Changing the Birth Record

 

Is it possible to change the birth record at a later date?

Under certain circumstances, it may be possible to change the details or add to the information recorded at the time of the original registration.

 

Surname

It is not possible to change a child’s surname in the original birth record, altnewborn baby asleephough spelling mistakes can be put right by the correction process.

The exception to this is a change of name by re-registration.

 

Forename

It may be possible to change your child’s forename within twelve months of the registration of the birth. Please contact your local Register Office for further information.

 

Re-registration

What to do if you marry the child’s father after registration

If at the time of registration, you were not married to the baby’s father, but you have since married him, it is your legal duty to re-register the birth, even when the father’s details were entered when the birth was originally registered.

 

You can consider changing the child's surname to the mother’s or the father’s – or to a combination of the two – as long as both parents agree to the change. If the child is 16 years of age or over his/her written consent must be obtained before the surname can be changed. This process updates the birth record to show your marital status.

 

Adding a fathers details to a birth entry at a later date

If the natural father’s details were not recorded at the initial registration and you now wish to add them, please contact us for information/advice about Parental Responsibility

 

You can also consider changing the child's surname to the mother’s or the father’s – or to a combination of the two – as long as both parents agree to the change. If the child is 16 years of age or over his/her written consent must be obtained before the surname can be changed.

What are the costs?

There is no charge for authorising a correction or re-registration of a birth – but if you would like to purchase certificates of the new entry, the cost per standard birth certificate at the time of correction or re-registration is £3.50.

The certificates remain at £3.50 until the register is deposited with the Superintendent Registrar (approximately a month after the registration but please ring to confirm). Once the registrar has been deposited, the cost per certificate becomes £7.00. We can accept payment by cash, cheque or postal order but not debit/credit card. Please make cheques payable to “The Superintendent Registrar”.

 

Warning: Any person who knowingly and wilfully GIVES FALSE INFORMATION to a registrar for insertion in a Birth Register, or MAKES A FALSE DECLARATION for the purposes of the registration of a Birth is LIABLE TO PROSECUTION FOR PERJURY.