In England and Wales, a new baby must be registered within 42 days of its birth. This is usually carried out at your local registry office, although in some cases a mother may be able to register her baby before she leaves hospital if a registrar is present.
Why is it Important to Register The Birth of a Child?
Your child's birth needs to be registered so that they are legally recognised. After the registration, you will receive your baby's birth certificate as proof of registration, and this document will be required if you are claiming any benefits and to prove their identification. Both parents should be named on the birth certificate, if they are known.
Who Can Register The Birth?
The birth can be registered by:
- Either the mother or father if they are married
- The child's mother if she is not married
If one of the parents cannot attend the registration, they need to fill in a statutory declaration form and this should be handed in to the registrar.
If a Parental Responsibility agreement in place or either parent has an appropriate court order, this can be presented at the time of registration.
If the father's details are not recorded, it may be possible for these details to be registered at a later date.
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If neither the mother or father can attend the registration, then the following may register the birth in their place:
- The Occupier of the house or hospital where the child was born
- The person who was present at the birth
- The person who is responsible for the child
Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.
What Information Do We Have To Provide?
You must provide the registrar with the following information for your baby's birth certificate:
- The date of your child's birth
- The place of your child's birth
- Your baby's full name and gender
- Name, date and place of birth and occupation of the father
- Name, date and place of birth and occupation of the mother
Make Sure You Get it Right
Registering the birth of your child is a happy experience but, as a birth certificate is a legal document, every attempt should be made to ensure that all information and details relating to both the birth and to the birth parents is accurate at the time of registration. Make sure that all spellings, especially your child's name, are correct as these cannot be corrected.
I have anther birth certificate for another child who was also born in the workhouse. It too is signed by Robert Chappell Freeman. However, the signatures are clearly not the same.
Is one of these certificates fake or invalid?
I'm seperated from my husband and I just had a baby with another man. Can I add him to the birth certificate wihtout having any issues because I'm legally still married.
Thank you
When I registered my son,I was told that I could give him any random surname that is neither father's or mother's surname, so I gave my son a random surname. Now we have moved to Europe and the authorities want proof that this is indeed allowed in UK Law. They want an article in the law that proves this is true. Where can I find this and what article is it?
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