By law every child born in England and Wales must be registered in the district where the birth took place.
You need to register your baby to get a birth certificate. You can then register your baby with a doctor and claim any family-related benefits.
You can make an appointment to register a birth at the Register Office in the Town Hall using our online form below.
Who can register the birth
A birth can be registered by:
- the mother
- the father (if the child's parents were married to each other at the time of birth or conception)
In certain circumstances another person can register a child's birth; please contact us for more details.
Information we need
We need the following details to register a birth:
- the date and place of birth (for multiple births we'll also need the time of each baby's birth)
- the baby's sex
- the first and last names in which the child will be brought up
- the father's first and last name, his date and place of birth, and his occupation at the time of his baby's birth
- the mother's first and last name, a maiden name if applicable, the date and place of her birth, her usual address at the date of the birth, and her occupation
You must also bring with you to your appointment:
- the hospital discharge form or personal child health record (red book)
- a form of identification for yourself, such as a passport, driving licence or birth certificate
Booking your appointment
You'll have 30 minutes to fill in the online form to book your appointment. If you don't complete your booking within this time you'll lose your chosen appointment slot.
You'll save time at your appointment if you order and pay for birth certificates online when making your booking. See our registration charges for certificate costs. You can also pay for certificates at your appointment with a debit or credit card if you're not yet sure how many you want. Please note, we're not able to accept any payments in cash.
If you're not able to attend after making your appointment, please cancel your booking to free the time up for someone else. Your confirmation email includes details of how to do this.
Attending your appointment
When attending your appointment please use the entrance on the Lancaster Gate side of the building, next to the fountains.
Please make sure you arrive for your appointment on time; if you're more than five minutes late we won't be able to see you and you'll need to book a new appointment slot.
Registering by declaration
If you're unable to visit us to register a birth you can arrange to register your baby by declaration at any other register office in England and Wales. Please contact us for more information about this.