Register a birth

1 Who can register a birth

Opposite sex couples

If you are:

• married to each other when the baby is born, either parent can register the birth
• not married to each other when the baby is born, the mother can register the birth alone
• not married to each other and want the father's details included on the birth certificate, both parents must attend the appointment

Same-sex female couples

If you are:

• married or in a civil partnership when the baby is born, either parent can register the birth
• not married or in a civil partnership at the time of conception, and meet the requirements of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, the birth mother can register the birth alone
• not married or in a civil partnership and want the second female parent's details included on the birth certificate, both parents must attend the appointment

Same-sex male couples

If the baby has been born to a same-sex male couple, phone us for information and advice: 01243 642122.

2 Where to book an appointment if your baby was born in West Sussex

If your baby was born in West Sussex, book an appointment online at one of our Registration offices to register the birth.

Alternatively, phone 01243 642122 to book an appointment.

If your baby is over 12 months old, you must complete additional paperwork before we can register the birth. Call us on 01243 642122 and ask for the Technical Enquiries team.

For emergency birth registrations or further information, ask for the Technical Enquiries team when you call.

Before you book travel abroad, allow enough time for us to register the birth and for the passport application to be processed.

If your baby was born at East Surrey Hospital

If your baby was born at East Surrey Hospital and you live in West Sussex, you can register the birth at our Crawley, Horsham or Haywards Heath registration offices only. We register these births on behalf of Surrey Registration Service.

After your appointment, contact Surrey Registration Service for additional birth certificates or corrections to a birth registration for a baby born in Surrey. They keep the birth registration record.

3 Register a birth by declaration if your baby was born of outside West Sussex

If your baby was born outside of West Sussex, you can register the birth at any of our Registration offices using the birth declaration process.

We will send the registration details to the register office in the district where the birth took place. Because of this, we cannot issue a birth certificate at your appointment.

Once the birth has been registered, you will need to contact the relevant district to buy a birth certificate.

Alternatively, you can phone 01243 642122 to book your appointment.

4 What you need when registering a birth

When you register the birth, you will need to provide:

• date and place of birth of the baby
• baby's full name
• parents' full names
• mother's maiden name (if applicable)
• mother's address at time of birth and registration
• father's/second parent's address at time of registration, if different to the mother's address
• parents' occupations
• parents' dates of birth and places of birth
• date of the parents' marriage (if applicable)
• the discharge papers which show the baby's National Health Service number (if available)
• ID documents that will help you answer the questions - your passport is preferable, otherwise ID card or driving licence (if these supporting documents are not available the registrar can still proceed to register the birth)

You may not need to give all this information, depending on who is registering the birth. For more information visit GOV.UK.

During the appointment we will also issue your baby with a free West Sussex library card, giving you access to the many services for children and families in your local library.

Birth certificate information

Once you have registered the birth, you will be able to order birth certificates online, or phone 01243 642122 for assistance.