Recommendations for Completing Paperwork

  • Complete and file all advance directives, including Living Will and Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare. Determine with your doctor if you should have a Portable Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST).
  • Anticipated deaths that occur at home but not on hospice service must have a physician of record involved to avoid being considered an unattended death.
  • Assign a family member, friend, or other designated agent to carry out all funeral arrangements if you choose not to have the relative who is responsible by law conduct them. You can find a Designated Agent for Funeral Arrangements here. Individuals choosing to have someone who is not a family member or a professional funeral director must do so in writing prior to death.
  • ​Fill out a New Hampshire Death Certificate Worksheet for all family members to keep on file, so the basic information is handy whenever it’s needed.
  • Some Town Clerks may have little to no experience with a family filing their own paperwork, though the NH Office of Vital Records has begun training in earnest. It can be helpful, in the case of an anticipated death, to visit their office to inform them of your intent. (See For Professionals for information you can bring with you. And check out Sample Forms to familiarize yourself with what paperwork in New Hampshire looks like.)

On This Page

  • Recommendations for families choosing to handle their own paperwork
  • How to complete the paper death certificate
  • Who has the authority to manage the final affairs as next-of-kin
  • How to designate an agent other than family to manage final affairs
  • How to obtain certified copies of the death certificate

Completing the Death Certificate

Under New Hampshire law RSA 290:1, a death certificate may be filed by the deceased’s next of kin, a designated agent, or a funeral director. This must be accomplished electronically within 36 hours of death, and followed with the original paperwork within 10 days. If the death occurs during a period when the Town Clerk’s office is closed, such as holidays and weekends, and the family is acting as their own funeral director, either the Town Clerk in the town or city of record where the death occurred must agree to help file, or a funeral director must be hired specifically to file electronically.

Filing the Death Certificate When Hospice Is Involved
  • Hospice RNs are now able to initiate the medical portion of the death certificate directly with Vital Records.
  • Once their filing is done, the next-of-kin goes to the Town or City Clerk's office to complete the demographic entries with the clerk.
  • A burial/transit permit will be issued by the Town or City Clerk.
  • Certified copies of the death certificate will be available immediately.

Obtaining and Filling Out the Paper Death Certificate:
  • If electronic filing is not available, a completed and signed paper death certificate must be obtained from the physician, hospice nurse, Medical Examiner, Attending Physician, and/or other qualified authority who pronounces the death and certifies cause of death on the medical portion of the death certificate.
  • The next-of-kin or designated agent completes the demographic portion.
  • If a funeral director is hired, he or she will complete the demographic portion using information provided by the family.
  • The next-of-kin or the designated agent, if acting as the funeral director, will sign as the FD.
  • The form must be filled out as specified, with no cross-outs or white-outs.
  • Every box must be completed, including NA or N/A.
  • Make a copy for your records.

Getting the Paper Death Certificate Signed by a Medical Authority
  • Physicians must certify the medical portion of the death certificate within 24 hours of the death. It is up to the filing party to locate and obtain that signature if using a paper form.
  • Families of patients who have been on hospice service may be assisted by the attending hospice nurse in locating and obtaining the physician's signature.
  • If a paper certificate is used, it must be sent to Vital Records  within 10 days of the electronic filing.
  • A Note About Unattended Deaths: If the person is not on hospice service but death outside a medical setting is anticipated, the likelihood of a death investigation can be reduced by contacting the primary care provider in advance to confirm their ability to certify the death based on known health conditions.

Filing the Death Certificate
The death certificate must be filed electronically by 1) a Town Clerk or City Registrar, or 2) by a hospice nurse, or 3) by a funeral director who has direct access if the Town Clerk is unavailable, or 4) in person at the Office of Vital Records, Division of Secretary of State, in Concord, within 36 hours. 
  • If the hospice nurse has already initiated filing electronically, the next-of-kin is responsible for completing the demographic portion at the Town Clerk's or City Registrar's office. Medical authorities have 24 hours other than complete the electronic certification of cause of death.
  • Depending on the day of death, the paperwork may have to wait until after the weekend or a holiday, when offices are open; or your Town Clerk, having been apprised of an impending death, may agree to help you file during off-hours.
  • The final disposition by burial must be reported to the Town Clerk within 6 days with completed paperwork.
  • Certified copies will be available on demand at the Town Clerk’s office at a price of $15 for the first and $10 for each subsequent copy; needed for Social Security, veteran’s benefits, banks, insurance, credit cards, credit report companies, and other purposes.
 
Burial/Transit Permit
A burial/transit permit will be generated by the Town Clerk or Vital Statistics personnel once the electronic report has been filed. This form enables the family (if named on the form) to transport the body home, to a church or other space, and to the crematory or cemetery. The cemetery authority will sign the form, which must then be filed with the Town within 6 days of the burial. Make copies for your records. 
 
Authorization to Cremate
This form must be signed by the next-of-kin, giving the crematory permission to cremate the body. A Medical Examiner is required to release the body for cremation, burial at sea, body donation, or to cremate in another state. If you cremation another state, you must have a NH Medical Examiner view the body and provide the certificate. Call the Chief Medical Examiner's office for a referral to an ME in your county to schedule a review after the death has occurred. You will be responsible for sending in a copy of the form and the $60 fee. Bring the death certificate and transit permit, along with the cremation certificate, with the body to the crematory. In New Hampshire, there is a 48-hour waiting period required between the time of death and the cremation.

New Hampshire Death Certificate Timeline for Home Funeral Families

Authority to Make Arrangements

Recommendations:
  • Complete and file all advance directives, including Living Will and Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care (DPOAH).
  • Assign a family member, friend, or other designated agent to carry out all funeral arrangements.

The next-of-kin or a designated agent have the right to handle all aspects of after-death care. This means that families can legally care for and transport a body, keep it in their home for a viewing period, and take it for final disposition themselves, without hiring a licensed funeral director, except for any details the family wishes to have done by a funeral home.
 
According to NH RSA 290:16, the authority to make all arrangements follows this order:
a) designated agent or spouse;
b) an adult son or daughter;
c) a parent;
​d) an adult brother or sister;
e-k) other relations.
​If there is no spouse and there are multiple adult children, signatures from the majority or all will be required.
 
In the event that the decedent and/or the family prefer that someone outside the family oversee funeral arrangements and complete the necessary paperwork, they may appoint a designated agent to carry out their wishes on their behalf. This is accomplished by signing a Special Power of Attorney for Designated Agent form. Limitations and responsibilities are described in that document.

Obtaining Official Copies of the Death Certificate

Once the death certificate is electronically filed, certified copies may be obtained at any Town Clerk's office throughout the state. Certified copies may be needed to settle the affairs of the deceased (for example, for insurance or benefit claims, to close accounts). For information about fees and how to order, go to Vital Statistics.

Notifications and Benefits

Newspapers
Families may file obituaries and memorial notices. A newspaper may ask to see a death certificate and many newspapers charge a fee for publishing an obituary. (See NH Newspaper Obituary Requirements.)
 
Military and Veterans Benefits
Contact the Department of Veterans Affairs for information on benefits, or visit http://www.cem.va.gov/ for online information. Among other things, you may be entitled to a U.S. flag from the Post Office, to be used at a memorial service, by presenting a certified copy of the death certificate and proof of military service. You may also qualify for a free gravesite in a VA cemetery. Toll-free:  800-827-1000.
 
Social Security Benefits
To obtain Social Security Administration information, go to http://www.socialsecurity.gov/
 
The office in Littleton https://secure.ssa.gov/apps6z/FOLO/Controller can be called at:
Local Number (603) 444-2945
Toll-Free 1-800-772-1213
TTY(603) 444-4028

Check out http://www.funeralwise.com/learn/arrange/benefits for more info on Social Security and VA benefits.

Resources and Online Links