How to Get a Death Certificate in New Brunswick: Service NB, Costs, and Burial Permits

Banks freeze accounts, life insurance companies halt payouts, and land registry transfers grind to a stop — all until you produce an official death certificate. In New Brunswick, the process of obtaining that certificate is not something you can kick off yourself on the first day. There's a mandatory registration step that must happen first, and it goes through the funeral director, not you. Understanding the full sequence — and where you fit in it — will prevent the frustrating delays that catch executors off guard during an already chaotic first week.

Who Registers the Death

In New Brunswick, death registration is handled through Service New Brunswick (SNB) Vital Statistics. The online registration portal is gated — it is accessible only to licensed funeral directors, coroners, physicians, and nurse practitioners. You cannot register the death yourself as a family member or executor.

Here is the sequence:

1. The attending physician, nurse practitioner, or coroner completes the medical certificate of cause of death. Provincial law requires this to be done "forthwith" — meaning promptly, without unnecessary delay.
2. The funeral director receives the medical certificate and uses the SNB portal to formally register the death.
3. Once the death is registered, the Registrar General issues a Burial Permit, which authorizes the funeral director to proceed with burial or cremation.
4. After the Burial Permit is issued and disposition has taken place, you can then apply for an official Long Form Death Certificate.

This sequencing means that if the death was unexpected and a coroner is involved — which triggers a mandatory investigation before the medical certificate can be signed — your timeline for obtaining a death certificate is pushed back until the coroner completes their work.

What Information the Funeral Director Needs from You

Because the funeral director is the one who registers the death on your behalf, they need certain information from you to complete the registration accurately. Gathering this before your arrangement meeting will speed things up considerably:

• Deceased's full legal name and any previous names
• Date, time, and location of death
• Date and place of birth
• Social Insurance Number (SIN)
• Place of birth of both parents
• Deceased's occupation and usual residence
• Marital status and name of spouse or partner
• Name and contact information of the informant (usually the executor or next of kin)

Missing any of these — particularly the SIN or parents' birthplaces — can delay registration. Banks and the Canada Revenue Agency use SIN to match records, and life insurance companies frequently require it.

How Much Does a Death Certificate Cost in New Brunswick

Once the death is registered, you apply directly to Service New Brunswick for Long Form Death Certificates. The current fees are:

• $40 — online application through the SNB portal
• $45 — in-person at an SNB service centre or by regular mail

These are per-certificate fees. You will almost certainly need more than one original certificate. Banks typically require their own original copy; so do insurance companies, the land registry, and federal agencies like Service Canada. It is common for executors to order four to six certificates upfront. Getting extras early is considerably less expensive and faster than returning later, when the estate process is stalled waiting on paperwork.

An expedited processing option is available through SNB: certificates can be processed within 48 hours for an additional courier fee, provided the death has been fully registered and the application is complete. If you need certificates urgently — to freeze or access bank accounts, for example — the expedited option is worth asking about when you call SNB.

Long Form vs. Short Form

New Brunswick issues Long Form Death Certificates, which include full details of the deceased including cause of death. This is the version required for most estate administration purposes. Some institutions may refer to it simply as an "official death certificate" or "certified copy of registration of death."

A short form or abstract is not always accepted by financial institutions or for property transfers. When in doubt, specify "Long Form" when ordering.

What the Burial Permit Covers

The Burial Permit issued by the Registrar General is a separate document from the death certificate. It is required before any physical disposition of remains can take place — whether burial or cremation. The funeral director obtains this permit after registering the death, and is legally required to endorse it with the date the burial or cremation occurred.

Families do not obtain burial permits directly. The funeral director handles this as part of the arrangement. It is not a document you need to request or manage separately — but understanding that it exists explains why a funeral cannot legally proceed until death registration is complete.

If remains are being brought into New Brunswick from another province or country, the funeral director cannot proceed until a burial permit has been issued by the proper authority in the jurisdiction where the death occurred. There is no workaround to this requirement.

When a Coroner Is Involved

If the death was sudden, unexpected, occurred outside a medical setting, or if the cause of death is unclear, the Office of the Chief Coroner must be notified. The coroner investigates, determines cause of death, and formally releases the body before a medical certificate can be signed and the registration process can begin.

Coroner investigations can take hours or days depending on whether an autopsy is ordered. During this time, the body cannot be released to a funeral home, and the death registration process cannot begin. This means the Burial Permit cannot be issued, no disposition can take place, and you cannot yet apply for death certificates.

For families who have chosen cremation, this is particularly time-sensitive: once the coroner does release the body, the 48-hour cremation waiting period still applies, and an unembalmed body must be disposed of within 72 hours of death. These overlapping deadlines can create a very narrow window.

Common Reasons for Delays

The most frequent causes of death certificate delays in New Brunswick are:

• Missing information on the death registration (particularly SIN or parents' birthplaces)
• Coroner involvement extending the medical certification process
• The funeral director not yet completing registration before the family starts making SNB inquiries
• Applying for a short form when a long form is required

One practical note: banks and some agencies will reject photocopied death certificates. Always order original certified copies — not photocopies of an original you have on hand.

For a complete checklist of the documents required at each stage of death registration and estate administration in New Brunswick, see the New Brunswick Funeral Laws & Consumer Rights Guide.

See more New Brunswick guides →