Documents required for death certificate — RBD Act 2026

• Hospital discharge slip / Form 4 (cause of death) — For hospital deaths — issued by treating hospital
• Doctor's death certificate (Form 4A) — For deaths outside hospital — by registered medical practitioner
• Aadhaar of deceased — Identity
• Aadhaar of informant (next of kin) — Person filing application
• Form 2 (Death Registration Application) — Standard form; available at registrar
• Identity proof of next of kin — Voter ID / Aadhaar
• Address proof of place of death — For correct jurisdiction
• Cremation/burial slip — Issued by crematorium / burial ground

• Affidavit (for deaths without doctor certificate) — Signed by next of kin + 2 witnesses
• Police panchnama — For unnatural deaths (accident, suicide)
• Post-mortem report — For medico-legal cases
• Magistrate order — For late registration > 1 year of death
• Aadhaar of all heirs — For inheritance / pension claim purposes
• Marriage certificate — For establishing spousal relationship for pension

• Within 21 days = FREE. Late fees Rs. 5-50.
• Place of death governs jurisdiction (NOT residence) — registrar at municipality/panchayat where death occurred.
• Form 4 (cause of death) MUST be obtained from hospital at discharge for medico-legal purposes (insurance, pension).
• Both family + hospital can file — typically hospital files Form 4, family files Form 2.
• Beyond 1 year — magistrate order required (Form 4 process).
• Multiple copies needed — for insurance, pension, bank, succession. Apply for multiple at registrar (Rs. 25-50 each additional).

Municipal Registrar of Births & Deaths in the area where death occurred. Online via state portals.

→ Official source: https://crsorgi.gov.in/web/index.php

If death certificate is delayed beyond 30 days, file RTI to Municipal Registrar under §6 for application status + cause-of-death verification + projected issuance.

→ Use our 🪄 AI RTI Drafter to generate a free §6(1) application asking for the rejection reason in 60 seconds.

• Q: How long after death to register? — Within 21 days = FREE. Beyond 21 days: late fees apply. Beyond 1 year: magistrate order required.
• Q: Where to register — place of death or place of residence? — Place of DEATH. Even if deceased lived elsewhere, registration is at place of death.
• Q: Hospital Form 4 vs Form 4A? — Form 4 = hospital cause-of-death. Form 4A = medical practitioner cause-of-death (for deaths outside hospital).
• Q: How many copies needed? — For insurance: 2-3. For pension: 2. For inheritance: 5+. Always apply for extras at registrar.
• Q: Death abroad — how to register in India? — Indian Embassy registration first; or registered later in India under Indian Citizenship Act §10.

1. Gather mandatory documents above before applying — saves a re-visit
2. Apply via official portal (link above) — no agent needed
3. Track status: see our status-check guides
4. If rejected for “documents inadequate”: request specific deficiency under §4(1)(d) RTI Act
5. For state-specific guidance: see state portals directory

• 🪄 AI RTI Drafter — type problem, get §6 application
• 🎤 AwaazRTI — voice-to-RTI in 11 Indian languages
• 🔮 Outcome Predictor — score draft win-likelihood
• ⚖️ First Appeal Generator — §19(1) draft on Day 31
• 📅 Timeline Calculator — track 30-day window

• State-by-state: Death Certificate across all 36 states
• If rejected, file RTI: Full RTI guide
• Citizen RTI playbook: All 100+ scenarios
• All documents checklists: All 30 checklists

• Statutory references: as cited in Specifications above
• Official portal: linked in “Where to apply” above
• RTI Act 2005 §§4, 6, 7, 19

Last reviewed: 25 April 2026.