New South Wales - Obtain a Death Certificate

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Procedure

• Obtain an Application for a Death Certificate. Applications are available on the New South Wales, Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages website, or at the office.
• Complete the application.
• Incomplete applications cause delays and may be returned, or refused. Please ensure you read and understand all of the information before submitting your application.
• Attach photocopies of your identification certified by a qualified witness as true copies of the original. A qualified witness is a: Justice of the Peace; notary public; legal practitioner with current practising certificate; and/or a person authorised to administer an oath under Section 26 of the Oaths Act 1900.
• Pay for the death certificate.
• Submit the completed application, payment and identification by mail.

NSW Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages

GPO Box 30

SYDNEY NSW 2001

• You can apply in person for an official NSW certificate at a:
  • Registry office (http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/contactUs.htm), or
  • Government Access Centre (http://www.directory.nsw.gov.au/gap.asp), or
  • Participating Australia Post outlet (http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/AustPost.htm), or
  • Fair Trading Centre (http://www.directory.nsw.gov.au/fair_trading_centres.asp) or
  • Local Courthouse (pdf)

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Required Documents

• To protect your privacy, the Registry requires proof of your identity. All certificate applications must be accompanied by identification.
  • If you are the person named on the certificate, or a parent of the person named on the certificate, the birth certificate can be issued to you.
• If you DO meet the above criteria, please provide:
  • Three (3) forms of your own identification (see below).
• If you DON'T meet the above criteria, please provide:
  • A letter giving permission from the person named on the certificate or their parent. Include their address, daytime telephone number and signature.
  • Three (3) forms of identification from the person giving permission (see below).
  • Three (3) forms of your own identification (see below).

Identification

• Please provide at least three (3) forms of identification, one of each from Categories 1, 2 and 3. If you are unable to provide identification from Categories 1 and 2, you must still provide at least three (3) forms of identification. At least two (2) of these must be from Category 3.
• All documents except foreign passports must be current.
• Photocopies must be must be certified as true copies of the original by a Qualified Witness* (e.g. Justice of the Peace; Notary Public; Legal Practitioner with current Practising Certificate; person authorised to administer an Oath under S.26 of the Oaths Act 1900).

Category 1

• If born in Australia:
  • An Australian Birth Certificate
• Record of immigration status:
  • Citizenship Certificate
  • New Zealand Citizenship Certificate together with passport
  • New Zealand Birth Certificate

Category 2

• Australian Driver's Licence
• Australian Passport
• Firearms Licence
• Foreign Passport

Category 3

• Medicare Card
• Credit or Debit Card
• Centrelink or Department of Veterans Affairs Card
• Security/Crowd Control Licence
• Tertiary Education Institution ID Card

Category 4

• Recent utility account with current residential address

Office Locations & Contacts

Within Australia

The Registry's Call Centre is open

Monday to Friday (9.00am to 5.00pm).

Tel: 1300 655 236

TTY: (02) 9354 1371 (for the hearing impaired)

Regardless of where you are calling from in Australia, you will only be charged a local call.

Outside Australia

Tel: +61 (2) 9354 1370 (call charges will apply)

Email (A Customer Service Officer will respond to your inquiry.) http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/emailUs.htm

Registry Office Locations visit an office in person. Sydney (http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/sydney.htm)

Postal Address

NSW Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages

GPO Box 30

SYDNEY NSW 2001

Physical Address

35 Regent Street

Chippendale

SYDNEY NSW 2008

Office Hours: Monday to Friday, 8.00am to 4.30pm

Call Centre Hours: Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm

Telephone: 1300 655 236

Location: The Sydney office is located on Regent Street, between Lee Street and Broadway. The Registry is closer to Lee Street.

Parramatta (http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/parramatta.htm)

Physical Address

Justice Precinct Offices

160 Marsden Street

Parramatta NSW 2150

Office Hours: Monday to Friday, 8.00am to 4.30pm

Call Centre Hours: Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm

Telephone: 1300 655 236

Location: The Parramatta office is located on the Ground Floor of the Parramatta Justice Precinct, on the corner of George, Marsden and O'Connell Streets, Parramatta .

Wollongong (http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/wollongong.htm)

Physical Address

2/74 Kembla Street

Wollongong NSW 2500

Office Hours: Monday to Friday, 8.00am to 4.30pm

Call Centre Hours: Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm

Telephone: 1300 655 236

Location: The Wollongong office is located on Kembla Street, between Crown and Market Streets

Newcastle (http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/newcastle.htm)

Physical Address

95 Tudor Street

HAMILTON NSW 2303

Office Hours: Monday to Friday, 8.00am to 4.30pm

Call Centre Hours: Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm

Telephone: 1300 655 236

TTY: (02) 9354 1371

Location: The Registry is located on the ground floor of The Boulevarde, o

Eligibility

• Before completing a Death Certificate application form you need to first check if you can apply for it. In NSW, Death Certificates are available to:
  • The next of kin named on the death certificate, i.e. spouse (married/defacto), parent or child of the deceased
  • The funeral director (within two months of the registration of death)
  • Solicitor acting for next of kin or Estate
  • Executor of the Estate
• If you are a relative not listed on the certificate, the certificate can be issued to you if the deceased has no spouse, children or parents still alive.
• If you are not named on the Death Certificate, you must satisfy one of the following conditions:
  • Provide written authority and at least 3 forms of identification from the person providing the authority, plus your own identification.
  • Show a document establishing custody or guardianship of the deceased.
  • Show Power of Attorney for one of the person's named on the death certificate.

Solicitors Applying For a Certificate

• Where solicitors apply for certificates on behalf of clients, they must provide:
  • a letter on company letterhead stating the reason required ("legal" is not sufficient; a specific reason is needed i.e. Probate, Estate Administration, etc), together with the name of the client for whom the solicitor is acting.
  • The letter must be accompanied by:
    • a completed application form, and
    • a certified* copy of your Law Society ID Card or Practising Certificate.
• Solicitor's name must be written in the Applicant's Details section. Payment must be made with a company or trust cheque, or company credit card.

Note: *Photocopies must be certified as true copies of the original by a qualified witness (e.g. Justice of the Peace; notary public; legal practitioner with current practising certificate; person authorised to administer an oath under Section 26 of the Oaths Act 1900).

Fees

• Standard Death certificate
  • Standard: $48.00
  • Urgent: $71.00
• Additional search 10 years or part thereof: $40.00 (Standard)
• Family History Certificate - Deaths 30 years or more after the event
  • With registration number: $31.00 (Standard), $54.00 (urgent)
  • Without registration number: $40.00 (Standard), $63.00 (urgent)
  • Additional search 10 years or part thereof: $40.00 (Standard)
• Check or money order made payable to the "NSW Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages."

Validity

Explain the time until which the certificate/document is valid.
e.g. Birth Certificate Valid Forever

Documents to Use

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Sample Documents

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Processing Time

• Turnaround times do not include time taken for postage delivery.
• Turnaround times are subject to compliance with Registry requirements. Incomplete applications, with incorrect identification will incur delays.
• Death Certificates - collecting from Registry office
  • Urgent Same day
  • Non urgent Next day
• Death Certificates - time for postal applications
  • Urgent 3 working days
  • Non urgent 2 weeks

Related Videos

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications. 
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Please remove the "&" inside the tags during implementation.
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sevenload, viddler, vimeo, youku, youtube
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e.g In the following url "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M" Video ID is "Y0US7oR_t3M". 
	

Instructions

• All deaths that occurred in NSW must be registered with NSW registry.
• The Registry can only produce a Death Certificate if the death has been registered. Details of the death must have been lodged at the Registry for them to be recorded.
• Funeral directors are usually responsible for registering the death within 7 days of the burial or cremation.
• All Death Certificate applications must be accompanied by at least 3 forms of identification. This ensures your privacy is maintained and that information is only released to those who are entitled to it.

Required Information

Applicant details

• Full Name
• Contact address
• Your Relationship to Deceased
• Reason Certificate is Required
• Home phone number
• Contact phone number

Details of Deceased

• Surname and first names
• Sex
• Date of death and date of birth
• Place of death
• Usual address of the deceased
• Usual occupation during working life
• Marriage particulars (place, age, full name of spouse)
• All children of the deceased (names and ages)
• Full name of both parents (including mother's maiden name)
• Burial details

Need for the Document

A NSW Standard Death Certificate is the official certified copy of registration data held by the NSW Registry. If the death occurred 30 years ago or more, this is called a Family History Death Certificate. If the death occurred in another state or territory of Australia, please contact the relevant Registry Office.

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Other uses of the Document/Certificate

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e.g. Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

External Links

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