Register a Birth

From 9 November 2026, you must provide proof of your identity when you register or re-register a birth.

You must bring either:

• One document from List A, or
• Two documents from List B.

List A

Physical documents

• Current passport, or a passport that expired no more than 18 months before the date of registration
• UK travel document
• UK refugee travel document
• UK stateless person's travel document
• UK driving licence (full or provisional, photocard only)
• UK birth certificate
• UK adoption certificate
• Driving licence issued by an EU Member State (photocard only)
• National identity card issued by an EU Member State

Physical or digital documents

• UK biometric immigration document (eVisa share code – option "Other")
• PASS card (Proof of Age Standards Scheme)

List B

Physical documents

• Marriage certificate or civil partnership certificate
• Police warrant card or Armed Forces identity card
• Signed firearms certificate
• Proof of Royal Mail redirection

Physical or digital documents

• Utility bill (excluding mobile phone bills)
• Council Tax statement
• Bank or building society statement
• Credit card statement
• State benefit, pension or tax credit entitlement letter issued by DWP or HMRC
• P45 or P60
• Letter from a government agency
• Letter from the NHS
• HMRC notification
• Document issued by the person's local authority
• Proof of receipt of State Pension
• School or college letter (for young people aged 16 to 19)

Other documents that may be helpful

Depending on your circumstances, it may also be helpful to bring:

• Your marriage or civil partnership certificate
• Proof of your address
• Documents showing a change of name
• If you are married or in a civil partnership, your spouse's or civil partner's passport or other evidence of their name
• Any documentation relating to assisted reproduction or fertility treatment, where relevant
• Any statutory declaration or court order relating to parenthood, where applicable

If English is not your first language

If English is not your first language, a friend or relative can come with you. We do not provide interpreters.

If only one parent is attending

Whether the other parent's details can be included in the registration depends on your circumstances. If you are unsure, please contact the Register Office before your appointment.

Buying certificates

Birth certificates cost £12.50 each and can be paid for by cash or card.

Opposite-sex couples

Married parents

Either parent can register the birth on their own. They can include both parents’ details if they were married when the baby was born or conceived.

Unmarried parents

The details of both parents can be included on the birth certificate if one of the following happens:

• They sign the birth register together
• One parent completes a statutory declaration of parentage form and the other takes the signed form to register the birth

Download ‘Statutory declaration of parentage’

Same-sex female couples

Female couples can include both their names on their child’s birth certificate when registering the birth.

Married or civil-partner parents

Either parent can register the birth on her own if all of the following are true:

• The mother has a child by donor insemination or fertility treatment
• She was married or in a civil partnership at the time of the treatment

Unmarried, non-civil-partner parents

When a mother isn’t married or in a civil partnership, her partner can be seen as the child’s second parent if both women:

• Are treated together in the UK by a licensed clinic
• Have made a ‘parenthood agreement’

However, for both parents’ details to be recorded on the birth certificate, they must do one of the following:

• Register the birth jointly
• Complete a ‘Statutory declaration of acknowledgement of parentage’ form and one parent takes the signed form when she registers the birth

Download Statutory declaration of acknowledgement of parentage form

​The appointment will last about 20 minutes. You will need to sign the completed register entry to confirm that all the information is correct.

Any errors can only be changed in accordance with the legal procedures.

There is a statutory fee of £83 or £99 for the consideration of a correction. You should therefore check the register very carefully before you sign

At the arrival desk, you will be asked to pay for your certificates by debit or credit card - they are £12.50 each - we do not accept cash or cheques therefore please bring a card to pay if you wish to receive the certificate on the day.

If you are unable to purchase a certificate on the day of Registration or you would like extra copies please visit our Request Copy Certificates webpage and order a copy of the Full Birth Certificate for the same fee of £12.50 plus postage. This will be posted to you and you should receive this in 7-10 days.

If you live outside the City of Nottingham you may, register the birth via the office of your local Registrar.

You should telephone your local Registrar to make an appointment. They will attest a declaration of the particulars required and forward it to Nottingham Register Office.

You may need to re-register a child’s birth in England or Wales if the natural parents have married or formed a civil partnership after the original registration, or to add the natural father’s details if they were not included initially. Please note that you cannot change any part of the child's name.

For children born INSIDE the boundary of the CITY OF NOTTINGHAM (e.g. QMC or City Hospital)  please complete the Re-registration enquiry form below, and a member of our team will call you to schedule an appointment. Payment is taken at this stage.

Complete the Re-registration Enquiry Form

For children born OUTSIDE the CITY OF NOTTINGHAM (e.g. Kings Mill or Nottinghamshire area) please contact us using the main office number 0115 8415554 or use our Online Contact Form

Don’t miss out on Child Benefit: Information about Child Benefit can be found on GOV.UK including the Child Benefit claim form CH2 (CH2 Claim Form).

For your first child, 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 the 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 further children by calling HMRC on the number above.