Register a birth

Timescales for registering a birth

You should register your baby within 42 days of the birth.

The birth must be registered at the Register Office of the district where the birth takes place. For births in Liverpool, you can register at Liverpool Register Office, St George's Hall.

Book an appointment

You must make an appointment to attend Liverpool Register Office.

Book an appointment to register a birth

Read our privacy notice which tells you how we use your data.

Alternatively, you can contact us to book an appointment. Please note, although anyone can book an appointment, we recommend that it is done by the baby's mother (or father if he is married to the mother) as they will be registering the birth.

Where should I go?

You can book an appointment to attend our offices at St George's Hall or Cunard Building.

Liverpool Register Office
St George's Hall Visitor Entrance
St George's Place
Liverpool
L1 1JJ

Cunard Building
Brunswick Street entrance
Liverpool
L3 1AH

Please leave enough time to find parking if travelling by car. Parking near Cunard is limited. If you are late for your appointment we may not be able to see you.

Can I register the birth at another Register Office?

The birth must be registered at the Register Office for the district where the birth occurred.

If you are not able to travel to Liverpool Register Office you can contact your local Register Office to enquire about making a declaration of registration.

They will gather the information needed to register a birth (as detailed below) and ask you to sign a declaration form. They will send this to us, where the birth will be registered.

You can then order birth certificates from Liverpool Register Office online.

Other questions you might have

Who can register a birth?

• One of the parents if the parents are married to each other.
• The mother, or the mother and father together if they are not married to each other.
• You cannot ask a friend or relative to register the birth on your behalf.

If the parents are not married to each other at the time of the birth, the father's details may be entered when the mother and father attend together to register the birth.

When the father is not able to attend he may make what is called a Statutory Declaration confirming that he is the father. The mother will give this declaration to the Registrar (the form for this declaration is available from any Register Office).

When either parent has a Court Order or Parental Responsibility Agreement in respect of the child the Court Order or Agreement must be handed to the Registrar who will advise on each case as it arises.

If the birth is to be registered with two female parents please telephone 0151 233 3004 for further advice.

Do I need to bring anything with me?

Although you do not need to bring anything with you, it may be helpful to bring the following documents with you to your appointment in order that the correct spellings of all names and addresses are recorded.

• Passports.
• Parents' birth certificates.
• Marriage/civil partnership certificate.
• Deed poll (name change).
• Driving licences.
• Recent utility or Council Tax bill.
• Previous children's birth certificates.
• Your discharge papers from the hospital or 'red book'.

If English is not your first language, you may ask a friend or relative to go with you to act as an interpreter.

How much is a birth certificate?

When you make an appointment to register the birth, you can order and pay for certificates using a debit or credit card. Certificates are £12.50 each.

You may also purchase certificates from the registrar during the appointment using a debit or credit card.

What information does the Registrar need to know?

The Registrar will ask questions about the father and the mother’s names, occupation, where they live and their own place of birth which will be included on the certificate. The following details will remain confidential. They will not be entered in the Register and will not appear on any birth certificate.

• If the parents were married to each other at the time of the birth, and if they were, the date of the marriage.
• The number of children the mother has had previously by her present husband or any former husband.
• The date of birth of the parents.

Once the registration is complete the Registrar will ask you to sign the register. Please ensure you read the information recorded carefully before signing the register. Any request to change or update information will be subject to a charge of up to £99 depending on the error. In some cases it will not be possible to change information recorded. If you wish to amend any information recorded in the register please discuss this directly with the Register Office.

What surname will the baby have?

The child will normally be given the surname of the mother or the father. Even if the parents are not married to each other, and the father does not attend, the child may be given his surname. Please note this will not be proof of parentage.

Once the surname has been decided it may be changed only when:

• The parents apply for a re-registration of the birth to have the father's details included where they were not included in the first register entry.
• The parents marry each other at any time after the baby is born and registered. In this case the birth should be re-registered even if the child was given the father's surname at the original registration.

Is my child a British citizen?

Yes

If either parent is a British citizen or settled for immigration purposes on the date of your child’s birth.

No

If neither parent was a British citizen nor settled for immigration purposes on the date of your child’s birth.

If my child is not a British citizen at birth, how can my child become such a citizen?

Under section 1(3) of the British Nationality Act 1981 a child is entitled to be registered as a British citizen once either of their parents becomes settled for immigration purposes in this country, or becomes a British citizen.

For more information you can contact the UKBA Nationality Group on 0845 010 5200 or visit the UK Border Agency website. If your child was born in the UK before 1 July 2006, you should contact Nationality Group on 0845 010 5200.