Register a birth

 Please note:

• You must register the birth within 42 days of the birth.

• You do not need to bring your baby to the registration appointment if you wish, and can get child care. Please remember though that unmarried parents must attend together.

• If parents are married or in a legal civil partnership, only one parent should attend. If parents are unmarried and the parents wish the father’s details to be included, then both will need to attend.

• In addition to our usual offices, we will be located at the Lydney River Children and Family Centre on the 2nd Wednesday of each month.  We will be there on Wednesday 14th October, 9.30am - 12.30pm. Please select Lydney from the drop down when booking your appointment using the button link provided below.  

• Bereaved parents in England who lose a baby before 24 weeks of pregnancy can now receive a certificate in recognition of their loss.  As a registration service we are not involved in baby loss certificates, but if you would like more information or to apply for a certificate, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/request-baby-loss-certificate 

Book a birth registration appointment

Who can register a birth?

Opposite-sex couples

If you’re not married or in a civil partnership

If you’re not married or in a legal civil partnership, and want both parents’ details on the birth certificate:

• you must register the birth together, or

• one of you can register the birth and bring a Statutory declaration of acknowledgment of parentage form signed by the other parent

The mother can choose to register a birth without including the father’s details if you’re not married or in a legal civil partnership. You can add the father’s details later by re-registering the birth.

If you are married or in a civil partnership

If you’re married or in a legal civil partnership, either the mother or father can register the birth. Both parents’ details will appear on the birth certificate. 

Same-sex couples

Same-sex female couples

There are slightly different rules about who can register a birth if you are a same-sex female couple.

Same-sex male couples

Male couples must get a parental order from the court before they can be registered as parents. This can be obtained after the registration of the child by the person who gave birth to the child.

For more information and guidance please visit Register a birth: Who can register a birth - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) or contact us at cheltro@gloucestershire.gov.uk

If the baby's parents are married or in a legal civil partnership and one of them does not understand English, the parent who does understand English should register the birth. If the parents attend together and are not married to each other or in a legal civil partnership and one of them does not understand English, they must bring a relative or friend with them to act as an interpreter. The other parent may not interpret for them.

Under normal circumstances you cannot ask anyone else to register the birth of your baby for you. If you are unsure whether you are entitled to register a birth, please contact any of the registration offices for assistance and advice.

What documents should I bring?

All information relating to a registration is obtained by direct personal questioning of the informant. Informants are asked to provide supporting documentation at registrations to help ensure records are as accurate as possible.

We would ask that you bring, on a voluntary basis, various forms of documents to support all relevant areas of the register entry.

Supporting documents for parents to help with identity, nationality, relationship status and address are:

• Birth Certificate
• Passport
• Driving Licence
• Proof of Address (utility bill)
• Marriage/Civil Partnership certificates
• Deed Poll

The absence of supporting documents will not prevent the registration from taking place.

What will I be asked?

The registration officer will need the following information:

• The date and place of birth
• The child's given names and surname
• The sex of the child
• If more than one child was born (as in the case of twins or triplets), the registration officer will require a time of birth for each baby
• The names, surnames and places and dates of birth of the parents and any other names by which they have been known
• The parents' occupations
• The mother's home address at the time of the birth
• The date of the parents' marriage, if applicable, and number of previous children

What will happen at the appointment?

You will be seen in a private room and, in most cases, the registration process should take no more than half an hour.

You can either pre-pay for a birth certificate when making your online booking, or you can buy a full birth certificate at the time of registration for £12.50.  We accept card payment or cash (please bring the correct money with you if possible).  You can also order a birth certificate online at a later date (Cost - £12.50 per certificate).

The baby does not need to be taken to the registration appointment to show that the birth has taken place. The local health authority or the hospital where the birth occurred will notify the registrar of the birth.

If you want to change any details on a birth certificate, see Correct a birth registration

Can I register a birth in Gloucestershire, but the baby was born in a different county?

Births can only be registered in the district in which they occurred. However, you can provide information at any register office in England or Wales. Details of the birth will be sent to the child's birth district. Once these details have been received and the birth has been registered, you will be able to visit the website of the appropriate registration district to order and pay online for any birth certificate you need.  Please note you will not get certificates on the day of the appointment, these will be posted to you from the district where the birth took place. Please contact us to make an appointment via 01452 425060 (option 2).

Please note: At this time Gloucestershire Registration are only offering Birth Declaration appointments for customers who live within Gloucestershire but baby has been born outside of the county.