Births must be registered in-person within 42 days.

You will need to meet one of our team at a Register Office, or Family Hub:

• Step 1: Find your nearest Register Office or Family Hub
• Step 2: Book your in-person appointment here, or call us on 0345 600 6400.

Who can register the birth?

If the parents of the child were married to each other at the time of birth, either can register. If they were not married, the mother alone may register the birth.

The father’s details can be added if he is present, or if both mother and father make a statutory declaration. It is possible to add the father’s details by re-registration later if both parents agree.

Registering with a second female parent 

When a child has two female parents, the mother who carries the child through pregnancy is known as the Mother. The second parent is recorded as Parent. 

The child is registered as a child in marriage where the female parents were married to each other before the time of treatment or conception (and any Parenthood Agreements made at a UK licenced clinic have not been withdrawn). 

Both parents’ details are recorded on the registration when the child was conceived through treatment at a UK licenced clinic, a Parenthood Agreement has been signed, and consent has not been withdrawn. 

Only the carrying mother’s details are recorded when a child is conceived outside of a UK licenced clinic and the parents are not married. The second female parent’s details may be added by re-registration if a Parental Agreement is received from a court. 

For more information on registering births with same-sex parents, please contact us on 01670 622378. 

Important information for unmarried couples

The law has made it easier for unmarried fathers to get equal parental responsibility, providing both parents register the birth together.

Parental responsibility gives you important legal rights, treating you as the child’s parent. Without that, you have no right to be involved with decisions affecting your child's life. 

If you have any queries, call us on 0345 600 6400.

What you need to bring to the appointment

It will take 20 minutes to register the birth. If available, please bring: 

• Both parents’ birth certificates. 
• Parents’ marriage certificate, if applicable. 

You will be asked for:

• Baby's date and place of birth
• Time of birth if a multiple birth
• Sex of the baby
• Baby's full forename(s) and surname
• Parents’ forename(s) and surname and, if applicable, the mother's maiden name
• Parents’ occupation at the time of the birth or, if not employed, their last occupation
• Town and county of parent's birth
• Parents’ address

It is not necessary for the baby to be there. There is no charge to register the birth, but you may wish to buy copy certificates.  

Once the birth has been registered, you will be asked by the registrar to check that the details you have given are correct. It is important that you do this before you sign the register page. If a mistake is found later and you require a correction to be made, a fee of up to £90 is payable. 

Other information we may ask for

The following information is required under the Population (Statistics) Act. The details are not entered into the register but are used confidentially for statistical information by the registrar general. 

• Parents’ date of birth 
• Date of parents’ marriage, if applicable 
• Whether the mother has been married more than once 
• Number of previous live and still births

If You live in North Tyneside and your baby was born at Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital in Cramlington

You will be able to do a birth declaration at the Riverside Children's Centre in North Shields. Please phone 0191 643 8899 to make an appointment.

If the birth occurred outside of Northumberland 

It may be convenient for you to attend one of our register offices to complete a birth declaration. This allows the details of the birth to be sent to the district where it occurred and registered there. Please note that this service is not available at our Family Hubs.

Birth certificates

Full birth certificates showing the parents details will be available to purchase following the registration date at a cost of £11 per certificate.  Click here to order a copy certificate.

Birth certificate amendment

A baby's forename(s) can be changed once during the 12 months since birth, provided the child has not been baptised with the original name. There is a £40 fee for any forename changes. Please contact your local register office for advice.

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