Births
Registering a birth
Can I register a birth when a child is older?
If a birth has not been registered within 12 months, Corrections and Re-registration Section at the GRO in Southport will need to authorise a late registration.
Your local register office can carry out all the necessary liaison but you will first need to provide them with documentation confirming the child's exact date and place of birth, along with the completed relevant form. This is either form C45 (application for late registration) or, in cases of births which took place in Wales, form C45W. Please click as appropriate to download, print out and complete. Alternatively, you can request these forms by telephoning Corrections & Re-registration Section on +44 (0)151 471 4806 or e-mailing corrections.&.re-reg.section@ons.gov.uk.
You must also provide details of someone who would be able to attend a register office in England or Wales to give the information for the late registration. For a full list of people who can do this, see Who should register?
The forms give full details about the information and documents you will need to provide, but if you have any questions, please contact Corrections and Re-registration section on the number above to discuss.
We do not charge for authorising a late registration or for producing a short birth certificate at the time the birth is registered. A full birth certificate and further short birth certificates are also available to buy – see When do I get the birth certificate?
Test wording - June 2007
