BURIAL AND CREMATION FORMS

Notes for Doctors (revised May 2022)

Please note: these forms pertain only to burial & cremation of human remains, in
circumstances where the death was from natural causes.

FORM 4 - Cremation
DEATH FROM NATURAL CAUSES - CERTIFICATE OF SECOND DOCTOR
When to use In cases where the deceased died of natural causes and is to be cremated.
To be completed by The doctor who reviewed both the:
a) circumstances of the death; and
b) the doctor’s certificate of cause of death issued by the treating or
examining doctor under section 36 of the Births, Deaths and Marriages
Registration Act 1996.
The form 4 cannot be completed by the same doctor who completed the
doctor’s certificate of cause of death.

FORM 5 - Cremation
DEATH FROM NATURAL CAUSES - CERTIFICATE OF DOCTOR CONDUCTING POST
MORTEM (NON-CORONIAL)
When to use In cases where the deceased died of natural causes and is to be cremated,
and where a post mortem took place.
To be completed by The doctor who completed the post mortem examination.

FORM 6 – Burial Only

PARTIAL CERTIFICATE OF CAUSE OF DEATH
When to use A person must not bury bodily remains until they have sighted a partial
certificate of cause of death.
To be completed by The doctor who was responsible for the deceased’s medical care
immediately before death or the doctor who examined the body of the
deceased after death.
This could be completed at the same time as the doctor’s certificate of
cause of death.
IDENTIFICATION TAG

When to use A funeral director must not move the bodily remains within the place of
death or remove the bodily remains from the place of death unless a
permanent identification tag has been securely attached to the bodily
remains.

To be attached by The medical practitioner who was responsible for the deceased person’s
medical care immediately before death; or
Another person who personally knew the deceased person; or
A person who is otherwise able to confirm the identity of the deceased
person

Type of tag
The type of identification tag to be used is defined by the Registrar as
"An identification tag of adequate size and material to enable required
information to be included in indelible ink and to ensure the identification
tag cannot be easily removed from the body".

The tag must be attached to:

a) the left arm of the deceased; or
b) if attachment to left arm is not practicable - to the right arm; or
c) if attachment to the right arm is not practicable - to the left leg; or
d) if attachment to the left leg is not practicable - to the right leg; or
e) if attachment to the right leg is not practicable - to some other part of the
bodily remains of the deceased person.

FORM 7 - Burial and Cremation

CERTIFICATE OF IDENTIFICATION OF DECEASED
When to use Prior to burial or cremation occurring. It is an offence to bury or cremate
the deceased unless a certificate of identification has been sighted

To be completed by The medical practitioner who was responsible for the deceased person’s
medical care immediately before death; or a person who personally knew
the deceased,
and who has:
• Identified the body of the deceased; and
• Sighted an identification tag with the full name and place of death or
• Visually sighted the deceased’s body in a coffin with a name plate.

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Notes
If the identification tag is attached at the place of death by the medical
practitioner who was responsible for the deceased’s medical care
immediately before death or a person who personally knew the deceased,
the bodily remains cannot be moved within, or removed from, the place of
death until the medical practitioner or person who personally knew the
deceased has completed the Form 7.

If the identification tag is attached at the place of death by a person who is

otherwise able to confirm the identity of the deceased (for example, a
nurse), the bodily remains may be removed from the place of death and
the Form 7 completed at a later stage (for example, at the funeral home),
but prior to burial or cremation occurring.

FORM 8 - Burial and Cremation (where body cannot be visually identified)

CERTIFICATE OF DOCTOR DISPENSING WITH IDENTIFICATION OF DECEASED

When to use Cemeteries and crematoriums will not proceed with burial/cremation until the
deceased is appropriately identified.
In cases where the deceased’s body cannot be identified because it is, for
example, mutilated, burnt or decomposed, and could not be recognised by visual
identification only.

To be completed by A doctor who has examined the body and who can provide the reason(s) why the
body cannot be visually identified.

Notes Despite its title, in most cases this form refers to dispensing with visual
identification, not to dispensing with identification (ie where the body is mutilated,
burnt or decomposed). However it can also be used where there is no-one who
can identify the deceased, however this is only in exceptional circumstances where
all attempts have been exhausted.

Other notes:
▪ Cremation forms completed by doctors should be forwarded to the funeral director or person who will be arranging for
the disposal of human remains.
▪ Section 14 of the Burial and Cremation Act 2013 states:
(1) A medical practitioner must not give a certificate of cause of death if the death is a reportable
death under the Coroners Act 2003.
Maximum penalty: $10 000 or imprisonment for 2 years.
(2) A medical practitioner must not give a certificate of cause of death knowing that —
(a) he or she, or his or her spouse or domestic partner, has a pecuniary or proprietary
interest in the hospital, nursing home or aged care facility where the person died; or
(b) he or she, or his or her spouse or domestic partner, has a pecuniary interest in the death
of the person under a policy of life insurance or superannuation; or
(c) he or she, or his or her spouse or domestic partner, is entitled to a benefit in the form of
property under a will or intestate distribution.
Maximum penalty: Imprisonment for 4 years.

(3) It is a defence to a charge of an offence against subsection (2) if the defendant proves that —
(a) the death occurred outside Metropolitan Adelaide; and
(b) no other medical practitioner was reasonable available, within 24
hours after the death, to give the certificate; and
(c) the defendant complied with any requirements prescribed by the
regulations in relation to the certificate.

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