1 Overview
We hold records of births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships that occurred in West Sussex since 1837. Our Record Office also holds a number of earlier records. You can find details in Record Office sources and collections.
You can purchase a certificate, if you have a UK address:
- online
- by phone
- by post, using the standard or express service.
2 Order a certificate
UK addresses
Wherever possible, please use our online service to place your certificate order.
- Order and pay online
- Order and pay by phone: 01243 642122
If ordering by post, please confirm the number of certificates required and enclose a self-addressed envelope. Cheque or postal orders (in pounds sterling) should be made out to West Sussex County Council.
Non-UK addresses
If you live outside the UK and do not have a UK address, please register and order your certificate from the General Register Office.
3 Fees
Standard service - £11.00
- We post these by Royal Mail 2nd class post. Delivery is subject to Royal Mail delivery times.
- We dispatch certificates within 15 working days.
- Should an entry not be traced, the registrar will contact you as soon as possible to arrange a refund.
- Collection requests: Staff will ring the customer to confirm when the certificate is ready for collection from the Centralised Certificate Office, West Sussex Record Office, Orchard Street, Chichester, PO19 1DD between 3.00pm and 5.00pm.
Priority service - £35.00
- Orders must be made online, by phone, or in person before 12 noon, Monday-Friday.
- Certificates are posted by Royal Mail 1st class post on the same day. Delivery is subject to Royal Mail delivery times.
- Certificates may be collected from the Centralised Certificate Office, West Sussex Record Office, Orchard Street, Chichester, PO19 1DD between 3.00pm and 5.00pm on the same day.
- Should an entry not be traced, the registrar will contact you as soon as possible to arrange a refund.
All fees are reviewed on the 1 April each year.
4 What information will I need?
As well as your contact details and the reason you need the certificate, you will also need to have the following information:
- Birth certificate - full name at birth, date and place of birth and parent/s' full names.
- Death certificate - full name of deceased, occupation, home address, date and place of death, date of birth or age at death and, if married or in a civil partnership, the first and last names of the spouse/civil partner.
- Marriage certificate - full names of both parties at the time of the registration and the date and place (church or venue and town) of the marriage.
- Civil partnership certificate - full names and addresses of both parties at the time of the registration and the date and place (venue and town) of the ceremony.
5 Correcting a mistake on a certificate
There is a statutory charge for corrections of £75.00 or £90.00 per application, plus the cost of any replacement certificates. The correction process can take up to six weeks to complete.
Sometimes mistakes are made on a certificate. They can be corrected, but only for registrations that were originally made in West Sussex.
Corrections will only be made to original information; new information cannot be added in this way. If circumstances have changed you will need to order a new certificate.
Some errors must be corrected by the General Registration Office (GRO). Further information can be found on the GOV.UK website:
If you require further assistance phone 01243 642122 to speak to the Registration Service. The registrar will explain what kind of correction you require and whether you need to provide any evidence.
Once an error has been corrected, you will be able to order a new certificate.