Birth - registering
Information on how to register a birth
For information about registering a birth in Scotland or Northern Ireland, see:
Where and when to register a birth
The birth must be registered in the district where it occurred, within 42 days. Information for the registration is given to the registrar by the person registering the birth. The information is recorded on computer and in the birth register. The person registering the birth signs the record.
The baby does not need to be taken to the register office to show that the birth has taken place. The local health authority or the hospital will notify the registrar of the birth.
Please finish reading the information on this page then check out the Tell Us Once service to make registering the birth and notifying government departments easier and more convenient for you.
At Solihull Connect, Library Square, Solihull (no appointment necessary)
You can call into Solihull Connect, Library Square between the following times
10am - 12pm and 2pm - 4pm Monday to Friday ONLY without an appointment (this service is not available on Saturdays or at any other office).
Please take a ticket when you arrive and wait to be called by an advisor.
Important information
You will be waiting in the main waiting area (there is no separate waiting area)
The registration will take place at a front desk in a customer service booth which offers some privacy
You will be asked questions required by law which may be of a very private and confidential nature, In most cases, they include
- Information relating to previous pregnancies
- Whether or not theses resulted in a live or stillbirth
- Parentage of the children
- Parental responsibility
- Adoption
- Use of other names by parents
- Their occupations and address
Please note : If you arrive around 4pm and there are several people in the queue, you may be asked to return the next day as the office closes at 5.00pm (each registration can take up to 30 mins to complete). The plasma screen in Solihull Connect will show the waiting times. The waiting time can be up to 30 minutes.
At Solihull Connect in Chelmsley Wod Shopping Centre (appointment necessary)
You will need to contact 0121 704 8002 to make an appointment to register a birth, this is done in a private room at a specified time. Appontments are available on Tuesday and Thursday mornings only between 9:30am and 11:30am.
For further advice or to make appointment, call 0121 704 8002.
Registering at a different Register Office
If it is not convenient for you to attend the office in the district where the birth took place then you may go to any other Register Office in England or Wales to register by ‘Birth Declaration’.
Please be advised that registering by declaration will delay any arrangements you may wish to make with regards to child benefit, passports etc as it relies on many different organisations and services (postal services, part time register offices etc.)
Please remember that you have a legal obligation to register the birth within 42 days.
When you attend that Register Office the Registrar who sees you will simply record the relevant information and act as an intermediary, passing the details to the Registrar in the district where the birth took place.
Once the registration has been completed by the office where the birth took place, they will send you a free short certificate. If you wish you to order extra* (Full) certificates in addition to the ‘free’ one then you will need to provide a cheque or postal order** for us to send to the appropriate Register Office, additional certificates cost £4.00 each at the time of registration.
*We are unable to order extra certificates without you providing a postal order or cheque at the time of registration.
** no other form of payment can be accepted
Important: If you register the birth by declaration then any further copies of birth certificates will only be available from the office where the birth is registered and not where the birth declaration was made.
How long will the appointment last?
The average registration of a birth takes around 20 - 25 minutes.
Who can register a birth
Either parent may register the birth if the parents are married at the time of the birth and the father's/mother's details can be included in the birth entry in his/her absence.
If the parents are not married at the time of the birth only the mother can register the birth alone. If the father's details are to be included in the birth entry, then both parents should attend together.
If the father wishes to have his details included but is unable to attend with the mother, a Statutory Declaration Of Acknowledgement of Parentage from, must be signed in the presence in the a solicitor and returned for the appointment, this form can be obtained from the Registers Office.
An unmarried father who registers the birth of his child jointly with the child's natural mother, and has his name recorded on the birth registration form, will for children born on or after 15th April 2002, acquire parental responsibilities.
Unmarried fathers who do not jointly register their child's birth will not have parental responsibilities, though the law states they will have to help pay for the child's up bringing.
Any person present at the birth, or any person having charge of the child, or occupier of the premises where the baby was born is also entitled to register the birth.
Registering the birth of a child conceived after fertility treatment
The woman who gives birth, including a surrogate mother, will be shown as the child's mother in the birth registration. The man who is to be regarded as the father of the child will generally be the husband or partner who received treatment with the mother.
In the case of a surrogacy arrangement, the couple who arranged for the surrogate mother to carry a child for them may apply to the courts for a parental order that will enable the birth to be re-registered to show them as the parents. Legal advice should be obtained if further information about this is required. When a court issues a parental order, a copy is sent to General Register Office to re-register the birth.
Registration where the father dies before a child is conceived as a result of fertility treatment
Where a child is conceived as a result of fertility treatment after the death of the man receiving treatment with the mother, the man can be registered as the child's father on production of the following documentary evidence:-
- His written consent to the fertility treatment and to being named as the father in the child's birth registration (not required where the man died before 18 September 2003)
- Written confirmation from the clinic that the man's consent had not been withdrawn (not required where the man died before 18 September 2003)
- The woman's written request for the man to be named as the father in the birth registration
- Written confirmation of the fertility treatment from a medical source, for example, the treatment clinic, mother's own doctor or hospital doctor
- The man's death certificate (original required - photocopy not acceptable). If he died in England or Wales, details of where and when will be sufficient
- A marriage certificate where applicable (original required - photocopy not acceptable). If the marriage took place in England or Wales, details of where and when will be sufficient.
Recording the man as a child's father in these circumstances does not mean he will be treated in law as the child's father for any purpose other than registration. Nor does it give the child any legal status or rights concerning, for example, inheritance or nationality. If you would like further information, you should seek legal advice.
Parental responsibility
The mother of a child, and the father if married to the mother, automatically have parental responsibility. Where the parents are not married, the father will acquire parental responsibility if his name was recorded in the child's birth registration on or after 1 December 2003.
An unmarried father can also obtain parental responsibility by marrying the child's mother, making a parental responsibility agreement with her or by getting a court order. You may wish to think about this if you have other children. If you need further information or advice, you should call Parentline Plus on 0808 800 2222 or textphone on 0800 783 6783, or obtain legal advice.
For further information on treatment services and deceased fathers, see http://www.hfea.gov.uk/
Information to be supplied for the registration of a birth
Child
- Date and place of birth; if the birth is one of twins, triplets, etc the time of each child's birth will also be needed
- Sex of the child
- The forename(s) and surname in which it is intended that the child will be brought up
Father (where this information is to be entered in the register)
- Forename(s) and surname and any other name he has ever used
- Date and place of birth
- Occupation at the time of the child's birth or, if not employed at that time, the last occupation
Mother
- Forename(s) and surname
- Maiden surname if the mother is, or has been, married and any other name she has ever used
- Date and place of birth
- Occupation at the time of the child's birth or, if not employed at that time, the last occupation
- Usual address at the date of the birth
- Date of marriage, if married to the child's father at the time of the birth
- Number of previous children by the present husband and by any former husband
Corrections to the register
It is most important that the information recorded in the birth register is correct.
If any mistake is made, for example in the spelling of a name or in the description of an occupation, it will be very difficult to put right later. The person registering the birth should check the entry very carefully before signing.
Language difficulties
If English is not your first language, it would be useful to bring someone who can help you - acting as an interpreter.
However, you must register the birth personally - a helper cannot register instead of you.
What certificates will be issued?
Birth Certificates - important changes
In May 2004 the law relating to birth certificates for UK passport applications changed.
- The changes affect anyone born after 31st December 1982 who applies for a UK passport for the first time
- An applicant falling into this category is now required to provide a full birth certificate to the UK passport service. A full birth certificate (unlike a short certificate) includes the names of both parents, where applicable
- When you register the birth of your baby, you will receive a short birth certificate free of charge, but many parents are now choosing to purchase a full birth certificate in addition, to save having to obtain a copy at a later date. The current charges for a full birth certificate are £4.00 if you purchase it at the time or registration, and £7.00 if you do so later.
Registering a birth after 12 months
If a birth has not been registered within 12 months it is possible for late registration to be authorised by the Registrar General if certain requirements are met.
The Registrar General must be satisfied, by documentary evidence, of the child's exact date and place of birth. There must also be a person available who can attend any Register Office in England and Wales to give the information for the registration. More information about registering a birth and who can do this is available in Who can register a birth? (above)
How to apply for Late Registration
To apply for the late registration of an unregistered birth in England Application for Late Registration (Form C45) online form should be completed and for Wales: Application for Late Registration (Form C45W) online form should be completed.
Further information is provided in the application form. You may need to provide supporting documents - this is also discussed in the application form. The form, and supporting documents, should be returned to the Corrections and Re-registration office, at
General Register Office.
Room D209
Smedley Hydro
Trafalgar Road
Southport
Merseyside PR8 2HH
No fee is charged for authorising a late registration however. One short certificate is provided free. If you want to buy additional certificates, you can obtain them from the relevant Register Office or from the General Register Office when registering the birth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Can I put my partner's name and details on the birth certificate?
A. Only the natural father can be included on a birth certificate.
Q. I want to change the child's name on the birth certificate?
A. Name can be changed in the following circumstances.
Spelling Error
If there has been an error in the spelling of a name please return the certificate with proof that the name is spelt incorrectly, a letter from the informant explaining why he/she signed the register with an incorrect spelling. The evidence should be a document written within a few month of birth.
Change First Names
First name can be changed at any time as long as the child is baptised with the name within 12 months of registration If not baptised proof can be provided that name has been used within 12 months or registration
ie: medical card
Complete the 'Change of Name in Baptism' or the 'Change of Name Not in Baptism' form which can be obtained from the Registers Office
Change Surname
If parents of the child have married each other since registration the surname can be changed by completing the LA1 form which can be obtained from the Register Office If parents aren't married and the father was not on the original registration the surname can be changed by completing the GRO185 from which can be obtained from the Register Office If parents aren't married and the father was declared on original registration details the surname can not be changed
Q. What name can I give my child?
A. You can register the child in any name you choose however the registrar has the discretion to refer the case to the General Register Office if they feel the name is inappropriate.
Q. I did not have the father on my child's birth certificate, can I have him included?
A. If he is the natural father and he has married the natural mother since the registration of birth. The LA1 form should be completed, which can be obtained from the Register Office If the natural father has not married the natural mother, complete the GRO185 form which can be obtained from the Register Office. If a parental responsibility order has been made, an application should be made in writing to the Registrar with proof of the order.
Q. I want the fathers details removed from the birth certificate?
A. Fathers name can only be removed by order of the courts and following submission to the Registrar General. You should seek legal advice in the first instance. The lawyer would usually obtain the required court order and apply directly to the General Register Office for amendment to the register entry.
Contact Details
For more information on registering a birth, please phone the Register Office on 0121 704 8002 or email connectcc@solihull.gov.uk