Shropshire Council

Register a birth

If your child was born in the Shropshire Council area, either at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, Shrewsbury or at your home, please phone 0345 678 9016 to make an appointment to register in Shropshire. You can also select this option if your child was born elsewhere, and you understand that you won't be given a birth certificate by a Shropshire registrar. Please note that we're no longer offering the "Tell us once" service for births.

If your baby was born in the Shropshire Council area you will be able to purchase birth certificates at a cost of £11 each (please note that we only accept card payments). If the baby was born outside the Shropshire Council area, eg in Wrexham, Telford and Wrekin or Staffordshire, you can still make a declaration of particulars but no certificate will be issued by the registrar, and payment for the certificate should be made with the registration service for where the baby was born.

If your child was born in the Borough of Telford and Wrekin, either at the Princess Royal Hospital, Telford, or at your home, please use their online booking system or call 01952 382444 to make an appointment to register in Telford. 

If none of these options suits your particular circumstances, or you live outside Shropshire or Telford & Wrekin, please contact your local registrars. You can find this information on the Gov.UK website.

What documents will I need to bring with me to register the birth?

It's useful if you can bring with you evidence of your names and address and date of birth – for these purposes a full driver’s licence and passport would be acceptable, or your birth certificate and a recent utility bill.

What information will the registrar need?

  • Date and place of birth
  • Sex of the baby
  • Forename/s and surname of which it's intended the baby will be brought up
  • Mother's forename/s and surname (and maiden surname for mothers who are or have been married); date and place of birth; usual address at the date of birth; occupation (optional); date of marriage (if married to the baby's father at the time of birth); number of previous children
  • Where the father's details are to be entered in the register, the registrar will need to know his forename and surname, date and place of birth, and occupation at the time of birth (or last occupation)

It's most important that the information recorded in the register is correct. If a mistake is made, for example in the spelling of a name, it will cause you some trouble to have it corrected later and is potentially expensive, costing either £75 or £90 dependent on the type of error. The fee would be payable in advance and is for consideration of an application for correction, it's no guarantee that a correction can be done. It's vital therefore that the information given to a registrar at the time of registration is checked very carefully before signing.

Is there a fee for the registration process?

Registering a birth is free. The only cost is for a birth certificate which you would have to purchase at a cost of £11.00 - you do not get a free certificate. If you require additional copy certificates they can be purchased at the time of registration, or at any time afterwards.

Please note that certificate payments will be taken by card only.

Can I register the birth outside of Shropshire?

You can go to any other registrar's office in England or Wales and have the birth registered by 'declaration.' If you do this, any birth certificates you may want will be posted to you.

Can a father register a birth?

If the baby's mother and father are married to each other at the time of the birth, the father can register the birth. If they're not, the father's details can be entered into the register in the following ways:

  • If the mother and father both attend at the registration service point to register the birth
  • If the father can't attend, it's possible for him to make a statutory declaration acknowledging paternity which must be shown to the registrar. Copies of the declaration form can be obtained from any registrar in England and Wales (a declaration must also be made at the time of registration)
  • If the mother can't attend at the registrar's, she can make a statutory declaration acknowledging the father's paternity which he can produce. He'll also have to make a declaration at the time of registration
  • Where the mother and father have made a parental responsibility agreement, or either has obtained an appropriate court order - this should be produced to the registrar and the birth registered by either of them

If the mother isn't married to the baby's father she's not normally obliged to have his details included in the entry. It may be possible to add them later if desired.

What certificates will I get?

You will not be given a birth certificate free of charge by the registrar. If you would like a birth certificate for your child you will need to purchase one at a cost of £11.00 each. Additional certificates can be purchased at any time afterwards. Please note that certificate payments will be taken by card only.

Re-registering a birth

There are two reasons why you should re-register a birth that has already been registered:

  • If the natural parents of the child get married after the child has been born and registered. The re-registration will update the birth certificate
  • If the natural father's details aren't on the original certificate, perhaps because he wasn't present at the time. Re-registration will update the birth certificate to include his details

Can I add to or change my child's forename after the birth has been registered?

If, within 12 months from the date on which you registered the birth, you can give your child either one of or any combination of the following:

  • A new forename
  • An additional forename
  • A different spelling of the forename
  • Reverse the order of the forenames
  • Remove a forename

The fee for this service is £40 payable in advance. There are two ways this can be done:

1. By certificate of baptism:

Where a new name has been given a parent or guardian of a child should provide the registrar with a certificate of name given in baptism signed by the minister who baptised the child or who has custody of the register in which the baptism is recorded. Copies of this form are available from the register office.

2. By certificate of naming:

In the case of a child who has not been baptised, a certificate of naming signed by a parent or guardian of the child or other person who has given the new name or altered the existing name. Copies of this form are available from the register office.

It is best to check with your local register office to ensure that your circumstances apply. 

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