Re-registering births
A birth can be re-registered for the following reasons:
There is no time limit for a re-registration.
The birth must be re-registered at the register office for the district where the child was born. If you are unable to attend that office, you can make a declaration at any register office in England or Wales. The same details, information and documentation will be required as for a normal registration. The registrar will forward the declaration to the appropriate office, from where certificates and documents will be issued.
You should allow seven working days between the date of declaration and the receipt of documents. If you have not received anything after this time you should contact the register office for the district where the event occurred and not the office at which you made the declaration.
Re-registering to include father’s details
A re-registration to include the natural father's details can only be accepted if no father's details were recorded at the time of the original registration.
The following documents will be required:
- the child’s full birth certificate
- a Form GRO 185 completed and signed by both parents. This can be obtained from your local register office.
Both parents should attend, but if one parent attends with a statutory declaration made by the absent parent, or court order naming the other parent, this will have to be submitted to the General Register Office (external link) for their authority.
Re-registering upon marriage
This allows for the natural parents, who subsequently marry each other, to re-register the child as a child of their marriage, regardless of whether or not the natural father's details were recorded in the birth registration.
The following documents will be required:
- the child's full birth certificate
- your marriage certificate and a Form LA1 completed and signed by both parents. This can be obtained from your local register office.
Local authorisation for the re-registration can be granted by the register office for the district where the birth occurred.
If your marriage took place outside of England or Wales or the father normally lives outside the UK, the application for re-registration will have to be submitted to the General Register Office (external link) for their consideration and approval.
