Registering a birth

Find out below about the process of registering the birth of your baby.

For information and assistance with registrations, use our online e-form (secure).

When should you register your baby's birth?

When your baby is born you must register their birth with the registrar in the district where the birth took place within six weeks.

What do you need to tell us?

To register the birth we need to know:

the date of birth
where the baby was born
the baby's full name
the mother's full name and maiden name if married
the mother's job
the mother's address
the mother's date and place of birth.

If you want the father's details to be included, we need to know:

the father's full name
the father's date and place of birth
the father's job
the father's address
if the parents are married, we need to know the date of the marriage.

What will you receive?

We will give you, free of charge, a short birth certificate, which will show your baby's full name, date of birth, sex and area of birth.

For a small charge, you can get more copies of the short certificate or a copy of the full certificate (with all the details you gave us).

We will also give you a form so you can register the birth with a doctor.

Who can register the birth?

The baby's mother can register the birth.

The baby's father can register the birth if they were married to the mother when the baby was born. If not, they can only register the birth by coming to the Register Office at the same time as the mother.

In exceptional circumstances, someone who isn't the baby's parent can register the birth, but must contact the Register Office before coming along.

Where can you register the birth?

If your baby was born in Wolverhampton you should register the birth with the Register Office.

But if you can't come to our Register Office, you can give the details to another Register Office. They will send the information onto us and we will then send you the birth certificate and other documents in the post.

Do you need an appointment?

Yes. Please call us on (01902) 554989 or use our online e-form (secure) to make an appointment.

We offer appointments from Monday to Friday, from 9am to 4pm.

We will aim to see you within ten minutes of your appointment time, if you arrive on time.

Cost and payment

When the birth is registered a standard certificate (full details) costs £3.50 and a short birth certificate (name, sex and date of birth only) is issued free of charge.

You can pay by cash, cheque, postal order and debit or credit card.

Cheques and postal orders should be payable to Wolverhampton City Council and must be in sterling, drawn from a bank with a UK branch.

When accepting payment by debit or credit card we will need the full number.

Further information

If you require further information or require assistance, use our online e-form (secure).

Additional information on registering a birth can also be found on the General Registry Office website.