22 C.F.R. § 72.5 – Final report of death.

(a) Preparation. Except in the case of the death of an active duty member of the United States Armed Forces, when there is a local death certificate or finding of death by a competent local authority, the consular officer should prepare a consular report of death (“CROD”) on the form prescribed by the Department. The CROD will list the cause of death that is specified on the local death certificate or finding of death. The consular officer must prepare an original Report of Death, which will be filed with the Vital Records Section of Passport Services at the Department of State. The consular officer will provide a certified copy of the Report of Death to the next of kin or other person with a valid need for the Report within six months of the time of death. The next of kin or other person with a valid need for the Report may obtain additional certified copies after six months by contacting the Department of State, Vital Records, Passport Services, 1111 19th St., NW., Rm. 510, Washington, DC 20036.
(b) Provision to Department. The consular officer must sent the original of the CROD to the Department, with one additional copy for each agency concerned, if the deceased was:
1. (1) A recipient of continuing payments other than salary from the Federal Government; or
2. (2) An officer or employee of the Federal Government (other than a member of the United States Armed Services); or
3. (3) A Selective Service registrant of inductable age.
(c) Provision to next of kin/legal representative. The consular officer must provide a copy of the CROD to the next of kin (or legal guardian) or to each of the next of kin, in the event there is more than one (e.g. more than one surviving child) and to any known legal representative who is not the next of kin.
(d) Transmission of form to other consular districts. If the consular officer knows that a part of the personal estate of the deceased is in a consular district other than that in which the death occurred, the officer should send a copy of the CROD to the consular officer in the other district.
(e) The Department may revoke a CROD if it determines in its sole discretion that the CROD was issued in error.