Register a birth
All registrations must be done in person and by appointment only.
Your birth registration appointment can be booked online.
When you select the office you wish to attend for your appointment please be patient and allow the system to search for an appointment for you. If no appointments are found for your preferred office you will need to select a different office.
Book your appointment (opens new window)
Who can register a birth
Mixed-sex couples
Married or civil-partner parents
Either parent can register the birth on their own. They can include both parents' details if they were married or in a civil partnership when the baby was born or conceived.
Please note - A 'civil-partner' is someone that you have been through a legal ceremony with for the formation of a civil partnership.
Unmarried, non-civil partner parents
The details of both parents can be included on the birth certificate if one of the following happens:
- they attend to 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 the statutory declaration of parentage form from GOV.UK (opens new window)
- one parent goes to register the birth with a document from the court (for example, a court order) giving the father parental responsibility
The mother can choose to register the birth without the child's father if they're not married or in a civil partnership. The father's details will not be included on the birth certificate.
It might be possible to add the father's details at a later date by completing an application for the re-registration of a child's birth. For more information visit re-register a birth.
Same-sex female couples:
Female couples can include both their names on their child's birth certificate when registering the birth in the following instances:
Married or civil-partner parents
Please note - A 'civil-partner' is someone that you have been through a legal ceremony with for the formation of a civil partnership.
Either parent can register the birth on their own if the following are true:
- the mother has a child by donor insemination or fertility treatment
- she was married or in a civil partnership with the second female parent at the time of the treatment
Unmarried, non-civil-partner parents
When a mother is not 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:
- attend to register the birth jointly
- complete a statutory declaration of parentage form and one parent takes the signed form when they register the birth. Download the statutory declaration of parentage form from GOV.UK (opens new window)
- get a document from the court (for example, a court order) giving the second female parent parental responsibility and one parent shows the document when she registers the birth
Same-sex male couples:
Male couples must get a parental order from (opens new window) the court before they can be registered as parents.
Re-registration following marriage or civil partnership
This is a legal requirement. For more information visit re-register a birth.
Can someone other than the parents register the birth?
In certain exceptional circumstances someone other than the parents may register the birth. Contact us if you need to ask for this option.
Where to register a birth
A birth has to be registered in the registration district where it occurred.
A birth that occurred in Norfolk can be registered at any of our registration offices in the county.
If your baby was born in Norfolk but you live in Suffolk, you can register the birth at the Lowestoft Register Office. Please contact Suffolk County Council (opens new window) if you wish to arrange this.
If it will be difficult for you to travel to the right registration office to register the birth you can go to a registrar in a more convenient place anywhere in England or Wales. We call this registering by declaration.
You can make a 'declaration of the birth' in Norfolk but the paperwork has to be sent to the office in the district where the birth occurred. That office will register the birth and post you the birth certificates, but it will mean a delay of up to five days.
What do I take to the appointment?
Please bring the Registering the Birth form issued by the hospital or midwife if possible. This form has the baby's NHS number on it and is often referred to as the hospital discharge papers. It will help speed up your appointment if you bring this form with you.
You are not required to bring your baby along to your appointment.
You will be asked for the information listed below:
- The date and place of birth
- If the birth is one of twins, triplets etc, then the times of the births will be needed
- Baby's full name and gender
- Full names of child's parents, including previous names
- Date and place of birth of child's parents
- Occupation of child's parents
- Mother's address at time of birth
- Date of marriage of child's parents (if this applies)
- The number of children previously born to the mother (including any stillbirths)
We recommend that you bring documents such as birth certificates, passports or driving licenses to help you with the accuracy of the details you provide. Any errors in a birth entry noticed after the register page has been signed can be complicated to correct. You may be required to pay a fee for a correction to be considered.
We will process a range of information in order to complete this registration. View our information and privacy notice
Cancelling an appointment
If you need to cancel an appointment, contact us as soon as possible.
What paperwork will I receive after the appointment?
There are two types of birth certificate: a short certificate and a full certificate. These can be purchased for £12.50 each when you register.
A short birth certificate gives the child's name, sex and date of birth only. A full birth certificate shows all the details given during the registration for the child and the parents (assuming the father's/second parent's details are recorded). This includes the name(s), address(es), occupation(s) and place(s) of birth of the parent(s).
Don't miss out on Child Benefit
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.
Please note that Norfolk Registration Services are unable to assist with Child Benefit applications and this is something that you will be required to apply for with HMRC directly. Visit the GOV.UK website to contact HMRC directly.
How do I make a change to a birth certificate?
To make a change or apply for a correction to a birth certificate, contact us and you will be directed to a full-time office.
You may be required to pay a fee for your application for a correction to be considered. This will depend on the type of error that needs correcting. Our registration staff will give you more information.
For information on how to add father's details, or how to re-register a birth after marriage or civil partnership visit re-register a birth.
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