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Tel: 01522-552222 | Contact the County Council

Birth, Death, Marriage and Civil Partnership Certificates

Where can I get a certificate from?

The registration of births, marriages and deaths in England and Wales began on 1 July 1837. Scotland, Northern Ireland and Eire have different systems.

The country is divided into registration districts. Each has its own Superintendent Registrar, who is responsible for the original registers belonging to the district. They contain the records of births, marriages and deaths from 1 July 1837.

If you know the area where the event took place, you need to apply to the Superintendent Registrar of that district.  The Superintendent Registrar will give you a certified copy of that entry from his/her records. There is a charge for this service (see section below).

We have a list of towns and villages which come under the Lincolnshire Registration District. Check this list if you are unsure if the event took place in Lincolnshire (see the 'Also of Interest' section on this page).
If it was elsewhere in England or Wales, contact us and we can advise you further.

How do I obtain a birth, death, marriage or civil partnership certificate?

The Lincolnshire Registration Service currently holds over 10,000 registers.  In 2003 all the registers were moved from our local offices to one central location.  Our local offices are no longer able to issue certificates other than at the time of  registration.  The central location holds all birth, death, marriage and civil partnership records for the whole of the present administrative county of Lincolnshire (not including North and North-East Lincolnshire).

If the event took place in Lincolnshire you can now apply for a copy of the certificate by using our express or standard certificate service.

Express Certificate Service. Order online or by telephone. This is our same day collection or next day delivery service, if ordered by 12 noon. 

Standard Certificate Service. Order online, by telephone or by post. We aim to dispatch your order by 2nd class post within five working days. 

Online - All you need to do is follow this link.  

Telephone - 01522 782244. Please have your credit/debit card details handy when phoning.  

Post - you can download the application forms from the Downloads section on this page or you can send the information as a letter. Please try and supply as much information as you can. Don't forget to include the relevant fee (payable to Lincolnshire County Council) and a stamped addressed envelope for the reply. Post to:  Certificate Applications, PO Box 760, Lincoln, LN2 5WG.

How much do certificates cost?

The express certificate service is available at a fee of £22.00 per certificate.  This is our same day collection or next day delivery service. The certificate can be collected from an office in Lincoln, posted by Special Delivery, e-mailed as a JPEG file or faxed to a UK address. Fees must be paid at the time of application. If we are unable to trace the entry, your fee will be refunded in full.

The standard certificate service is available at a fee of £9.00 per certificate. We aim to dispatch your order by 2nd class post within five working days. 

Each birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificate will show all the information in full as it is written in the register for that entry.  You will need to apply for a standard certificate to obtain a passport and for most other official uses.

NB: A short birth certificate is also £9.00 but details your name at birth, date and district of birth only.  Please check before ordering that it suits the purpose for which it is required.

What if I don't know the relevant date(s)?

If you're unsure of the exact date of the event, we can search two years either side of a chosen date.  It is not possible for staff to carry out indefinite searches on your behalf.  Alternatively, you can apply to carry out your own search of the indexes available for a specific district.  You must book your visit in advance. There is a fee payable for this service. The fee covers any number of successive hours (not exceeding six) spent searching.
Please note: You cannot search the registers themselves. You only have access to the limited information available in the indexes.

A certified copy of the entry of a civil partnership can only be issued if the full addresses of both parties at the time of the partnership are stated.  Otherwise a certified extract will be issued.

What if I don't know the district?

You can apply to the General Register Office at http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/

They hold the records of births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships for the whole of England and Wales from 1837 to the present day. Different charges are applicable.

Further information on births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships can be found on the  Direct Gov website (see the Weblinks section on this page).

What if the event was before 1837?

Events before 1837 are often held in the form of church baptism, marriage and burials. These are usually looked after by local archives.  Visit the Lincolnshire Archives website for more information and further details.
Please note: the e-mail address given in the Contact Information section on this page is for general enquiries only. You will need to make an application and pay the fee for us to perform a search for you.

Last Updated: 20 April 2010