Within how many days should a death be reported in Tamil Nadu?

The normal period for reporting a death is 21 days from the date of occurrence.

Can a delayed death be registered?

Yes. Section 13 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 provides different procedures depending on whether the death is reported within 30 days, after 30 days but within one year, or after one year.

Tamil Nadu Death Registration: Process, Rules & Certificate

Q: Who reports a death occurring in a hospital?

For a death occurring in a hospital or similar medical institution, the medical officer in charge or a person authorised by the institution is responsible for reporting the death to the jurisdictional Registrar.

Last updated: 29 August 2026

Current process: Death registration is based on the place where the death occurred. Institutional deaths are reported by the hospital or other responsible institution. A death occurring at home should be reported to the Registrar having jurisdiction over that place within 21 days.

Death registration in Tamil Nadu is governed by the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, as amended by the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act, 2023. Tamil Nadu notified the Tamil Nadu Registration of Births and Deaths Rules, 2025 through G.O.Ms.No.351, Health and Family Welfare (AB2), dated 31 July 2025.

Hospital / institutional death The medical officer in charge or authorised person of the institution is responsible for reporting the event to the jurisdictional Registrar.

Death at home The occurrence should be reported to the Registrar of the jurisdiction within the normal period of 21 days.

Place of registration The death is registered in the local area where the event occurred, through the Registrar appointed for that jurisdiction.

Certificate access Tamil Nadu CRS provides public search and download of available death certificates, including records from 1 January 2018 onwards.

Who Must Report a Death in Tamil Nadu?

Death in a Hospital or Medical Institution

For a death occurring in a Government or private hospital, health centre, nursing home or similar institution, the medical officer in charge or a person authorised by the institution is responsible for reporting the death to the jurisdictional Registrar. Tamil Nadu CRS states that medical institutions are provided access to report such events through the CRS system.

Death at Home

Where a death occurs at home, the event should be reported to the Registrar having jurisdiction over the place of death within 21 days. Registration is linked to the place where the death occurred.

How to Complete Death Registration

The exact reporting route depends on whether the death occurred in an institution or at home, but the registration process generally involves the following:

Identify the Registrar having jurisdiction over the place where the death occurred.
Provide the prescribed death-report particulars, including details of the deceased, date and place of death, address and informant details.
Where applicable, provide the prescribed medical certificate of cause of death.
The Registrar records the event after completing the required verification and statutory formalities.
After registration, obtain the death certificate from the Registrar or use the official Tamil Nadu CRS certificate facility if the record is available online.

Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD)

Section 10 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act deals with the duty to notify births and deaths and to certify the cause of death. Where the deceased was attended during the last illness by a medical practitioner, the medical practitioner is required to issue the prescribed cause-of-death certificate in accordance with law.

Institutional deaths: The medical cause-of-death process is separate from the public death certificate. The medical institution completes the prescribed medical certification and reports the death for civil registration.

Information Commonly Required for Death Registration

name of the deceased;
sex and age of the deceased;
date and place of death;
usual residential address;
place where the death occurred;
details of the informant;
institution or hospital particulars, where applicable;
medical cause-of-death documentation, where legally required; and
other legal and statistical information required by the prescribed reporting form.

Delayed Death Registration

If a death is not reported within the normal period, Section 13 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act provides the following delayed-registration framework:

Delay	Current statutory requirement
After the normal reporting period but within 30 days	The death may be registered on payment of the prescribed late fee.
After 30 days but within one year	Written permission of the District Registrar or other prescribed authority is required, along with the prescribed fee and a self-attested document in the prescribed form and manner.
After one year	Registration requires an order of the District Magistrate, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, or an Executive Magistrate authorised by the District Magistrate having jurisdiction over the area where the death occurred, after verification and payment of the prescribed fee.

Death Certificate After Registration

Section 12 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, as amended with effect from 1 October 2023, requires the Registrar, after registration is completed and not later than seven days, to provide free of charge, electronically or otherwise, a certificate extracted from the register to the person who supplied the information under the Act.

Tamil Nadu CRS also provides a public death-certificate search facility. The portal states that birth and death certificates can be downloaded for events registered from 1 January 2018.

Search / Download Tamil Nadu Death Certificate

Records before 1 January 2018: If an older death certificate is not available in the online CRS database, contact the respective local body or Registrar where the event was registered.

Correction of a Death Registration Entry

Section 15 of the Act permits correction or cancellation of an entry where the statutory conditions are satisfied. Tamil Nadu CRS states that the concerned Registrar is the authority empowered to make corrections after being satisfied with the supporting documents.

Current Legal Framework

Law / provision	Relevance
Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969	Central law governing registration, certificates, delayed registration, correction of entries and reporting duties.
Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act, 2023	Introduced important amendments effective from 1 October 2023, including revised certificate and delayed-registration provisions.
Tamil Nadu Registration of Births and Deaths Rules, 2025	Current State rules notified through G.O.Ms.No.351, Health and Family Welfare (AB2), dated 31 July 2025.
Section 10	Deals with notification of births/deaths and certification of cause of death.
Section 12	Requires issue of the registration certificate after registration, not later than seven days, free of charge.
Section 13	Provides the procedure for delayed registration.
Section 15	Provides for correction or cancellation of entries in the register.

Official Government Links

Frequently Asked Questions

Within how many days should a death be reported?

The normal reporting period is 21 days from the date of occurrence.

Who reports a hospital death?

The medical officer in charge or an authorised person of the hospital or institution is responsible for reporting an institutional death to the jurisdictional Registrar.

Can a death be registered after one year?

Yes. Section 13 permits registration after one year, but it requires an order from the competent Magistrate specified in the Act, verification of the event and payment of the prescribed fee.

Can I download the death certificate online?

Yes, where the record is available in the Tamil Nadu CRS database. The official portal states that certificates for events registered from 1 January 2018 can be downloaded online.

What law currently governs death registration in Tamil Nadu?

The governing Central enactment is the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, as amended in 2023. Tamil Nadu notified the Tamil Nadu Registration of Births and Deaths Rules, 2025 on 31 July 2025.

This page is intended as a general public-information guide. The competent Registrar or other authority may require additional documents or verification depending on the facts of a particular registration, correction or delayed-registration request.