Births

If you are married or in a civil partnership, either parent can register the birth.

If you aren’t and want the father’s name to appear on the certificate, both parents must come to the registration appointment. This is also the same for same-sex female parents.

In some cases, someone other than the parents can register the birth. For example, a social worker or someone present at the birth.

To discuss this further, contact us at registrars@hackney.gov.uk.

We can’t register the birth or issue you a birth certificate if your baby was born outside of Hackney.

This applies even if you were transferred to Homerton Hospital after giving birth or are under the care of Homerton’s midwifery team.

You should contact the register office in the district the birth took place to book an appointment with them.

If a birth hasn’t been registered within 12 months the Registrar General will need to authorise for this late birth registration to take place.

This means that no birth certificates can be issued for the baby until we receive the relevant authority.

Complete the late birth application form (PDF 163kb). Email the form and the supporting documents to registrars@hackney.gov.uk.

Once all the required documents are received, we’ll forward the application to the General Register Office. We will advise you of the next steps.

See GOV.UK’s applying to re-register a birth to add the father’s details.

See GOV.UK’s applying to re-register a birth following a marriage or civil partnership.

Send your application form and supporting documents to registrars@hackney.gov.uk.

We will then contact you with an appointment date and time when your application has been processed.

The re-registration is free, but new certificates are £12.50.

We offer a re-registration day once a month, which is usually the last Thursday of the month.

You may be able to re-register a birth with one parent absent from the appointment, eg if they are abroad.

The absent parent will need to complete a GOV.UK statutory declaration of parentage form as well as the re-registration application form.

Re-registration applications with a statutory declaration need to be sent to and approved by the General Register Office.

It may be possible to add a second female parent’s details to a child’s birth certificate. If the information was not recorded on the original entry.

This can be done by completing a re-registration.

A re-registration to add a second female parent’s details can be carried out if the parents are:

• unmarried
• married
• in a civil partnership

Applications to add a second female parent’s details will need to be made directly to the General Register Office.

They will also answer any questions you have and share any information you need.

You need to complete a Form LA186 which can only be issued by the General Register Office.

Email GROCasework@gro.gov.uk providing a postal address so the form can be sent to you.

Birth certificates following the re-registration can only be issued by the General Register Office. On the certificate, the woman who physically gave birth to the child is referred to as the ‘Mother’. The second female parent recorded on the certificate is referred to as ‘Parent’.

To help us find your required entry, please make sure that you provide all of the information we ask for.

If for any reason we cannot produce your requested certificate, we will process a partial refund instead.

We will retain £5 of the amount paid as a search and administration fee. We process a refund for the remaining amount back on to the original payment card.

Allow up to 10 working days for the amount to be credited back to your account.

You can change the name on the birth certificate using the certificate of name given not in baptism application form (PDF 23kb).

You can change the name on the birth certificate using the certificate of name given in baptism application form (PDF 47kb).

The change to the child’s forename(s) will be made on the birth entry. It will show on any certificates issued from that point on.

The child’s new name will be shown in the bottom box of the birth certificate (space 17). The child’s name that they were originally given at the time of registration will always still appear in space 2.

Depending on the error, there is a non-refundable correction consideration fee of either £83 or £99.

This is a statutory fee set by the General Register Office. It is not set by us.

The non-refundable correction consideration fee is separate from the cost of new certificates.

New certificates, after we’ve made the correction, cost £12.50 each. You must order a new certificate online after we’ve made the amendment.

You’ll need to show that the information given at the time of registration was wrong.

You must provide original documents with your application that show what the correct information should have been.

These documents should be valid or dated around the time of the birth.

Accepted documents include (but are not limited to) a:

• passport
• photocard driving licence
• bank, building society or credit card statement
• letter from a hospital or doctor
• letter from a government department
• utility bill

If you do not send in proof, we usually cannot make corrections.

We correct applications that cost £83 at our office. It can take at least 10 working days to process and amend your application. Avoid contacting us for an update until after 10 working days have passed.

We will send correction applications that cost £99 to the General Register Office because we cannot approve them. It can take the General Register Office at least 25 working days to assess your application. Avoid contacting us for an update until after 25 working days have passed.

Corrections to entries are made in a very specific way. The original (incorrect) information as it was first given will always be displayed.

A marginal note will be written against the registration that explains what the correct information should be and the date the correction was made.

Depending on when the entry was originally registered, the marginal note can appear at the bottom of the page or at the side of the page.

Any certificates issued from that point on will include the note in the margin.

Correct a birth registration

See GOV.UK – Application form and guidance notes to correct a birth registration.

See GOV.UK – How to apply for a correction to a birth registration (accessible version)

Remove the wrong father’s details

See GOV.UK – Application form to remove the wrong father’s details.

See GOV.UK – guidance notes.

See GOV.UK – list of approved DNA testing centres.

You must make all correction applications in person at the Hackney Service Centre.

You do not need to book an appointment to submit your application.

For further information email registrars@hackney.gov.uk.