Every birth in England or Wales must be registered in the district in which it takes place within 42 days of the date of birth. Information for the registration is given to the registrar by the person registering the birth. The information, which is usually recorded on computer, is also recorded in the birth register and the person registering the birth signs the record.

As Devon (excluding Plymouth and Torbay) operates as one registration district the person registering the birth can choose to make an appointment to attend at any of Devon's 8 Registration Offices or their outstations.  For example, the birth may have taken place in Exeter or Barnstaple but it may be more convenient for the person registering to visit the Honiton or Northam Registration Office.  A certificate of the birth registration showing the child's details only, (short certificate) is provided free of charge at the time of registration.  Full or long birth certificates giving details of parents as well as the child are available at the time of registration at a cost of £3.50.  Full birth certificates are required for first-time British passport applications .  Copies of short or full birth certificates may be applied for at a later date but once a particular register has been closed the cost of certificates rises.

Should the birth have taken place in the Devon County Council area but the person registering lives outside this area it is possible for the birth to be registered at a Register Office in another administrative area - this is known as registration by declaration.  The registrar will record the registration particulars on a form of declaration and send it to the registrar for the district where the birth occurred. The registrar who receives the declaration will enter the information in the birth register. Certificates of the birth, which may be ordered and paid for at the time of making the declaration, will be posted by the registrar for the district where the birth took place.  Registration by declaration does add extra time to the registration process.

The baby does not need to be taken to the registration office to show that the birth has taken place. The local health authority or the hospital where the birth occurred will notify the registrar of the birth.

The opening hours of Devon's Registration Offices vary from one area to another.  All of them operate an appointments system. You should contact your local Registration Office by telephone or e-mail to obtain further information or to arrange an appointment.

Who can register a birth

This explains who can register a birth, and when information about the father may be included in the register:

Parents married to each other
If the parents of the child were married to each other at the time of the birth (or conception), either the mother or the father may register.

Parents not married to each other
If the parents were not married to each other at the time of the child's birth (or conception), the father's particulars may be entered in the register only in the following circumstances:

• the mother and father go to the register office and sign the birth register together, or
• where the father is unable to go to the register office with the mother -
  • the father may make a statutory declaration acknowledging his paternity which the mother must produce to the registrar (this form may be obtained from any registrar in England or Wales), or
• where the mother is unable to go to the register office with the father -
  • the mother may make a statutory declaration acknowledging the father's paternity which the father must produce to the registrar (this form may be obtained from any registrar in England or Wales), or
• where the mother and father have made a parental responsibility agreement or either has obtained an appropriate court order-
  • the agreement or order should be produced to the registrar by either parent

If the father's particulars are not recorded in the birth register, it may be possible for the birth to be re-registered to include his details at a later date should the parents marry, for example.. You can obtain further information about how to apply for the re-registration of a birth from your local registration office.  It should be noted that if the parents are not married to each other unless the father's details are entered into the birth register he will not gain automatic parental responsibility for the child.

Other people who may register births

Although the majority of births are registered by the parents, sometimes neither the mother or the father are able to do this. In these circumstances, the registrar will arrange for the registration to be completed by whichever of the following people is best able to do so:

• the occupier of the house or hospital where the child was born
• a person who was present at the birth
• a person who is responsible for the child

Registering the birth of a child conceived after fertility treatment

The woman who gives birth, including a surrogate mother, will be shown as the child's mother in the birth registration. The man who is to be regarded as the father of the child will generally be the husband or partner who received treatment with the mother.

In the case of a surrogacy arrangement, the couple who arranged for the surrogate mother to carry a child for them may apply to the courts for a parental order that will enable the birth to be re-registered to show them as the parents. Legal advice should be obtained if further information about this is required. When a court issues a parental order, a copy is sent to Corrections and Re-registration Section at the General Register Office in Southport who will complete the re-registration of the birth.

Registration where the father dies before a child is conceived

Where a child is conceived as a result of fertility treatment after the death of the man receiving treatment with the mother, the man can be registered as the child's father on production of the following documentary evidence:-

• his written consent to the fertility treatment and to being named as the father in the child's birth registration (not required where the man died before 18 September 2003)
• written confirmation from the clinic that the man's consent had not been withdrawn (not required where the man died before 18 September 2003)
• the woman's written request for the man to be named as the father in the birth registration
• written confirmation of the fertility treatment from a medical source, for example, the treatment clinic, mother's own doctor or hospital doctor
• the man's death certificate (original required - photocopy not acceptable). If he died in England or Wales, details of where and when will be sufficient
• a marriage certificate where applicable (original required - photocopy not acceptable). If the marriage took place in England or Wales, details of where and when will be sufficient.

Recording the man as a child's father in these circumstances does not mean he will be treated in law as the child's father for any purpose other than registration. Nor does it give the child any legal status or rights concerning, for example, inheritance or nationality. If you would like further information, you should seek legal advice.

Information to be supplied for the registration of a birth

Child

• date and place of birth; if the birth is one of twins, triplets, etc the time of each child's birth will also be needed
• sex of the child
• the forename(s) and surname in which it is intended that the child will be brought up

Father (where this information is to be entered in the register)

• forename(s) and surname
• date and place of birth
• occupation at the time of the child's birth or, if not employed at that time, the last occupation

Mother

• forename(s) and surname
• maiden surname if the mother is, or has been, married
• date and place of birth
• occupation at the time of the child's birth or, if not employed at that time, the last occupation
• usual address at the date of the birth
• date of marriage, if married to the child's father at the time of the birth
• number of previous children by the present husband and by any former husband

It is most important that the information recorded in the birth register is correct. If any mistake is made, for example in the spelling of a name or surname or in the description of the father's or mother's occupation, it will give the parents or other person who registered the birth some difficulties to have it put right. The person registering the birth should check the information to be recorded in the register very carefully before the entry is signed.

If English is not the mother's or father's first language and help is needed with registering the birth, it would be helpful for a relative or friend to accompany them to the registrar's office and act as interpreter. However, the parents must register the birth personally as a relative or friend cannot register instead of them.

What certificates will be issued?

After a birth has been registered, a short birth certificate showing the name, sex, date and district of birth is issued free of charge. The short certificate meets most ordinary needs but a full birth certificate, which is a complete copy of the register entry, is also available. (To apply for a passport you will need a full birth certificate.) Further short certificates and full certificates may be bought at the time of registration or at any time afterwards.

Registration Fees

Fees and Charges for the Devon Registration Service.  You can obtain further information from your local Registration Office.

Also on devon.gov.uk

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