Duplicate Birth, Death, Marriage & Civil Partnership Certificates

All certificates are exact copies of the full record made at the time of the birth, death or marriage. The exception to this is the ‘short birth certificate’, which is an extract of the full record and contains the name, date of birth and gender.

How do I apply for a duplicate certificate?

To obtain a duplicate certificate you need to apply in person or in writing to the appropriate Register Office.

If the records are listed in the Cheshire Births Marriages and Deaths website you may be able to order the certificate online through that website.

Please Note:
Unfortunately during April 2013 there is no access to the registers for birth and death registrations 1837 to 1937 and for all church marriages.  Please contact the Register Office or telephone 0300 123 5019 for further information.  It is hoped that these records will be available again by the beginning of May 2013.

What information do I need to supply to the Register Office?

To help us to deal with your request please provide the following information:

• Full name, postal address, email address and contact telephone number of the applicant

Births

• Name at the time of birth
• Date of birth
• Place of birth
• Names of both parents at the time of the birth

Marriages/Civil Partnerships

• Names of both parties
• The name of the building where the marriage took place
• Date of marriage

Deaths

• Date of death
• Place of death
• Full name of the deceased

What costs are involved?

Birth, Death and Marriage Certificates

• At the time of registration
  A full copy of a birth, death or marriage entry £4.00
  Short birth certificate (an extract of the full record) £4.00
  
• After the time of registration but within 1 month of registration
  A full copy of a birth, death or marriage entry £7.00
  Short birth certificate (an extract of the full record) £7.00
  
• After 1 month of registration
  A full copy of a birth, death or marriage entry £10.00
  Short birth certificate (an extract of the full record) £10.00

Civil Partnership Certificates

• At the time of registration
  A full copy of the civil partnership registration £4.00
• All subsequent applications
  A full copy of the civil partnership registration £10.00

Please make all Registration cheques payable to: Cheshire East Borough Council. Payments should be made on or before the day of the service. Please note most of the services we provide are exempt from VAT, where VAT is applicable the VAT-inclusive charge is shown. If you are posting your cheque please send it to the Register Office.

If you would like further information please contact your Register Office.

Where are certificates held?

Birth, death and marriage records for the Cheshire East area (which is made up of the former Macclesfield, Congleton and Crewe and Nantwich Borough Councils) are held at Cheshire East Registration Offices, based in either Crewe or Macclesfield. 

The Cheshire Births Marriages and Deaths website will give you further information.

How long will it take to get the duplicate certificate?

Certificates are normally available for collection or posting out within 3 working days.

What if I need the certificate urgently?

We offer a priority service for same day issue of duplicate certificates. The fee for this is £20 in addition to the cost of the certificate, currently £10.00. Providing the correct information has been supplied by the applicant which will allow the registration officer to locate the entry, the certificate will be issued within two hours of the application.

Due to the relocation of the Macclesfield Registration Office to the Town Hall, it is not  currently possible to offer the priority service there. If you need a certificate urgently, please phone 0300 123 5019 for further information.

I have been told I need an original copy of my certificate. Will a copy suffice?

The Cheshire East Registration Service will only provide you with a fully certified copy of your registration. These certified copies are the same type of document as is issued upon initial registration.

If you have been told that an original copy of a certificate is required for a particular purpose, it is likely that a copy certificate will suffice. However this should be confirmed with the organisation requesting sight of the certificate.

How Do I Obtain a Copy Adoption Certificate?

If you were adopted and require a copy of your adoptive birth certificate, which will be needed for most legal purposes (a passport or driving licence for example), please apply direct to:

The General Register Office
Adopted Children' Section
Smedley Hydro
Trafalgar Road
Birkdale, Southport
PR8 2HH.

Or visit the General Register Office website.