Re-registering a birth
You may want to re-register a birth to:
1. Show that you're now married or in a civil partnership
If, as parents, you got married or formed a civil partnership with one another after the child’s birth, a re-registration of the birth is required by law. This is so that the current legal status of the child can be accurately recorded. The child's surname can also be changed as part of this process.
You'll need to complete form LA1, which is available from the Registration Service or on GOV.UK. The completed form must be signed by both parents.
Either parent can attend the Register Office with the completed form and a copy of the marriage or civil partnership certificate. We'll check that the form has been properly completed and that we have everything we need. We can then book an appointment for you to complete the re-registration. You can buy certified copies of the re-registered birth certificate from the registrar after your appointment.
2. Add the father's details
If, as parents, you were not married or in a civil partnership with each other at the time of the child’s birth and the father did not attend with the mother to register the baby, you can re-register the birth in the future. You may want to include the father's details and change the surname of the child.
You'll need to complete form 185, which is available from the Registration Service or on GOV.UK. The form must be completed by both parents and brought to the Register Office. We'll check that the form has been properly completed and that we have everything we need. We can then book an appointment for you to complete the re-registration. Both parents should attend the appointment together.
It's also possible for either parent to:
- make a statutory declaration before a solicitor, or other person who can legally witness an oath, acknowledging parentage of the child. To do this, you'll need to complete a Statutory declaration of acknowledgement of parentage form
- seek a Court Order naming the father
In all these cases, the birth will be re-registered. You can buy certified copies of the re-registered birth certificate from the registrar after your appointment.