What to do when someone dies in British Columbia

A step-by-step guide to the first hours and days after a death in BC.

Updated September 29, 2026

If someone close to you has just died, you do not have to do everything at once. In most cases there is no need to rush. This guide walks through the first hours and days in British Columbia, with links to more detail at each step.

First steps

If the death was sudden or unexpected, call 911 and follow the dispatcher's instructions.

If the death was expected, for example after a long illness, contact the doctor, nurse practitioner or nurse who was caring for the person. In a hospital, care home or hospice, the staff will guide you through what happens next.

Who confirms the death

A doctor or nurse usually confirms, or "pronounces," that death has occurred. BC law does not require a formal pronouncement, and families planning a death at home can arrange ahead of time to go without one.

A separate document, the Medical Certificate of Death, records the cause of death. A doctor, nurse practitioner or coroner must complete it within 48 hours after the death and make it available to the funeral provider.

When the coroner is involved

The BC Coroners Service investigates deaths that are unnatural, sudden and unexpected, unexplained or unattended, and the deaths of all children under 19. Police, paramedics, hospitals and care homes report most of these deaths, but anyone can report a death by calling 1-855-207-0637.

If a coroner is involved, they will contact you, talk with you about any examination that may be needed, and tell you when the person can be moved. The coroner's full investigation can take weeks or months, but the coroner can release the person to a funeral provider once they are no longer needed for it.

When to call a funeral provider

It is up to you to choose a funeral provider. Funeral providers in BC must be licensed by Consumer Protection BC, and you can check a licence online. When to call depends on where the death happened:

• In hospital: the person is cared for at the hospital, usually in its morgue, until they are released to the provider you choose. See a death in hospital.
• In a care home or hospice: staff will let you know, and you contact the funeral provider of your choice. See a death in a care home or hospice.
• At home, as planned: if a Notification of Expected Death in the Home form is in place, wait at least one hour after breathing has stopped, then call. See a death at home.
• If the coroner is involved: wait until the coroner tells you the person can be moved.

Only the person with the legal right to make the arrangements can authorize a funeral provider to bring the person into its care. That is the executor named in the will or, if there is no will, the next person in the order set by BC law. See who can arrange a cremation in BC.

There is usually no need to rush

BC law does not allow a cremation until at least 48 hours after the death. Vancouver Coastal Health's booklet for families advises taking time over decisions and not being rushed. Use the first hours to be with the person, to let family and friends know, and to look for a will. A will may name an executor and may include the person's wishes for their funeral or memorial.

Registering the death

Every death in BC must be registered with the Vital Statistics Agency. A funeral provider usually does this for you, using the Medical Certificate of Death and information the family provides about the person, including their:

• full legal name, date of birth and birthplace
• Personal Health Number and Social Insurance Number
• occupation
• spouse's name, and maiden name if it applies
• father's full name and birthplace, and mother's full name (maiden name) and birthplace

Once the death is registered, the funeral provider can issue a death certificate and the disposition permit that allows the cremation to go ahead. See death certificates in BC and how long a cremation takes in BC.

What comes next

• How to start arrangements with Just Cremation.
• Financial help: the Canada Pension Plan death benefit for eligible contributors, and BC's Burial or Cremation Supplement when neither the estate nor the person responsible for the costs, such as a spouse, can pay. The supplement must be approved before services are provided, so ask about it first by calling 1-866-866-0800.
• The province's After a Death guide, its printable After a Death Checklist, and its list of who to notify.

Looking after yourself

The BC Bereavement Helpline offers free, confidential support at 1-877-779-2223, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you are an employee in BC, you can take up to three days of unpaid leave when an immediate family member dies.

If the death happened in the Lower Mainland and you would like our help, you can call us at any hour at (604) 856-2346.