Register a birth

Registering a birth

All births in England, Wales and Northern Ireland must be registered within 42 days of the child being born and should be registered in the district in which the birth took place.

All babies born at the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital (MMUH) should be registered at Sandwell Register Office regardless of where you live. Sandwell Register Office is located at High Street, West Bromwich, B70 8RJ

If you wish to purchase birth certificate(s) these will be issued and paid for at the time of the appointment.   If purchasing certificates at the time of the registration our preference is for card payments but payment can be made in cash if necessary. You can also purchase certificates after the registration using our online certificate process.

We have certificate presentation boxes available to buy which make a lovely gift or keepsake for your baby’s birth certificate.  The cost is £10 or £20 to include the certificate if purchased together.

Who should attend the appointment to register the child:

  • If parents were married at the time of the child’s birth, then only one parent need attend the appointment.
  • If at the time of the child’s birth parents were not married and you wish to have the fathers name added to the birth entry both parents will need to attend the appointment.
  • The child does not need to attend the appointment but of course is very welcome if you choose to bring them.

On the day of your appointment, you will need to provide the following information:

  • Mothers full name at the time of the child’s birth
  • Where and when the child was born
  • Child’s “red book” or hospital discharge letter
  • If possible one form of identification for each parent attending the appointment.

Book an appointment to register a birth

Stillbirths

A still born child is legally defined as a child born after the 24th week of pregnancy who did not, at any time after being born, breathe or show any other signs of life.

When a child is still born, the doctor or midwife who was present at the birth or examined the body will issue a medical certificate of stillbirth and will send this directly to the Register Office. When this form is received we will contact you directly to book an appointment to register your child's death.

Neonatal deaths

Neonatal death is where a baby dies within 28 days after they were born. These deaths will need to be reviewed by a Medical Examiner and may be referred to the Coroner who will keep you informed of what will happen next. When the Register Office receives paperwork to confirm that registration can be completed we will contact the family directly to make an appointment.

Re-registration where a child is already registered

If your child was not born in Sandwell, you should contact the jurisdiction in which the child was born.  Should you wish to discuss this please contact Sandwell Register Office for advice.

If your child’s birth is already registered and the place of birth was Sandwell you can re-register your child for the following reasons:

  • To add a natural father’s details to the birth entry
  • Re-registration of a child after marriage

To re-register a birth, you must complete the appropriate form below:

When the form is completed, please return this to the Sandwell Register Office, with original copies of the following information:

  • All birth certificates held for your child.
  • Your marriage certificate should you wish to re-register your child as a child of the marriage.
  • If the surname of your child is being changed and the child is 16 years old or over, you must supply written permission from the child that they are agreeable to the change.

The relevant checks will be completed in two working days and we will contact you to confirm that the appointment can now be made.  If you have all relevant information and we have appointments available we may be able to complete the re-registration on the same day.

Please note:  It will not be possible to deal with a re-registration unless the appropriate forms have been completed and relevant documents as stated above are available.

If you have already completed the relevant forms and provided the original copy/copies of documents to Sandwell Register Office an appointment can be booked: Book an appointment to register a birth

Birth declarations

Registration can only take place at the register office in the district where the child was born.  If your child was not born in Sandwell, we can complete a declaration form and forward this to the district of birth who will the register the child.  The district of birth will register your child and you will need to contact them separately to order and pay for certificates if required once they have completed the registration.

Alternatively, an appointment can be booked directly in the district where the child was born, and they will complete the registration and issue certificates on the same day.

Unsure where the event took place? Use the online postcode checker on the GOV.UK website.

If you would like to book a declaration appointment, book an appointment to register a birth.

Changing a child's forename(s)

The Births and Deaths Registration Act allows changes to forename(s) to be recorded in the register. You can apply for this to be done at any time after the birth, as long as the new forename(s) were given to the child within 12 months of the birth being registered. You can only record a change to your child's forename(s) once. There is a statutory fee of £44 for any application.

Who can register a birth?

Information about who can register a birth is available on the Gov.uk website.

Birth certificates

There are two types of birth certificate:   

The short version which contains only the baby's details or the full version, which also contains the parents' details.

There is no fee to register a birth. Charges for birth certificates are as follows:

  • Full birth certificate issued at the time of registration                               £12.50
  • Short birth certificate issued at the time of registration                            £11

Certificates are always available from the district where you were born. Unsure where the birth took place? Use the online postcode checker on the GOV.UK website.
Payment can be made either in cash, credit/debit card, cheque or Postal Order.

Need more information or advice?

If you need further information or advice about registering a birth in Sandwell please call us on 0121 368 1188 or use our online enquiry form.