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Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act 2021

Registration of information - Deaths - Notification of deaths in New Zealand

39: Preliminary notice of death must be provided to Registrar-General

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"Tell the Registrar-General when someone dies within 3 working days"

Illustration for Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act 2021

You need to tell the Registrar-General when someone dies. A doctor or nurse who writes a certificate of cause of death must do this. They have to tell the Registrar-General within 3 working days of writing the certificate, as defined in the Burial and Cremation Act 1964.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM7326339.

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Family and relationships > Children and parentingHealth and wellbeing > Public health
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38: Deaths in New Zealand must be notified, or

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Part 2Registration of information
Deaths: Notification of deaths in New Zealand

39Preliminary notice of death must be provided to Registrar-General

  1. A medical practitioner or nurse practitioner who gives a certificate of cause of death (as defined in section 2(1) of the Burial and Cremation Act 1964) in relation to a death must provide a preliminary notice of the death to the Registrar-General within 3 working days after giving the certificate.