Copy certificates

Please note

The General Register Office increased the fee for a copy certificate on 28 May 2024. Details of the new fees can be found below.

You can request copy certificates for all Norfolk births, deaths and marriages dating back to 1837, and civil partnerships since 2005. If you are ordering a birth or death certificate for a recent happening, please ensure an informant has completed the required registration prior to placing an order. If the event happened outside of Norfolk, elsewhere in England or Wales, you can order certificates from the registration district where the event took place. If you do not know where the event took place, contact the General Register Office for help.

You can also order certificates for ceremonies which will be held at a Norfolk church or place of worship. These can be ordered from us before the day of your ceremony. The Minister of Religion at the church or place of worship can no longer produce your certificates for you. Read Registering your marriage for more information.

How to order certificates

You can request a copy certificate using our online form. We'll confirm your order by email and give you a link so you can track its progress.

Request a certificate

Adoption certificates

Adoption certificates are produced when people are adopted, to show their new identity. This supersedes their original entry of birth and becomes the certificate they will then use for official purposes.

Adoption certificates can only be obtained from the General Register Office, who are based in Merseyside and their phone number is 0300 123 1837. Further contact information and online ordering can be found on the General Register Office website.

How much it costs

A copy certificate costs £12.50. Certificates are sent by 2nd class post within 15 working days. You cannot collect them in person.

Urgent copy certificates

We offer a priority service for urgent requests. It costs £38.50. If you order by 3pm on a working day, requests are usually processed the next working day. Urgent certificates are sent by first class post.

You cannot use the priority service to order certificates for:

Church weddings that haven't happened yet
Recent marriages where you don't have a certificate yet

Overseas postage

We charge an extra £2 to send certificates overseas.

Help with your order

If you need help with a church ceremony certificate, email regmss@norfolk.gov.uk.

If you need help with a copy birth, death or marriage certificate, contact Norfolk County Council.