Registering a birth

If the parents of the child are legally married to each other or in a civil partnership:

You may attend the appointment together, or one parent can attend alone. Both parents will be included on the birth certificate.

If the parents of the child are NOT legally married to each other or in a civil partnership:

If you wish to record both biological parents on a birth certificate:

• Both parents of the child must attend the appointment together, or
• The mother can register baby alone without including father’s details. Father’s details may be added later by re-registering the birth, or
• One parent can register with a statutory declaration of parentage signed by the other parent. This form must be legally witnessed and brought to the appointment.

If you are a same-sex female couple, or neither parent can attend, more information can be found here Register a birth: Who can register a birth - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

You will be asked for the following information in to order to register your child’s birth:

• Date and place of baby’s birth
• Sex of the baby
• Full name the child will be brought up in, including correct spelling
• Full names of parent(s) and the correct spelling
• Parent(s) occupation and residential address
• Date and place of birth of parents(s)
• Date of parents’ marriage, or civil partnership, if applicable
• Mother’s maiden name, if applicable

The parent(s) registering the birth should bring some form of ID to verify your name and address (driving licence, recent bank statement/official letter etc).

Birth certificates

Registering a birth is free. Birth certificates cost £11.00 each. You can purchase as many as you need at the registration appointment and pay by contactless, cash or credit/debit card.

Certificates can also be purchased at a later date online Darlington BC - Registrar search

If your baby was born in Darlington, you can book an appointment to register their birth by calling 01325 406400 or booking online. Your appointment will last approximately 30 minutes.

Please read the following before proceeding:

• I confirm my baby was born in Darlington
• I understand that the information provided for the birth registration must be accurate and any errors may be subject to a correction fee
• Your appointment may need to be changed by the register office, who will contact you directly if necessary.

Book an appointment

You can claim child benefit once you have registered a birth. Find out more at Child Benefit: Make a claim - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)