Register a birth
How to register a birth (opens new window)
Book a birth registration appointment
Every birth in England and Wales must be registered within the district in which the birth took place within 42 days (6 weeks) of the child being born.
To book an appointment please contact our appointment telephone line 0300 003 4569. Appointments can be made at our Chippenham, Devizes, Salisbury and Trowbridge offices.
Birth certificates cost £11 each. If you wish to purchase birth certificates we prefer card payments. You need to be aware that charges apply if any details need to be corrected after the birth has been registered. It is important that you check the details carefully before signing the registration.
If your baby is born outside of Wiltshire Registration district please contact the Register Office in the district where the baby was born. On occasion we can conduct a declaration appointment for Wiltshire residents who are unable to travel to the registering district where baby was born however we cannot provide you with a birth certificate for your baby. On the day of your appointment, the completed paperwork will be sent electronically to the registering district. They will complete the registration process on the national system. If you require a birth certificate you will need to contact the relevant Register Office in the district where your baby was born to make payment. Each certificate costs £11. Any certificates ordered will be sent to you from the registering authority by second class post.
Who can register the birth
- Mother and father or second female parent who are married or in a civil partnership with each other when the baby is born.
- Mother and father who are not married or in a civil partnership with each other when baby is born - the mother can register the birth alone, but the details of the father can only be added to the register if you both attend the registration together or if the mother or father makes a statutory declaration. The other alternative is for the father's details to be added by re-registering the child at a later date.
- Female couples not married or in a civil partnership at the time of conception, but conceive together through a licensed clinic in the UK.
- Same sex couples can now become equal legal parents of children they conceive together or through a surrogate, as long as they have entered into a parenthood agreement.
A birth registration can be booked in person or by phone.
Re-registering a birth
The re-registering of a child's birth occurs for the following reasons:
- If the natural parents marry after the birth of their child they are required under the Legitimacy Act 1976 to apply for the re-registration of their child's birth. Form LA1 (opens new window) must be completed and signed by the both the natural parents, but it is only necessary for one of the parents to attend the registration office with their marriage certificate.
- A birth may be re-registered to include the details of the natural father where the parents were not married at the time of the birth, have not married since and no father's name was recorded at the time of the birth, or at the time of the original registration. Form GRO185 (opens new window) must be completed. Both parents must attend to re-register
The re-registration takes approximately 20 to 30 minutes.
A re-registration appointment can be booked in person or by phone.
Fees and charges
We provide the above services free of charge. There is however a charge for the issue of certificates of £11 per certificate.
Registering a stillbirth
If you need to register a stillbirth please see our dedicated Register a stillbirth page.
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