Mixed-sex couples
Married or civil-partner parents
Either parent can register the birth on their own. They can include both parents’ details if they were married or in a civil partnership when the baby was born or conceived.
Please note - A ‘civil-partner’ is someone that you have been through a legal ceremony with for the formation of a civil partnership.
Unmarried, non-civil partner parents
The details of both parents can be included on the birth certificate if one of the following happens:
- they attend to sign the birth register together
- one parent completes a statutory declaration of parentage form and the other takes the signed form to register the birth. Download the statutory declaration of parentage form from GOV.UK
- one parent goes to register the birth with a document from the court (for example, a court order) giving the father parental responsibility
The mother can choose to register the birth without the child’s father if they’re not married or in a civil partnership. The father’s details will not be included on the birth certificate.
It might be possible to add the father’s details at a later date by completing an application for the re-registration of a child’s birth. For more information visit re-register a birth.
Same-sex female couples:
Female couples can include both their names on their child’s birth certificate when registering the birth in the following instances:
Married or civil-partner parents
Please note - A ‘civil-partner’ is someone that you have been through a legal ceremony with for the formation of a civil partnership.
Either parent can register the birth on their own if the following are true:
- the mother has a child by donor insemination or fertility treatment
- she was married or in a civil partnership with the second female parent at the time of the treatment
Unmarried, non-civil-partner parents
When a mother is not married or in a civil partnership, her partner can be seen as the child’s second parent if both women:
- are treated together in the UK by a licensed clinic
- have made a ‘parenthood agreement’
However, for both parents’ details to be recorded on the birth certificate, they must do one of the following:
- attend to register the birth jointly
- complete a statutory declaration of parentage form and one parent takes the signed form when they register the birth. Download the statutory declaration of parentage form from GOV.UK
- get a document from the court (for example, a court order) giving the second female parent parental responsibility and one parent shows the document when she registers the birth
Same-sex male couples:
Male couples must get a parental order from the court before they can be registered as parents.
Re-registration following marriage or civil partnership
This is a legal requirement. For more information visit re-register a birth.
Can someone other than the parents register the birth?
In certain exceptional circumstances someone other than the parents may register the birth. Contact us if you need to ask for this option.