In some cases, you must register a birth again, which makes a new record in the birth register.
You must re-register a birth if:
- you marry or enter a civil partnership with your child’s natural parent, even if both parents were named in the original registration. This type of re-registration is a legal requirement. You can change the child’s surname on re-registration
- the father's details were not included originally and you now wish to add them. You cannot change the child’s surname unless parents are married
Where the child is 16 years old or over, their written consent will be required.
You cannot change a child’s forename at re-registration. You can find information on changing a child's forename here.
Following the natural parents’ marriage
You should bring the following:
- child’s full birth certificate
- completed form LA1, signed by both parents
- original marriage certificate. Your application will be referred to the General Register Office if you married outside of the UK
- one parent must attend the registry office
Add the birth father’s details
You should bring the following:
- child’s full birth certificate
- completed form GRO 185, signed by both parents
- both parents attend
- one parent attends with a statutory declaration completed by the other parent
- one parent attends with an additional document listed in Section 6 – Court Involvement on the form (one parent to sign form GRO 185)
Costs
There is no charge for the re-registration of a birth.
If you need a copy of the new birth certificate following re-registration, you can buy this for £12.50 from the district where your child was born.
Book an appointment
You must book an appointment to re-register a birth.
This is only available for births that happened in England or Wales.
To book a re-registration appointment at any of our registration offices in Lincolnshire, please book online and select re-registering a birth when prompted.