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Register a birth

Book an appointment to register the birth of your baby. Registration must be done in person with one of our registrars, and you have a legal responsibility to do this within 42 days of the birth.

If your baby is born outside of Bath and North East Somerset, contact the Register Office in the district where the baby was born

Who can register the birth

Mother and father or second female parent are married or in a civil partnership with each other when baby is born

Either parent can register the birth.

Mother and father are not married or in a civil partnership with each other when baby is born

The mother can register the birth alone, but the details can only be added to the register if you both register together.

If this is difficult, the mother or father can make a statutory declaration. Or, the father's details can be added by re-registering the child at a later date.

Female couples not married or civil partners at the time of conception, but conceive together through a licensed clinic in the UK

Same sex couples can now become equal legal parents of children they conceive together or through a surrogate, as long as they have entered into a parenthood agreement (you don't have to bring this agreement with you when you register, but you might have to show it at another time).

The mother can register the birth alone, but the second female parent's details can only be added to the register if you both register together.

Male couples

Same sex couples can now become equal legal parents of children they conceive together or through a surrogate. Contact us to find out the different options available for male couples by email register_office@bathnes.gov.uk, or call 01225 47 72 34.

Others

Others can also register a birth under exceptional circumstances, but contact us for more details on 01225 47 72 34.

Book your appointment to register

Before you book your appointment to register the birth, you will need the following information (although you might not all of this information, depending on who is registering the birth):

  • The place and date of the birth
  • Name, surname and sex of the baby
  • Parents’ names, surnames and address
  • Places and dates of parents’ birth
  • Date of parents’ marriage or civil partnership
  • Parents’ jobs
  • Mother’s maiden surname

Book an appointment online or call us on 01225 47 72 34.

Please note, the Guildhall tends to book up well in advance. For more immediate appointments, please select the Bath Children and Family Centre.

Book an appointment online

When you register

It should take about 30 minutes to register the birth. If possible, bring the baby's personal health record (also known as the Red Book), as well as one form of identification for each parent. Any of the following documents will be fine:

  • Passport
  • Birth certificate
  • Deed poll
  • Driving licence
  • A utility bill dated in the last 3 months
  • Council Tax bill for the current year
  • Marriage or Civil Partnership certificate

You can buy a standard (full) or short form certificate when you register the birth. A standard certificate shows all the details recorded in the register (this is needed if you plan to apply for a UK passport for the baby). A short birth certificate shows the baby's name, date and place of birth (it is not valid as identification). 

Fees

WarningCharges apply if any incorrect details need to be corrected later (after the birth has been registered). See our web page for further details.

Certificates cost £11 each and you can buy them when you register the baby's birth with a credit or debit card (due to COVID-19 restrictions, we are unable to take cash or cheques). Find out more about ordering copy certificates.

Register a birth by declaration

If you live outside of Bath and North East Somerset, but your baby was born here, you can register the birth by declaration at your nearest Register Office. Your baby's birth certificate will be sent to you in the post once we have received the declaration and payment from the Register Office you attended. The certificate costs £11 and you need to make this payment within 3 days of making your declaration. You will need the following:

  • The reference number given to you by the registrar
  • A credit or debit card

Pay online