Registering a birth

When to register

The birth of a baby must be registered within 42 days of the date of birth.

Where to register

A birth must be registered with the Registrar of Births and Deaths for the district where the birth occurred. (For details of where to register in Rotherham see our opening hours/making an appointment)

If you prefer, you can go to any other Registrar's Office in England or Wales to give the details of the birth but the birth will not be registered there. The details will be forwarded by post to the Registrar for the district where the birth took place and he/she will complete the registration from the information you have supplied. This is called registering a birth by declaration.

Once the birth has been registered the Registrar will post out a short birth certificate free of charge. If you require a full birth certificate (showing parents names) a fee of £4 is payable at the time of registration. Certificates issued at a later date cost £7 or £10, depending on the amount of time that has elapsed since the date of Registration.

Who can register

If the parents are married to each other when the baby is born, either parent may register the birth.

If the parents are not married to each other, and they want the father's details to be included in the register, both parents should attend the Register Office together to register the birth. If it is not possible for both parents to attend together telephone the Register Office for advice about what to do.

If the parents are not married to each other, there is normally no requirement to have the father's details in the register. If his details are not entered at the time of registration it may be possible for this to be done at a later date. However, from 1st December 2003, an unamed father automatically aquired parental responsibility where his particulars were recorded in the entry of a birth registered on the joint information of both parents, or on the information of one parent with a statutory declaration of acknowledgement of paternity from the other parent.

Last updated 23/05/2012