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Government Services

Death Certificate Online: Apply, Download and Use It for Claims

Report a death to the local registrar within 21 days for free registration; download the certificate from CRS or your state portal.

AS

Written by Aarav Sharma

Published 7 October 2026·6 min read

On this page8 sections
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A death must be reported to the local Registrar of Births and Deaths within 21 days, and registration in that window is free. The registrar must issue the certificate within seven days, free of charge, and you can download it from the Civil Registration System (CRS) portal or your state’s portal. Banks, insurers, EPFO and land offices all ask for it before they settle a claim or transfer an asset.

Key facts

Item Detail
Law Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, as amended in 2023
Where to register Registrar for the place where the death happened
Normal period 21 days; no fee
Certificate Free, electronically or on paper, within seven days of registration (Section 12)
Death report form Form No. 2 under the Model Rules
Cause of death Medical certificate on Form 4 (hospital) or Form 4A (elsewhere); not shown on the death certificate
Extra copies Anyone can get them on payment of a fee (Section 17); ₹50 each under the Model Rules

Who reports the death and when

The Act puts the duty on a specific person, depending on where the death happened:

  • In a hospital, health centre or nursing home: the medical officer in charge, or someone they authorise, reports it. The family does not report these deaths.
  • At home: the head of the household reports it, or the nearest relative present, or else the oldest person present. Notifiers such as Anganwadi workers, ASHAs and ANMs can also report.

The registrar is the municipal health officer in towns, and an official of the panchayat, health, revenue or another department in villages. Many large government hospitals, CHCs and PHCs have their own registration unit that issues the certificate directly.

Late registration

When reported What you need (Section 13) Model Rules, 2024 fee
Within 21 days Report to the registrar Nil
22 to 30 days Late fee only ₹20
31 days to 1 year Written permission of the District Registrar or prescribed officer, and a self-attested document ₹50
After 1 year Order of a District Magistrate, SDM or authorised Executive Magistrate, after verification ₹100

States set their own fees; Tamil Nadu, for example, charges ₹100, ₹200 and ₹500 for the three late stages. Parliament passed an amendment in 2026 that sends registrations older than two years to a Judicial Magistrate. It applies only from a date the Centre notifies. Our birth certificate guide covers the same rules for births.

Documents needed

  • The death report (Form No. 2), filled by the informant or hospital
  • The medical certificate of cause of death, where a doctor attended the person
  • ID proof of the deceased, such as Aadhaar, if available
  • ID and address proof of the informant
  • For late cases, the self-attested document and the permission or magistrate’s order

Since the 2023 amendment, every hospital, private or government, must give the cause-of-death certificate to the registrar free of charge. It must also give a copy to the nearest relative. For a death outside a hospital, the doctor who treated the person must issue the certificate free to the informant, who hands it to the registrar. The death certificate itself does not show the cause of death; Section 17 bars that.

Applying and downloading online

The CRS portal, run by the Office of the Registrar General, covers states and UTs that use it, such as Chandigarh and Chhattisgarh. Other states run their own portals or the municipal corporation’s site, so check which one applies. A member of the public can report on CRS only a death that happened at home, within 21 days. For a hospital death, the hospital files the report, and you collect or download the certificate.

  1. Open dc.crsorgi.gov.in and choose General Public Sign Up.
  2. Register with your name, mobile number and email ID, and verify the OTP.
  3. Log in and open the death reporting form.
  4. Enter the deceased’s details, the date and place of death, and your details as informant. Write dates as dd-mm-yyyy and names in full.
  5. Upload the documents asked for and submit.
  6. Note the application reference number and track the application.

To download, open the Download Certificate page on the CRS portal. Enter the application reference number, verify the OTP, and the certificate downloads automatically. A certificate issued electronically has the same standing as a paper one under the amended Section 12.

How many copies you need and why

The informant gets one free copy. The CRS FAQ names inheritance of property and claims from insurance and other companies as uses of the death certificate. In practice, each of these usually wants its own copy or an attested one:

  • each bank where the deceased had an account, deposit or locker
  • each life insurer, and any group or employer cover
  • EPFO, for the provident fund and EDLI death claim
  • demat, mutual fund and pension offices
  • the land revenue office, for mutation of land records
  • applications for a legal heir or succession certificate

Count the institutions first and order that many copies at once. Our page on claiming a deceased relative’s assets lists what each one asks for. Where the family has to prove who the heirs are, the next step is often a legal heir certificate.

Verifying a death certificate

For certificates issued through CRS, the portal has a Validate Certificate page that confirms the record. A bank or insurer may use it, or may ask the registrar to confirm. If a detail is wrong, apply to the registrar for correction under Section 15 of the Act, with supporting documents. If you disagree with the registrar’s action or order, you can appeal to the District Registrar within 30 days under Section 25A, and the appeal must be decided within 90 days.

Frequently asked questions

How can I get a death certificate online?

If the death was registered, download it from the CRS portal or your state portal with the application reference number and an OTP. If it was not, report it to the registrar first.

What is the time limit to register a death?

21 days from the death. After that you pay a late fee, and after 30 days you also need official permission.

Is there a fee for a death certificate?

Registration within 21 days and the first certificate are free. Extra copies cost a fee set by the state; the Model Rules suggest ₹50.

Who applies for a death certificate if the person died in hospital?

The hospital reports the death to the registrar. The family then collects or downloads the certificate.

Does the death certificate show the cause of death?

No. The cause is recorded in the register from the medical certificate, but Section 17 bars it from certificates issued to anyone.

How do I correct a mistake in a death certificate?

Apply to the registrar who issued it, with documents supporting the correct detail. Corrections are made under Section 15 and your state’s rules.

Which documents are needed for death registration after one year?

You need an order from the District Magistrate, SDM or an authorised Executive Magistrate, who verifies the death first, plus the late fee.

Sources

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