Death Certificate is a document issued by the government to the kin of the deceased, stating the date, fact and cause of death. Law states that it is mandatory to register a person's death with the concerned State Government within 21 days of its occurrence.
This certificate is required to establish the fact of death legally, for relieving the deceased from social, legal and official obligations. It is also used to enable settlement of property inheritance, and to authorise the family to collect insurance and other benefits.
The application form to apply for a death certificate is available with the area's local body authorities and the Registrar who maintains the Register of Deaths. An evidence of death is required either in the form of a hospital letter where death took place or a certificate from a civil official who certified the death at either the crematorium or burial grounds. Procedure to apply for Death Certificate A death is first registered with the concerned local authorities within 21 days of its occurrence, by filling up the form prescribed by the Registrar, in order to apply for a Death Certificate. Death Certificate is then issued after proper verification.
Registration Fees Death registrations done within 21 days of its occurrence are done free of cost. From 21 to 30 days after the death, the Medical Officer, Health(MOH) will certify, collecting a fine of Rs 25. After 30 days to within a year of death, only the Joint Director of Statistics can provide the certificate with a fine of Rs 50 and an affidavit. If the death is registered after a year, the applicant can get the certificate by order of a first class magistrate only, which can be a lengthy process. For this, the applicant will need the Cause of Death Certificate, Cremation Certificate and an Affidavit.