Ordering online in general

Q1. How to set a password.
Q2. How to reset a password.
Q3. I have forgotten my password.
Q4. My current password or email address is not recognised.
Q5. I've changed my email address. How can I alter my details?
Q6. Why do I have trouble receiving emails from the General Register Office?
Q7. What is 'phishing'?

Q8. What certificates can I order online?

Q9. Why can't I select a month in the quarter field?
Q10. Why is it that when I try to proceed through the checkout I keep returning to the order summary page?
Q11. If I wish to provide further information to be used to check the correct entry has been identified, where should I include this?
Q12. In the Delivery Address details box there is a box for 'DX Address'. What is this?

Q13. What is a GRO index reference, where can I find it?
Q14. What will I see in the indexes?
Q15. How will I know if I have found the entry I want?
Q16. What information will I see on a certificate?

Q17. How do I go about researching my family tree?

Q18. I am unable to return to your site after making payment.
Q19. When trying to pay I receive a message saying my card details are invalid.

Q20. How will I receive a refund if my application is unsuccessful?
Q21. Can I cancel or amend my order once I've made it?

Q22. When will my certificate(s) be despatched?
Q23. How will my certificate(s) be delivered?
Q24. How long will my certificates take to reach me?
Q25. Why do I receive certificates when the information does not match that specified in my application?

Q1. How to set a password

To set a password, follow the instructions below:

• Go to the online ordering page.
• Choose Register/log in.
• Go to ‘Login – First time users, please click Registration below’.
• When completing the password section, please remember that a password must be a minimum of 6 characters and contain at least 1 number and at least 2 non-numeric values with no blank spaces.

For security purposes, do not use any words found in a dictionary of any language.

• When passwords have a combination of numbers and letters it is useful to check that the 0s and Os, 1s and ls (Zeros and letter O or Ones and letter l) are not substituted, as this will cause password recognition problems.
• Complete registration form and submit.

Q2. How to reset a password

To reset a password, follow the instructions below:

• Visit: www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/login.asp
• Type in your new user name details
• Once logged on go to ‘My Details’ section. This can be accessed via the link in the right hand navigation.
• From here you can change your password.
• Remember, your password must be a minimum of 6 characters and contain at least 1 number and at least 2 non-numeric values with no blank spaces.

Q3. I have forgotten my password.

Please try the 'Forgotten Password' button to enter the site. You will be sent an email providing details of your new password; this usually takes a few minutes but occasionally it can take up to a couple of hours. Once you have received our email confirming your password details you can enter the site and change your password to one of your choosing.

Please also note that occasionally, an error message appears when users attempt to input their email address using the forgotten password method. Please allow a few minutes after receiving this message as a new password should still have been forwarded to your mailbox.

Q4. My current password or email address is not recognised.

We apologise for the problems you are experiencing. There are several possible solutions to help in resolving your problem.

When passwords have a combination of numbers and letters it is useful to check that the 0s and Os, 1s and Is (Zeros and letter O or Ones and letter I) are not substituted as this will cause password recognition problems.

Having cookies disabled on your internet browser may also cause problems when attempting to log in. We would advise you to ensure that cookies are enabled for this site.

Q5. I've changed my email address. How can I alter my details?

Although it is possible to change details relating to your name, address and password through the 'My Details' option this method cannot be used if you change your service provider or email address. If you have changed your service provider and/or email address you must register your new details via the Register/Login option. Details relating to your 'old' registration will be deleted automatically after a period of disuse.

Q6. Why do I have trouble receiving emails from the General Register Office?

Customers using Outlook Express have the option through the Message Rules to block incoming mail not listed in the address book. This is considered a completely successful method of blocking spam and remains reliable if the address book is regularly updated as the need arises.

Where goods are ordered from an internet retailer such as the General Register Office, any mails regarding the order will be blocked unless you add the relevant email address to the address book.

The mails from the General Register Office will be sent from one of the following:

General enquiries - certificate.services@ips.gsi.gov.uk

Online Order enquiries - col.admin@ips.gsi.gov.uk

Q7. What is 'phishing'?

Financial fraud/scams have been a feature of the internet for many years, and new variants appear regularly. The format usually is to ask the recipient to send details of their personal bank account, saying that they intend to lodge large amounts of money in and give the account owner a percentage. This inevitably results in the account being cleaned out.

Phishing involves trying to trick users into handing over security credentials to bogus websites prompted through spam messages that pose as online banking or retail outlets. It is a term used by hackers imitating legitimate companies to entice people to divulge personal details such as passwords or credit card numbers.

If you are suspicious, check with your bank or building society by phone for confirmation that they need these details.

Q8. What certificates can I order online?

You can order certificates online for birth, death, marriage, civil partnership and adoption events registered in England and Wales and for certain British Nationals who were born, married or died overseas. You can also order specially designed marriage certificates for silver, ruby, golden and diamond wedding anniversaries.

For births, marriages and deaths, you may apply online for any certificate if you have the full GRO index reference. In the case of events in the last 50 years you will be prompted to supply further details as you complete the online application form.

Please note that short birth certificates cannot be ordered online, however, they can be ordered by post or telephone. For further information on how to obtain short birth certificates please ring our Contact Centre on (0)845 603 7788.

If you do not have the GRO index reference, you may apply online for any event which took place on or after 1st January 1900 to 18 months from the current date, provided you know the exact date of the event. Again, you will be prompted to supply further details for more recent births and deaths as you complete the online application form.

If you do not have the exact date of the event or are unable to complete the mandatory fields, then you will not be able to apply online.

Certificates from the Abandoned Children's Register, Parental Order Register and Gender Recognition Register cannot be ordered online. Please contact our Adoptions Section on (0)151 471 4830 for further information regarding obtaining certificates from these registers.

Q9. Why can't I select a month in the quarter field?

Check your browser software. Our online ordering service is known to have compatibility issues with some versions of Netscape. This situation is currently being investigated by our IT team.

Q10. Why is it that when I try to proceed through the checkout I keep returning to the order summary page?

Some customers using Firewall software on their PC's are unable to proceed through the checkout whilst their firewall is activated. In case of difficulties please contact your firewall provider for advice.

Q11. If I wish to provide further information to be used to check the correct entry has been identified, where should I include this?

When ordering a certificate quoting the GRO index reference, any non-mandatory information must be quoted on the Reference Checking page. Non-mandatory information quoted in the 'Particulars of the person whose certificate is required' box will not be checked against the entry.

Q12. In the Delivery Address details box there is a box for 'DX Address'. What is this?

DX stands for Document Exchange and is a UK Courier Service that operates between addresses registered with the company. It is usually businesses/solicitors/financial institutions who are registered to use this facility to speed up the time taken in respect of delivering and receiving priority documents.

Q13. What is a GRO index reference, and where can I find it?

The General Register Office allocates a reference to every event of birth, marriage or death registered in England and Wales. This relates to the year, quarter, and district that the entry was registered in. By giving the office this index reference it allows us to quickly identify the correct entry. This reference is only of use to the General Register Office and not to local registration offices who have their own system.

A complete set of GRO Indexes is available at Greater Manchester County Record Office, Birmingham Central Library, Bridgend Reference and Information Library, Plymouth Central Library and the City of Westminster Archives Centre.

These indexes can also be viewed at the National Archives at Kew.

Some public libraries and other organisations hold full or part sets of the GRO Indexes on microfiche or CD ROM.

Q14. What will I see in the indexes?

The earliest available birth, marriage and death registrations held by the General Register Office date from 1 July 1837. Therefore the earliest index reference is the September quarter of 1837. Very little information about the registered event can be gleaned from the indexes themselves. The indexes are used to identify the required entry and quote the GRO Index Reference when placing an application for a certified copy of the event. Individual entries can be traced by using the indexes but you will need to have an idea of the date/year of the event that you are looking for before you begin.

Entries are listed alphabetically by surname then forename. Babies whose parents had not decided on a name at registration appear at the end of the relevant surname listing. The indexes are arranged by year and then alphabetically by surname. Before 1983 the indexes are also split into the quarter of the year in which the event was registered: e.g. events registered in January, February or March will all be indexed in the March quarter for the relevant year. Please note that the indexes relate to separate events and are not linked together in families.

A birth can be registered in the quarter after it took place; a death, although usually registered immediately, can sometimes be registered many months after the event. Remember to check several indexes if you don't find what you are looking for straight away, and to check alternative spellings.

Over the years the format of the indexes has changed several times with more information being added each time:

Birth indexes

From September 1837 - 1851
Surname of parent	Name (if any) or sex of child	Sup Registrars District	Vol	Page
James	John	Rugby	XVI	254
Jones	Male	Aylesbury	VI	123

From 1852 - June 1911
Surname of parent	Name (if any) or sex of child	Sup Registrars District	Vol	Page
Galbride	Joanne A	Bethnal Green	1c	34
Gilbride	John A	Alston	10b	38

From September 1911 - 1983
Name	Mother's maiden name	District	Vol	Page
Edwardson Peter	Smith	West Ham	4a	28
Edwerds Ann	Simmons	Aston	6d	2

Q15. How will I know if I have found the entry I want?

If you have done your own searching in the GRO indexes and have found more than one reference to the name you are researching, or are unsure which is the entry you require, we offer reference checking online. The charge is £7 for action on the first entry, which includes the cost of the certificate, and £3 for checking each subsequent reference against the information you have provided. To enable us to do this, you must give us one piece of information that you are sure will appear on the certificate, e.g. the exact date of the event.

For each reference checked a charge of £3.00 will be made and a certificate will only be issued if the entry we check matches the checking point you give us. Please note that we will stop at the first reference number which agrees with the details you have supplied. A maximum of 4 reference numbers should be submitted per application.

Q16. What information will I see on a certificate?

The details contained on a full birth certificate include:

• Name, date and place of birth.
• Father's name (if given at time of registration), place of birth and occupation.
• Mother's name, place of birth, maiden surname and, after 1984, occupation.
• (Registrations made before 1969 do not include details of the parents' place of birth and mother's occupation.)

The details contained on a marriage certificate include:

• Date and place of marriage.
• Name, age and marital status of man and woman.
• Occupation and usual address.
• Name and occupation of each party's father.
• Names of the witnesses.
• Name of the person who solemnised the marriage.

The details contained on a death certificate include:

• Name, date and place of death.
• Date and place of birth (before 1969 a certificate only showed age of deceased).
• Occupation and usual address.
• Cause of death.
• The person who gave information for the death registration.

Q17. How do I go about researching my family tree?

Some people are curious to know their family background, who their ancestors were and what they did. Others are interested in their surname and want to find out more about where it came from. One way to find out is to research a family tree. Tracing a family tree (commonly known as genealogy) and researching family history (looking into the background of forebears) is like detective work. You will constantly switch from what is known to what is unknown noting down what you find out along the way. So, how do you get started?

Some tips:

• Remember to keep notes of everything that you come across. A loose-leaf notepad and a ring binder will be invaluable.



• Start with yourself; add your family i.e. parents grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.



• Ask around your own family, particularly older members, see what information they know and if there are any certificates/documents/family bibles that will help you. Information is often passed down the female side of the family.



• Note all the questions you have asked and the answers given; they may not seem relevant immediately but might be of use once other information has been investigated.



• Family stories may not seem relevant, and will need to be checked, but there is often a grain of truth in them.



• Decide whether you want to collect all ancestors or just follow one line. Remember the more unusual the surname the easier it is to find information. Most people start with their own surname and work backwards through the 'male' line whereas others choose to work through their mother's and grandmother's lines.



• Borrow books from libraries - several good books have been written about tracing family trees and beginning family history. The Dewey reference for these books is 929.1 or ask the librarian what books they have. There are also several monthly magazines, which are available from large newsagents or by subscription.



• Go to classes to learn how to trace your family tree - there are often evening classes held to help guide beginners. Details can usually be obtained from local libraries.



• Join a family history society one local to your own area and also one in the area(s) where your ancestors came from. Annual membership fees are payable to the societies. They also publish quarterly magazines and hold regular meetings. Some also arrange conferences and fairs.



• Meeting with other family historians can be helpful and the more experienced members are always willing to help beginners. For the contact address of the family history society in the area(s) you are interested in please contact; The Administrator, Federation of Family History Societies, PO Box 2425, Coventry CV5 6YX.



• Start formal research keeping notes of everything that you have looked at as you go along - negative as well as positive. If the ancestor you are researching was born/married/died in England or Wales from 1837 use the GRO services detailed elsewhere in this booklet. Research prior to 1837 is much more localised.



• If you know where your ancestors came from you should contact the County/City Record Office for the relevant area, which would probably have most of the Parish (Church) Registers of Baptisms, Marriages & Burials.



• Computers and the Internet are also very useful tools in family tree/history research. Computers can be used for recording and storing information and there are several commercial programs available that will assist in this. There is a great deal of information available on the Internet. Numerous family trees and indexes have been compiled but these should be used with a great deal of caution and checked against the original records before being accepted as accurate.

Q18. I am unable to return to your site after making payment.

Security patches are applied regularly to the Certificate OnLine web site. We have discovered that these can occasionally prevent a very small number of our customers from viewing the order confirmation page.

As long as you have received the confirmation of payment email message, then your order is in the system and will be processed as usual.

Q19. When trying to pay I receive a message saying my card details are invalid.

Please try to place your order again. When reaching the Worldpay web site at the payment stage, insert the security code number from your card into the security code field. The security code is the last three digits shown on the back of your card.

Q20. How will I receive a refund if my application is unsuccessful?

If an application is unsuccessful, this office will charge a checking and / or search fee, and refund the difference. The refund will be made directly to your credit / debit card account via the Worldpay payment service provider. A letter or e-mail of explanation will also be sent to you at this time. Please do not contact the General Register Office to enquire about any refund made until you have received and read this letter.

Q21. Can I cancel or amend my order once I've made it?

There is no facility to cancel or amend an order once it has been placed. Orders feed directly into our production process, leaving us unable to stop the system. We apologise for the inconvenience.

Q22. When will my certificate(s) be despatched?

• Standard service with GRO reference supplied: orders will be despatched on the fourth working day (not including weekends or bank holidays) from receipt.



• Standard service without GRO reference supplied: orders will be despatched on the fifteenth working day (not including weekends or bank holidays) from receipt.



• Priority service: orders will be despatched the next working day following receipt of your application, if ordered before 4.00 pm.

e.g. applications made after 4pm Monday to Thursday will be treated as the next day's business. This includes the priority service. Applications may be made on a Saturday, but will not be processed until the following Monday.

The date of despatch will be displayed on the basket summary for each order.

Q23. How will my certificate(s) be delivered?

Your certificate(s) will be despatched by post. For customers overseas, airmail postage is included in the fees quoted. By law, information supplied by the General Register Office can only be given in the form of a certificate - which is why we are unable to e-mail or fax the details to you.

Q24. How long will my certificate take to reach me?

General Register Office Order Type	Destination	* Mail Provider's delivery aim in working days (from despatch date)
Standard	UK	3
Priority	UK	2
Standard	Europe	5
Priority	Europe	5
Standard	Rest of World	7
Priority	Rest of World	7
UK Delivery Options
	Recorded Delivery Normal delivery, but signature required on delivery. Refer to Royal Mail website at www.royalmail.com	2-3
	Special Delivery Signature required on delivery. Refer to Royal Mail website at www.royalmail.com	next working day
International Delivery Options
	Airsure Refer to Royal Mail website at www.royalmail.com	2- 3
International Signed For	International Signed For Refer to Royal Mail website at www.royalmail.com	5 (Europe) 7 (rest of world)
Alternative postal options
	Special Delivery UK	Guaranteed next day delivery
	DHL UK	Next day delivery
	Overseas Airsure	Royal Mail ensure item leaves on first available flight
	International Signed For	Fast tracked to first available flight from UK. Signature required on delivery
	For further information and to take advantage of any of these alternative options you need to place this order via the Contact Centre. Tel: + 44 (0)845 603 7788

* Please note when calculating the expected delivery date that the first working day is counted as the day following despatch of the certificate.

Q25. Why do I receive certificates when the information does not match that specified in my application?

When applying for a certificate quoting the GRO index reference, please be aware that non-mandatory information will not be checked against the entry to which the index reference refers. If you are unsure about whether or not you have found the correct entry please add checking information in the reference checking area by clicking on the button marked Reference Checking at the bottom of the order screen.