Register a birth
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1. Overview
All births in England, Wales and Northern Ireland must be registered within 42 days of the child being born.
You should do this at the local register office for the area where the baby was born or at the hospital before the mother leaves. The hospital will tell you if you can register the birth there.
If you cannot register the birth in the area where the baby was born, you can go to another register office and they will send your details to the correct office.
There are different rules for registering a birth in Scotland, registering a birth in Northern Ireland and registering a birth abroad.
Information you need when registering a birth
When registering the birth, you should know:
- place and date of the birth
- name, surname and sex of the baby
- parents’ names, surnames and address
- places and dates of parents’ birth
- date of parents’ marriage or civil partnership
- parents’ jobs
- mother’s maiden surname
You might not need to give all of this information, depending on who is registering the birth.
What you should take
You should take at least one form of identification when you go to the register office. You can use:
- passport
- birth certificate
- deed poll
- driving licence
- proof of address (for example, a utility bill)
- Council Tax bill
- marriage or civil partnership certificate
You should also take your child’s personal child health record or ‘red book’ as some registrars may ask to see it.
If you’re going to the register office on your own, you may need proof of paternity from the other parent before you give their details.
After the birth is registered
Once you’ve registered the birth, you may be able to claim:
2. Who can register a birth
Opposite-sex couples
Married or civil-partner parents
Either parent can register the birth on their own. They can include both parents’ details if they were married or in a civil partnership when the baby was born or conceived.
Unmarried parents
The details of both parents can be included on the birth certificate if one of the following happens:
- they sign the birth register together
- one parent completes a statutory declaration of parentage form and the other takes the signed form to register the birth
- one parent goes to register the birth with a document from the court (for example, a court order) giving the father parental responsibility
The mother can choose to register the birth without the child’s father if they’re not married or in a civil partnership. The father’s details will not be included on the birth certificate.
It might be possible to add the father’s details at a later date by completing an application for the re-registration of a child’s birth.
Same-sex female couples
Female couples can include both their names on their child’s birth certificate when registering the birth.
Married or civil-partner parents
Either parent can register the birth on their own if all of the following are true:
- the mother has a child by donor insemination or fertility treatment
- she was married or in a civil partnership at the time of the treatment
Unmarried, non-civil-partner parents
When a mother is not married or in a civil partnership, her partner can be seen as the child’s second parent if both women:
- are treated together in the UK by a licensed clinic
- have made a ‘parenthood agreement’
However, for both parents’ details to be recorded on the birth certificate, they must do one of the following:
- register the birth jointly
- complete a ‘Statutory declaration of acknowledgement of parentage’ form and one parent takes the signed form when she registers the birth
- get a document from the court (for example, a court order) giving the second female parent parental responsibility and one parent shows the document when she registers the birth
Same-sex male couples
Male couples must get a parental order from the court before they can be registered as parents.
Other people who can register a birth
If the parents cannot register the birth (for example, for medical reasons), certain other people can do it:
- someone who was present at the birth
- someone who is responsible for the child
- a member of the administrative staff at the hospital where the child was born
3. Birth certificates
There are 2 types of birth certificate:
- the short version, which contains only the baby’s details
- the full version, which also contains the parents’ details
Once you have registered the birth, you’ll be able to buy a short or full certificate for your baby. Both kinds cost £11.
If you register the birth in the area where it took place, you’ll get a certificate straight away. If you register the birth in another area, you’ll get it in a few days.
You can buy extra copies of the birth certificate from the register office at any time.