Re-register a birth

Find out how to re-register a birth, which means creating a new record in the birth register, and why you might need to do this. You can also change your baby's first name(s) within 12 months of their birth registration.

Reasons for re-registering a birth

You are legally required to re-register your child's birth if you have married or formed a civil partnership with your child’s father, mother or second female parent after their birth. 

You can also re-register if you want to add the details of your child's natural father or second female parent to their birth register, if they were not added originally.

The re-registration process is free, but you can buy additional short and standard (full) certificates from the registrar (at a cost of £12.50 each), when you re-register.

Select a circumstance below, to find out more about what you will need to do, to re-register your child's birth.

Mother and father got married after the birth

If you married after your child was born, you should re-register to add the natural father’s details to their birth register.

Complete an LA1 form from GOV.UK and return to the register office in the area where your child was born. If you're having difficulty downloading or printing the forms, call us on 01225 47 72 34.

If it's difficult to attend the register office where the original registration took place, it's possible to re-register at any other register office in England or Wales. Some applications have to be referred to the Registrar General for consideration which can take a bit longer. Visit the Adding a father's name to a birth certificate page on GOV.UK for further information and advice. or call us on 01225 47 72 34.

Mother and father are not married

If you are not married, and want to add the natural father’s name to your child's birth record, complete what's called a GRO 185 form from GOV.UK and return to the register office in the area where your child was born.

If both parents are unable to go to the register office in person once they have an appointment, the parent not going needs to complete what's called a statutory declaration of acknowledgement of parentage form from GOV.UK, and return it to the register office - if you're having difficulty downloading or printing the forms, call us on 01225 47 72 34.

If it's difficult to attend the register office where the original registration took place, it's possible to re-register at any other register office in England or Wales. Some applications have to be referred to the Registrar General for consideration which can take a bit longer, but for further information and advice, visit GOV.UK or call us on 01225 47 72 34.

If there’s been a Declaration of Parentage

A Declaration of Parentage is when a court decides who the father of the baby is. You don’t need to do anything to change the birth register if this is the case. The court will tell the General Register Office and the birth will be re-registered, but you need to order a new birth certificate if you want one.

Mother and second female parent got married or entered into civil partnership after the birth

If you've married or formed a civil partnership with your child's second female parent, after the birth has been registered, you should re-register your child's birth.

Contact the General Register Office (GRO) for the relevant forms. Submit your completed forms and supporting documents to the GRO who will authorise the re-registration. Once it has been authorised, the re-registration will be carried out at the register office. 

GRO contact details for re-registration

• corrections.re-reg@ips.gsi.gov.uk
• 0300 123 1837

Mother and second female parent are not married

If you would like to have your child’s second female parent added to their birth record after their birth has been registered, contact the General Register Office (GRO) for the relevant forms. Submit your completed forms and supporting documents to the GRO who will authorise the re-registration. Once it has been authorised, the re-registration will be carried out at the register office. 

GRO contact details for re-registration

• corrections.re-reg@ips.gsi.gov.uk
• 0300 123 1837

If you want to change the father's name on the birth certificate

If the wrong father is named on the current birth certificate, you can ask for a correction (charges apply). Then you can re-register the birth with the correct father’s name.

You can only apply to change who the father is if a DNA test proves (or a court order says) that the man named on the certificate isn't the natural father. For further details, call us on 01225 47 72 34. or by email register_office@bathnes.gov.uk

Change your baby's first name

You can change the first name(s) of your baby within 12 months of the date of registering their birth. This service costs £44, and the amended name(s) will be inserted into space 17 on the baby's original birth register.

If your baby has been baptised in the Christian faith (within 12 months of registration), request a form from us to take to the minister of the church where your baby was baptised, and then complete and return it to our register office.

If your baby has not been baptised, you just need to complete the form yourself and return it to our register office. 

Contact us for the form by calling 01225 47 72 34, or by emailing register_office@bathnes.gov.uk, and return your completed form to us by post to The Guildhall, High Street, Bath, BA1 5AW

You can buy copies of the amended certificate, which cost £12.50. A full copy birth certificate will contain both the original name and the new name(s), and a short version certificate will only contain the amended name(s).