not a household member;
(5) Applicant's ID and address proof;
(6) Application form from the Municipal Corporation / Gram Panchayat or downloaded from the e-District portal;
(7) Affidavit — only for late registration (beyond 21 days);
(8) Police report / panchnama — for accidental, unnatural, or suspicious deaths.

For deaths in transit (rail, air, road), additional documents from the carrier are needed. For NRI deaths abroad, the Indian Embassy issues a separate Indian death registration.

The Centre's Civil Registration System (CRS) portal is now operational for most states. State-specific portals also exist (e-District for Delhi, MP, U.P., etc.).

Step-by-step:

(1) Visit crsorgi.gov.in or your state's e-District portal;
(2) Register as a user (Aadhaar-linked OTP authentication);
(3) Select 'Death Registration' and fill the form with deceased's details, date and place of death, cause of death;
(4) Upload scanned documents (Form 4, ID proofs, address proof);
(5) Pay the fee (₹0 for registration within 21 days; ₹2-₹50 for late registration);
(6) Submit. The application reaches the local Registrar's office;
(7) The Registrar verifies and issues a digitally-signed death certificate, which you can download as PDF. Hard copies are also issued at the Registrar's office for nominal fee.

Most state portals complete the process within 7 working days for timely applications.

Late registration is still possible but progressively harder:

(1) 21 to 30 days — registration with a small late fee (typically ₹25-₹100). Form 4 + affidavit explaining the delay are required;
(2) 30 days to 1 year — registration requires an affidavit, additional late fee, and approval of the Registrar;
(3) Beyond 1 year — registration requires an order from the Judicial Magistrate (1st Class) of competent jurisdiction. You file an application explaining the delay; the Magistrate verifies (often via police report) and passes an order directing the Registrar to register;
(4) For 'old' deaths (5+ years) — additional documentary evidence (school records, employment records, government identification at the time of death) helps establish the death occurred.

Engage a reputable, specialised civil lawyer for cases beyond 1 year or where the Registrar has denied registration.

The death certificate is the single foundational document for post-death legal procedures. Without it, you cannot:

(1) Claim life insurance — LIC, health insurance, employer group insurance all require it;
(2) Transfer or transmit bank accounts, demat accounts, mutual funds, fixed deposits;
(3) Apply for a Legal Heir Certificate or Succession Certificate from the Tehsildar or District Court;
(4) Obtain probate of a Will — mandatory for property in Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai jurisdictions;
(5) Transfer property by inheritance — including mutation in municipal/revenue records (see our mutation guide);
(6) Settle pension and PF claims;
(7) Cancel passport, voter ID, Aadhaar and other government IDs;
(8) Address creditors — see our inheritance of debt guide;
(9) Initiate any wrongful-death civil suit or MACT claim.

Keep multiple certified copies — at least 5-7. Each institution wants its own.