Register a birth

 Please note:

• You must register the birth within 42 days of the birth.

• From 9 November 2026, birth registrations will be recorded electronically. You will still need to attend an appointment with a registrar, but you will no longer sign a paper register.

• You do not need to bring your baby to the registration appointment. Please remember though that unmarried parents must attend together.

• If parents are married or in a legal civil partnership, only one parent should attend. If parents are unmarried and the parents wish the father’s details to be included, then both will need to attend.

• In addition to our usual offices, we will be located at the Lydney River Children and Family Centre on the 2nd Wednesday of each month. Please select Lydney from the drop down when booking your appointment using the button link provided below.  

• Bereaved parents in England who lose a baby before 24 weeks of pregnancy can now receive a certificate in recognition of their loss.  As a registration service we are not involved in baby loss certificates, but if you would like more information or to apply for a certificate, please visit: gov.uk/request-baby-loss-certificate 

Book a birth registration appointment

Who can register a birth? 

See: GOV.UK - Who can register a birth

What documents should I bring?

From 9 November 2026, you will need to provide proof of your identity when you register or re-register a birth.

All documents used for this purpose must display the person's forename and surname.

What will I be asked?

The registration officer will need the following information:

• The date and place of birth

• The child's given names and surname

• The sex of the child

• If more than one child was born (as in the case of twins or triplets), the registration officer will require a time of birth for each baby

• The names, surnames and places and dates of birth of the parents and any other names by which they have been known

• The parents' occupations

• The mother's home address at the time of the birth

• The date of the parents' marriage, if applicable, and number of previous children

What will happen at the appointment?

• You will be seen in a private room and, in most cases, the registration process should take no more than half an hour.

• You can either pre-pay for a birth certificate when making your online booking, or you can buy a full birth certificate at the time of registration for £12.50.  We accept card payment or cash (please bring the correct money with you if possible).  You can also order a birth certificate online at a later date (Cost - £12.50 per certificate).

• You will no longer need to sign the register. Instead, the registrar will ask you to make a declaration to confirm that the information you have given is correct.

•  Failure to bring the correct identification will result in your appointment being rescheduled.

If you want to change any details on a birth certificate, see Correct a birth registration

Can I register a birth in Gloucestershire, but the baby was born in a different county?

Births can only be registered in the district in which they occurred. However, you can provide information at any register office in England or Wales.

Details of the birth will be sent to the child's birth district. Once these details have been received and the birth has been registered, you will be able to visit the website of the appropriate registration district to order and pay online for any birth certificate you need.  

Please note you will not get certificates on the day of the appointment, these will be posted to you from the district where the birth took place. Please contact us to make an appointment via 01452 425060 (option 2).

Please note: At this time Gloucestershire Registration are only offering Birth Declaration appointments for customers who live within Gloucestershire but baby has been born outside of the county.