Register a birth

How to register a birth

Registering a birth is one of the first thing you will do as a new parent and we are happy to help you with this. In your appointment we will ask you a series of legal questions and then produce a certificate for you at a government fixed fee.

Appointments last about 20 minutes. Unfortunately, you will not be seen if you are late and will be asked to rebook.  There is no parking, so please walk, cycle or use public transport.

Payment for certificates are done via the booking process by Visa and MasterCard only. You will not be able to pay for certificates on the day of your appointment.

Please ensure you have read all the government guidance on registering a birth before making a booking.

If you are legally married, only the mother or father must attend. If you are not legally married, both parents must attend. Bringing babies to the appointment is not necessary. We encourage customers to arrange childcare to reduce the risk of mistakes happening during the registration.

Make an appointment

Further information

There is a 42-day limit to register a birth and new parents  who do not comply will be contacted and asked to register their newborn if they have yet to do so within the legal time frame. You will need a birth certificate when claiming any benefits related to the birth of a newborn.

Failing to register a birth when requested to do so can result in prosecution.

Please attend your appointment with as few people as legally possible. This may include arranging childcare where possible.

We are an appointment only service so please check read the information on opening hours and access.

Don’t miss out on Child Benefit

Information about child benefit can be found on GOV.UK. This includes the Child Benefit claim form CH2.

This must be printed out, filled in and sent to the Child Benefit office. If you don’t have access to a printer, you can call 0300 200 3100 and HMRC will send you a form in the post.

The form also contains information for a small minority of families who may be eligible for the High-Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC).

If you already have a Child Benefit claim, you can add more children by calling HMRC on 0300 200 3100.