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Registering a death with the MCD in Delhi

How a death gets on the record in Delhi, who does it, and the deadline that decides whether it is free or turns into a magistrate's order.

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  • Official procedure
  • Read it in a few minutes
Written to be usable
The paperwork, in order

One less thing to work out alone.

The short answer

A death in Delhi is registered within 21 days at the MCD zonal office covering the place of death, or with the NDMC or Delhi Cantonment Board inside their areas. You need the MCCD - Form 4 if the death was in hospital, Form 4A if it was at home. There is no fee inside 21 days; after that a late fee applies, and after a year it takes a magistrate's order.

Who handles it

Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), or NDMC / Delhi Cantonment Board in their zones

Deadline

Within 21 days of the death

Official fee

No fee within 21 days; a late fee applies after, and after one year it needs a magistrate's order

Start here

What to do,
in order.

Work down the list. Each step assumes only that the one above it is done.

  1. Work out who your registrar is

    Most of Delhi registers with the MCD, at the zonal office covering the place of death. The NDMC area and the Delhi Cantonment Board area have their own registrars. It is the place of death that decides this, not where the family lives.

  2. Get the cause-of-death certificate

    For a hospital death the hospital issues Form 4, the MCCD, and usually reports the death itself. For a death at home it is Form 4A, and the family arranges it through the doctor who attended the deceased.

  3. File the death report, Form 2

    A hospital normally files this for you. For a death at home the head of the household files it. This is the registration itself and it is what the 21-day clock applies to.

  4. Register within 21 days

    Inside 21 days there is no fee. Past 21 days a late fee applies and the registrar needs a written explanation. Past a year, registration requires an order from a first-class magistrate - a slow process, so do not let this slip.

  5. Apply for certificate copies

    Registration and the certificate are two different things. Once the death is registered you apply for copies, online or at the zonal office. Order at least five: banks, insurers, the property registry and the passport office each want their own.

Before you leave the house

What to take
with you.

Gather these once and you will not be sent home for them.

Registration and the certificate are not the same thing

This is the single most common misunderstanding, and it is expensive. Registering the death is putting it on the municipal record - a legal obligation with a 21-day deadline. The certificate is a copy of that record, which you apply for afterwards, as many times as you need.

Families who assume the hospital "did the certificate" often find, weeks later, that the death was registered but no copy was ever issued.

A little clarity

Common questions

If something here is still unclear, call us - someone answers at any hour.

How long do I have to register a death in Delhi?
21 days from the date of death, and within that window there is no fee. After 21 days a late fee applies and you must explain the delay in writing. After one year the registrar cannot act alone and you need an order from a first-class magistrate, which takes months.
Is registering the death the same as getting the death certificate?
No, and confusing the two costs families weeks. Registration puts the death on the municipal record. The certificate is a copy of that record, applied for separately once registration is done.
Who registers the death if it happened at home?
The head of the household. You will need Form 4A from a doctor who can certify the cause of death - usually the physician who had been treating the deceased. If nobody can certify it, the death is treated as unexplained and the police become involved first.
How many copies of the death certificate should I get?
At least five. Banks, insurers, the property registry, the passport office and the pension authority each keep the copy you give them, and going back for more later means another application.
What documents are needed for a death certificate in Delhi?
The Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (Form 4 from the hospital or Form 4A from the treating doctor), photo ID of the deceased, and ID and address proof of the person applying. The cremation receipt is accepted as a supporting document.
How do I download a death certificate in Delhi?
Once the death is registered, the certificate can be downloaded from the MCD portal (mcdonline.nic.in) using the registration or application number. Deaths in the NDMC area use the NDMC's own portal.
How do I check the status of a death certificate application?
On the MCD portal, open Application Status and enter the application number. The former North, South and East corporation portals are gone - use the single MCD portal.
How do I get a death certificate from the Delhi Cantonment Board?
If the death happened inside Delhi Cantonment, the Delhi Cantonment Board is the registrar, not the MCD. Register it with the Board within the same 21 days, at its office or through the Ministry of Defence eChhawani portal (echhawani.gov.in), which handles birth and death certificates for cantonment boards. The documents are the same: the MCCD and ID.

Where to go next

The other steps families usually need around this one.

If you would rather not do this yourself

We handle the paperwork.

It is part of every arrangement we make - the registrations, the certificates and the queueing. Ask us what is involved in your case.

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