It is a legal requirement for all births to be registered within 42 days of the date the child was born.
If your child was born in Hackney, they must be registered here. This is regardless of where you lived at the time of the birth.
Book an appointment if your baby was born in Hackney
You can book an appointment if your baby was born at Homerton University Hospital or at a home address within the borough.
Certificates cost £11. They must be paid for in advance by credit or debit card. This is because we can’t take any payment at the appointment.
The free short certificate is no longer issued at the time of registration.
Book an appointment to register a birth
What to bring to the appointment
It’s advised that you bring at least 2 of the following documents:
- passport
- driving licence
- birth certificate
- marriage or civil partnership certificate
- proof of address (for example, a council tax bill or a utility bill)
- mother’s discharge papers (‘Maternal Delivery Transfer Summary’ is printed in the top left-hand corner)
- baby’s red book if you don’t have the mother’s discharge papers
- deed poll (if the parent has ever changed their name)
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.
Registering a stillbirth
Stillbirths need to be registered within 42 days. You need to make an appointment to register a stillbirth.
Re-registering a birth
It may be possible to re-register a birth:
- to add the father’s details
- following a marriage or civil partnership of natural parents
- to add a second female parent
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’.
Copies of birth certificates
You can order a certificate for a birth that happened in Hackney from us.
Standard certificate orders are charged at a statutory fee of £11 per certificate, plus postage fees.
We aim to process and dispatch standard certificate orders within 10 working days.
Express certificate orders are charged at a statutory fee of £35 per certificate, plus postage fees.
We aim to process and dispatch express certificate orders within 2 working days.
How long it takes for you to receive your order once it’s been dispatched depends on the delivery option selected.
If for any reason we cannot produce your requested certificate, we will process a partial refund instead.
Order a copy certificate
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.
Changing a child’s forenames on a birth certificate
You can change a child’s forenames (first and middle names) up to one year from the date you originally registered your child.
You must submit all change of name forms in person at the Hackney Service Centre. We will check through your completed form and take the required fee from you at our office. Allow 5 working days for us to make the amendments before ordering new certificates.
Amendments cost £40.
New certificates cost £11 each. You must order new certificates online after we make the amendments.
There are two different ways to change your child’s forename on a birth certificate:
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.
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.
Correcting an error on a birth certificate
You can apply to correct a birth registration when the information recorded is wrong. For example, if there is a mistake in the spelling of a parent’s name.
You can’t apply for a correction to show new information if circumstances change after you’ve registered your child’s birth. For example, if you’ve changed address.
You must make a correction application in person at the Hackney Service Centre. You need to bring your completed correction form and the original documents showing the correct information. We check through your application and documents and take the required fee from you at our office.
For further information, email registrars@hackney.gov.uk.
Depending on the error there is a non-refundable correction consideration fee of either £75 or £90.
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 £11 each. You must order a new certificate online after we’ve made the amendment.
We do £75 correction applications 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.
You must send £90 correction applications to the General Register Office as 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.
We make corrections to entries in a very specific way. We always display the original information as it was first given. However, we write a marginal note against the registration. It explains what the correct information should be and the date we made the correction.
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.
Naming ceremonies
See Commitment, renewal of vows and naming ceremonies.
Fees and charges
See births fees and charges.
Document legalisation
You can get some official UK documents legalised by asking the Legalisation Office to confirm that the signature, stamp or seal is from a UK public official.
See GOV.UK how to get your documents legalised.
Free reusable nappies
Hackney residents can try reusable nappies for free.
Page updated on: 12 December 2023