Form

How to apply for a child’s birth re-registration following the mother and father’s marriage or civil partnership (accessible)

Updated 13 July 2026

1. General Information

Section 14 of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953 allows the re-registration of a child’s birth in England and Wales following the parents’ marriage or civil partnership.

One parent is required to attend a register office in England or Wales to make the re-registration.

If both parents live outside of England and Wales and cannot attend a register office, the application must be sent to the General Register Office (GRO).

2. How do I apply for a re-registration?

If you are the child’s parents and are now husband and wife, or civil partners, you must complete the LA1 form ‘Application for the re-registration of a child’s birth following the marriage / civil partnership of the mother and father’.

3. Where can I get an application form?

• By downloading it from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-to-re-register-a-childs-birth-following-marriage-of-natural-parents

• Your local register office may be able to supply you with one

• You can request an application form to be posted to you by calling 0300 123 1837

4. Is there a fee?

There is no charge for the re-registration of the birth, but you will have to pay for any new certificates following the re-registration.

5. What documents should I include with my application?

The following documents should be included with your application form:

• your child’s birth certificate

• your marriage / civil partnership certificate

• any document asked for in section 5 of the application form, and

• if the child or a parent is not living, the death certificate(s) if applicable.

6. Where do I send my application and documents to?

The following options provide advice about where to send your application. Please note, your application will be delayed if you do not send your documents to the correct office.

Option 1

The following criteria must be met: -The child is living. -You married or formed a civil partnership after the child’s birth. -You married or formed a civil partnership in the United Kingdom. -The father was domiciled in the United Kingdom at the time of the marriage or civil partnership. -You have answered NO to ALL of the questions in section 5 of the application form. -Either parent can attend a register office in England or Wales. -No correction has been made to your child’s birth registration to remove the father’s details.

1) Contact the register office you both wish to go to 2) Advise them you have completed the application form for the re-registration 3) Follow any instructions provided by the local register office If all of Option 1 criteria apply, contact a register office. If not, send the application to GRO.

Option 2
Any other individual circumstances not covered by the Option 1 criteria.	1) Your completed application form can either be sent by post to GRO or submitted to your local register office to be forwarded to GRO 2) Send certified photocopies of original documents as stated at section 5 of this guidance document

7. What does a re-registration look like?

A new birth registration will be created to show the child’s birth registration as that of their parent’s marriage or civil partnership.

8. Do I need to send in original documents?

When sending the application to your local register office or by post to GRO, the application form must be an original document. The other documents required with your application should be certified as true copies of original documents. A list giving examples of suitable persons can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/certifying-a-document

The person certifying the photocopies must not be related by birth or marriage / civil partnership to the applicant(s), be in a personal relationship with them or live at the same address. The certifier should:

a. include the words - “Certified to be a true copy of the original seen by me”

b. sign and date the photocopy

c. print their name under the signature

d. confirm their occupation

e. add their address and telephone number

If you are taking the application to a register office, then they should be able to certify your documents as a true copy of the original which means you can retain your original documentation.

GRO or the Local Registration Service reserves the right to ask you to submit the original document if needed.

GRO will confidentially destroy all certified copies submitted with the application unless specifically asked to return them.

9. What details should be recorded for the father?

The following guidance explains how the father’s details should be recorded on the application form:

• Surname – Record the father’s surname as shown in the child’s birth registration. Where the father was not recorded at registration, enter the surname he was using at the time of the child’s birth.

• Forename(s) – Record the father’s forename(s) as shown in the child’s birth registration. Where the father was not recorded at registration, enter the forename(s) he was using at the time of the child’s birth.

• Place of birth (Town and County) – Record the town and county in which the father was born.

• Occupation (if unemployed or retired give last job) – Record the father’s occupation either at the time of the child’s birth or at the time of the re-registration. If the father was unemployed or retired, record his last occupation.

10. What details should be recorded for the mother?

The following guidance explains how the mother’s details should be recorded on the application form:

• Surname now – Record the surname by which the mother is immediately known by following her marriage or civil partnership to the father.

• Forename(s) – Record the mother’s forename(s) as shown in the child’s birth registration.

• Maiden surname – Record the surname the mother was known by when she contracted her first marriage or civil partnership.

• Occupation (if unemployed or retired give last job) – Record the mother’s occupation either at the time of the child’s birth or at the time of the re-registration. If the mother was unemployed or retired, record her last occupation.

• Mother’s marital / civil partnership status – Tick the box that reflects the mother’s marital / civil partnership status at the time of the child’s birth. If the mother has previously been married or in a civil partnership, provide the relevant details.

11. If one of the parents has died, can the birth be re-registered?

Yes, if the father’s name was entered on the original birth registration of the child, or there has been a legal ruling (court order) establishing the father’s details.

12. If the child has died, is it possible to re-register the child’s birth?

Yes, if the child was living at the time of the parents’ marriage or civil partnership.

13. Where can I find out more?

For further information please contact your local register office or contact the General Register Office on 0300 123 1837 (Mon – Fri: 9am – 5pm), email GROCasework@gro.gov.uk or visit the following link: https://www.gov.uk/general-register-office

The information contained in this leaflet is based on the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953 and Legitimacy Act 1976 but is not a full statement of the law.

For the purpose of detecting and preventing crime, information relating to an application may be passed to and verified with other government departments or law enforcement agencies.

The General Register Office is part of His Majesty’s Passport Office.