Book appointment
A birth will be registered in the district in which the birth occurred. If the birth occurred in Shropshire we will register the birth. If the birth occurred outside of Shropshire we will complete a declaration which will be sent to the registration district where the birth occurred and it will be registered there.
Please note:
- If the birth occurred at Princess Royal Hospital please contact the Telford and Wrekin Register Office on 01952 382444 to book an appointment.
- If the birth occurred at Wrexham Maelor Hospital please contact Wrexham Register Office on 01978 298997 to book an appointment.
Once your appointment has been made you will be given a booking reference number; please keep this safe as it will be required if you wish to amend or cancel your appointment.
You can pre-order the number of birth certificates you would like when booking your appointment. If you wish to pre-order certificates please have your payment card ready to pay for the certificates. Ordering certificates in advance will save time at the appointment. If you have pre-ordered certificates additional copies can be requested at the appointment.
Your appointment will last about 20 minutes. You must arrive 10 minutes before your appointment starts. You do not need to bring your baby to your registration appointment.
Who can register a birth?
- If the mother and father/second parent of the child were married to each other at the time of the birth, either parent may register the birth.
- If the mother and father/second parent of the child were not married to each other at the time of the birth, the mother alone may register the birth.
Please note: The father's/second parent's details can only be entered into the register, in most cases, if they are present at the time of the registration.
- Visit the GOV.UK website for more information about who can register a birth.
- Further information for same sex couples can be found on the Shropshire Council website: Shropshire Council website
How do I register a birth?
The registration process usually takes between 15 and 20 minutes to complete. Please remember to bring to your appointment proof of ID for the parents of the baby being registered, proof of your address, your marriage certificate (if you are married) and the small 'red book' issued by the hospital.
We will need the following information to process the registration.
About the baby:
- The time, date and place of birth (additionally, if more than one baby was born, the time of each birth)
- The sex of the baby
- The forename(s) and surname the baby is to be given.
About the mother:
- Full forename(s) and surname, including maiden name (if the mother is or has been married)
- Date and place of birth
- Current or last occupation
- If applicable, the date of marriage
- If applicable, the number of children she has by her present and any former partner.
About the father/second parent:
- Full forename(s) and surname
- Date and place of birth
- Current or last occupation
- If applicable, the date of marriage.
If the parents are not married to each other, the mother is not obliged to have the father's/second parent's details included in the entry. However, it may be possible for them to be added at a later date.
Changing your child's forename(s)
The Births and Deaths Registration Act allows changes to forename(s) to be recorded in the register. You can apply for this to be done at any time after the birth, as long as the new forename(s) were given to the child within 12 months of the birth being registered. You can only record a change to your child's forename(s) once. Please contact us at registrars@shropshire.gov.uk for further information.
If there are difficulties in attending to register or in making a declaration of particulars, please call the Register Office on 0354 678 9016 to discuss the situation.