Registering a Birth

How and where to register the birth of your baby

Your baby's birth must be registered within 42 days (six weeks).

Where to register the birth

If your baby was born in Cheshire East, the birth can be registered in any one of these registration offices.  To make an appointment with the Registration Service, call 01270 375106 (Crewe) or 01625 374040 (Macclesfield). Staff will arrange your appointment, tell you what you will need to take with you and help you with any queries.

If you live outside Cheshire East or your baby was born outside Cheshire East, you may make a declaration of birth at your most convenient office. The details will be sent to the appropriate district and the birth certificate will be posted to you. Please contact your local Register Office for further information.

If your baby was born at Leighton Hospital but you live in the Cheshire West and Chester area, there are appointments available at Northwich and Winsford to enable you to register your child's birth. Please telephone 01270 375106 for an appointment

What information will the Registrar ask for?

• date and place of birth of the baby
• sex of the baby
• baby's full names and surname
• dates and place of birth of the parents
• parents' occupations
• mother’s maiden name
• date of the parents' marriage (if applicable)
• where the parents are living

Please bring the baby's red record book, if available, when you attend for your appointment. A short birth certificate is issued free of charge. You may wish to buy a further short or full certificates from the birth entry.

There is a small charge for these certificates. A full birth certificate is needed for a passport for your baby.

Who can register a birth?

Either parent may register the birth if the parents are married. If they are not married and the father's details are to be included in the birth entry, then both parents must attend together.

Parent Line Plus has a free helpline you can call to ask about your options when registering your child's birth.

If the mother and father are not married and the father's name is not entered in the birth register, it is possible for his details to be added at a later date.

This is known as re-registration of a birth and may be done providing both parents agree. For further information, please contact the Register Office where the birth was originally registered.

How long will the appointment last?

Your appointment with the registrar will be held in private and will take about 20 minutes.