Registering a birth

By law all babies born in South Tyneside, whether at home or in hospital, must be registered in person at the register office within 42 days (6 weeks) of the birth.

Birth registrations are by appointment only.

To book an appointment call the Council's Contact Centre. 

Only two people can attend the appointment.

If you do not register

If you have not registered by 5 weeks you will get a reminder letter. 

After 6 weeks you will get a formal notice requesting your attendance. 

If you do not attend after receiving this formal notice you will be liable to prosecution.

If you will not be able to attend within 6 weeks after the birth please let us know. 

We will consider extending the amount of time you have to register, if there are good reasons for doing so. 

You must register a birth at the register office in the area where the birth took place.

Where to register a birth

If the birth happened in South Tyneside, you must register the details at South Tyneside Register Office.

If you cannot go to the area where the birth took place, you can register the birth in any register office in England and Wales.

They will send your details to the correct office.

For more information see GOV.UK: Register a birth.

What to bring

If you live in South Tyneside and your child was born in South Tyneside or Sunderland, you do not need to bring anything to register the birth.

It will help to bring documents with the correct spelling of your names and addresses to your appointment. This includes:

• Passport
• Driving licence
• Gas, electricity or water bill (utility bill)
• Birth certificate
• Marriage certificate

If these documents are not available, you can still register the birth. 

What the registrar will need to know

The registrar will need to know the:

• date and place of the birth
• time of the birth if it's a multiple birth
• sex of the child
• first name(s) and second name of the baby
• parent's first name(s) and second name
• parents address(es)
• place and dates of parent's births
• date of parent's marriage or civil partnership if applicable
• parent's occupations
• mother's maiden surname if she is married or has ever been married

Registering a birth is free.

You can choose to buy a birth certificate after the birth has been registered.

You can buy a birth certificate at the register office where the birth was registered. 

There are two types of birth certificate you can buy.

The short version contains:

• Baby's forename(s) and surname
• Sex
• Date of birth
• Area where the baby was born

The full version includes all of the above, as well as details of the child's parents.

For current costs, please see register office fees. 

If the parents are married or in a civil partnership with each other at the time of the birth, either the mother or father / second parent can register the baby.

If the parents are not married or in a civil partnership with each other at the time of the birth, the mother can register the birth alone.

For the fathers / second parents' details to be entered into the Register they must attend the registration.

If one parent is unable to attend the registration, the absent parent can make a statutory declaration confirming that they are a parent.  

Please contact the register office for further information.

If English is not your first language and you would like someone to help with your registration, you can bring a friend or relative to the register office.

If you move out of the area after your baby is born and the register office is too far to attend, you should find the address of the nearest register office.

Here you can give a declaration of the birth details. This declaration will be sent to the register office in the area the birth took place for registration.

Your records will not be held at the register office you made the declaration at.

You will have to get any further certificates from the register office in the area the birth took place.

Please see register office fees.

You can change your child's first name within 12 months of the birth being registered.

How much it costs

It costs £40 to apply to change your child's first name. 

This must be paid when you make your application and it is non-refundable.

What you need to do

There are different ways to change your child's name, depending on whether your child was baptised or not.

If your child was baptised

If your child was baptised in a Christian church, you will need a 'Certificate of name given in baptism' completed by the vicar / minister of the church where the baptism took place.

A blank certificate is available from your local register office.

If your child was not baptised

If your child has not been baptised, you will need to complete a 'Certificate of name not given in baptism'.

These are available from your local register office.

You can take, or post, the completed certificate to the register office in the area where your child was born.

The registrar will add the new first name(s) to your child's entry in the birth register.

If you're posting the application, you will need to contact the register office to ask how to pay the fee.

New birth certificates

You should tell the registrar if you want a new birth certificate for your child.

If you buy a full certificate, it will show both the original and the new first names. If you buy a short certificate, only the new first names will be shown.

The registrar will let you know how much it costs for the certificates.

You should be aware that the passport office will want to see a full certificate rather than a short one.

Important information

• You can only record a change to your child's first names once.
• A change to your child's surname cannot be recorded in the birth register.
• If there are any court orders about the naming of your child, you must comply with the directions of the court.
• The changes to your child's first name(s) must have been made within 12 months of the birth registration. You might have the change recorded in the birth register after the 12 months, but you will need to provide documentary evidence that the name was changed within the 12 month period.
• Once your child has been baptised you cannot record a change to the Christian names given in baptism.

Registering a stillbirth is important as it gives parents the opportunity to have their baby officially acknowledged and to give their baby a name if they wish to.

A stillbirth should be registered within 42 days.

If the stillbirth was in South Tyneside, you can register at South Tyneside Register Office.

If not, you can register the stillbirth by declaration. We will send your details to the correct office and any certificates will be posted to you.

There is no charge for registering a stillbirth.

Make an appointment

Phone the South Tyneside Register Office to make an appointment or talk to someone personally.

You will be given a certificate of registration.

This certificate provides proof that the stillbirth has taken place.

It includes:

• any names given
• the date of the stillbirth

What you need to bring

You need to bring the medical certificate of stillbirth issued by the doctor or midwife present at the time.

It will help to bring documents with the correct spelling of your names and addresses to your appointment. This includes:

• Passport
• Driving licence
• Gas, electricity or water bill (utility bill)
• Birth certificate
• Marriage certificate

If these documents are not available, you can still register the stillbirth. 

What documents you will get

The registrar will issue a certificate for the burial or cremation of the stillborn child.

You should pass this on to your funeral director. 

No funeral for the child can take place without this certificate.

Who can register a stillbirth

If the baby's parents are married or in a civil partnership with each other, either the mother or father / second parent can register.

If the parents are not married or in a civil partnership with each other, the mother can register the stillbirth on her own.

If one parent is unable to attend the registration, the absent parent can make a statutory declaration confirming that they are a parent.  

Please contact the register office for more information.