Registering the birth of a child

Having a baby is a joyous, although extremely tiring period in a person's life. Whether it is your first or fourth child, bringing your new baby home from the hospital for the first time is exciting. You will no doubt have lots of visitors, all eager to have a cuddle with your little bundle of joy.

Once you have settled in and have got some resemblance of a routine in place, you will need to think about registering the birth of your child. In this article, we will explain the legal requirements for registering a birth in the UK, including when and where you must register, who can register and the issuing of the birth certificate.

Why registering the birth of a child is important

As well as being a legal requirement under the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953, registering the birth of your child is important for many reasons.

The aim of the requirement is to help ensure there is an accurate record of all births. Being registered means your child is legally recognised and can be issued with a birth certificate.

A birth certificate will be needed if you want to take your child abroad, and may also be needed if you want to claim certain benefits.

How long do I have to register the birth of my child?

All births in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have to be officially registered within 42 days of the birth. Births that take place in Scotland will need to be registered within 21 days.

Although rarely enforced, failing to register a birth within the 42 day time limit is a criminal offence. If found guilty of the offence you can be fined up to a maximum of £200.

Where do I register the birth?

Registering the birth of your child should be done at the register office in the area where your baby was born. In some cases, births can be registered at the hospital before you leave, so it is worth asking your midwife to find out if this is possible.

You can find your local register office here - https://www.gov.uk/register-offices

If you can't get to the correct register office for where your baby was born, you can instead register at a different office. The details of the birth will be recorded on a form of declaration by the registrar. This form will be forwarded on to the correct registrar, who will enter the details into the birth register.

What information will I need when registering the birth?

It is important that you prepare certain information in advance of visiting the register office. The details you will be asked to provide (where applicable) include the following:

• date and location of birth
• the name and surname you have chosen for the baby
• sex of the baby
• names and addresses of the parents
• the mother's maiden name
• date and location of birth for each parent
• the date of marriage or civil partnership of the parents
• parent's current job roles

In addition to providing the above information, you will need to provide at least one form of identification. This could be your passport, birth certificate, driving licence or council tax bill.

Some registrars may also ask to see your child's red book, which is the personal child health record.

Who can register a birth?

Who can register the birth will depend on the particular circumstances of the parents.

Parents married to each other
If the parents are married to each other, either the mother or father can register the birth on their own. The couple must have been married before the baby was born.

Unmarried parents
If at the time of the birth the child's parents are not married, the mother can register the birth on her own, without entering the father's details.

The details of the father can only be entered into the birth register, and subsequently onto the birth certificate, in the following circumstances:

• both parents sign the birth register together
• a statutory declaration of parentage is completed and signed by one parent, with the other taking this form with them to register the birth
• If there is a court order giving parental responsibility to the father, either parent can produce this document to register the birth

If a registration has been made without the father's details being recorded, it may be possible to add these at a later date. To do this, an application for the re-registration of the child's birth will need to be made.

Who else can register a birth?

There may be circumstances, such as medical reasons, where neither the mother or father of the child can attend the register office to complete the registration. In these situations one of the following people may be asked to complete the process:

• an individual who was present at the birth
• somebody who is responsible for the child
• an administrative staff member at the hospital of birth