Register a birth

You need to make an appointment at a registrar's office to register a birth. You have 21 days to do this from the day of a child's birth.

Married or civil partner parents

If you're the child's mother, father or second female parent – you can register the birth and be named as a parent.

If the parents are not married or in a civil partnership, the father or second female parent can only be named in the register as a parent if:

A child's parents are both given parental responsibilities and rights (PRRs) if they register the child's birth together and both of their names appear on the birth certificate. Find out about joint birth registration.

The following people can also register a birth:

the birth mother's relatives
the relatives of someone who is married to or in a civil partnership with the birth mother
anyone present at the birth
a person who lives in a house where the child was born
anyone who is fully taking care of the child
anyone with knowledge of the birth

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