Register a death

When someone dies in South Australia, the funeral director will normally register their death with Births, Deaths and Marriages (BDM) on behalf of the person's family or friends.

Deaths need to be registered within seven days of burial or cremation. There's no fee to register a death.

Adding court-appointed guardians to the death record

People who are court-appointed guardians at the time of a child's death can apply to have their name included on the child’s death registration and certificate.

Funeral directors must advise BDM of the guardian's request when they register the child's death, to allow time for the guardian to provide information to BDM.

Add guardian details to a death record