General Register Office (GRO)
Keeps the birth, adoption, marriage, civil partnership and death records for England and Wales and issues certificates from them.
Home » Certificates and civil registration (BDM) » Correct a mistake on a birth registration
Correct a mistake on a birth registration
If something was recorded wrongly when a birth was registered, you can apply to correct it. The original entry stays in the register with a note showing the correct details.
Official links
Show links for:
| Official source | Applies to |
|---|---|
| GOV.UK: correct a birth registration www.gov.uk/correct-birth-registration | England, Wales |
| National Records of Scotland: changing or correcting a register entry www.nrscotland.gov.uk/registration/changing-or-correcting-a-register-entry/ | Scotland |
| nidirect: registering a baby, re-registration and corrections www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/registering-and-naming-your-baby | Northern Ireland |
Who handles it
Handled by your local council This procedure is done with the council where you live. Find your council »
General Register Office for Northern Ireland (GRONI)
Registers births, deaths, marriages, civil partnerships and adoptions in Northern Ireland and issues certificates.
National Records of Scotland (NRS)
Keeps Scotland's birth, death, marriage and civil partnership records, runs the census and sells certificates through ScotlandsPeople.
Step by step
- Check it is a real error from the time of registration. Later changes (for example a new surname after marriage) are not corrections.
- Contact the register office where the birth was registered to find out how to apply and pay.
- Fill in the correct form: correcting details, or removing the wrong father's details.
- Send certified copies of documents from around the time of the birth that show the right information. You may be asked for a statutory declaration.
- Once approved, order a new full certificate, which shows the correction in the margin.
What you need
- Certified copies of documents dated around the birth showing the right details, such as a passport, photocard driving licence, bank statement or a letter from a hospital, doctor or government department.
- To remove the wrong father: proof such as an approved DNA test, a court order or other evidence.
- Contact addresses for the people involved, if you are changing the father's details.
Common mistakes
- Applying without proof: corrections usually cannot be made without documents showing what was right at the time.
- Using a correction for something that changed later. If the parents marry after the birth, the route is re-registration.
- Sending originals you need back without asking for their return: copies sent are destroyed unless you ask.