Registration of births

1. Registering a birth

All births must be registered within 42 days of the baby's birth.

If the baby's parents are married to each other or in a civil partnership, either parent can register the birth.

If the baby's parents are not married or in a civil partnership, the baby's mother must register the birth. If the second parent wishes to be on the register, they must also be there to register the birth. If this is not possible, contact Stockport Register Office for more information.

The law allows unmarried parents to have equal parental responsibility. All you need to do is register your baby’s birth together.

Births must be registered where the baby was born. If the baby was not born in Stockport, you'll need to contact the register office where the baby was born to register the birth. Visit GOV.UK to find the correct register office.

Registering a birth by declaration

If you're a Stockport resident that gave birth somewhere else, you can make a declaration to register the birth in Stockport. You'll need to give us details, which we'll then send to the relevant authority to complete the registration.

We cannot issue any birth certificates at the appointment, you must order these from the authority where the birth occurred, so you may experience a delay. Visit GOV.UK to find details of Register Offices.

Registering a still birth

You can get advice about registering a stillbirth in England and Wales from your local registrar. If the stillbirth occurred in Stockport, contact the registrar on 0161 217 6007.