You must register the birth of your baby within 42 days (six weeks) of the baby being born.

You can register at

  • Paignton Library - Monday to Friday (appointments from 9:30am to 3:50pm)

All registrations are by appointment only and will take about 20 minutes.

  Book an appointment in Torbay

Who can register?

If the parents are married at the time of the birth either parent can register the birth on their own.

If the parents aren’t married to each other and you want both parents’ details included in the birth register, the father should normally attend the appointment with the mother. An unmarried father cannot usually register the birth without the mother.

For full details of who can register a birth please read the information on who can register a birth Opens in a new window.

What information will the registrar need?

Information the registrar will ask for

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

It would be helpful if you could bring with you ID for you and your partner like your passport, council tax bill, driving licence, birth certificate or a utility bill.

The registrar will ask you to sign to confirm that the details in the register are correct. If an error is noticed after the registration, you will need to apply for the entry to be corrected and there is a charge this. 

Birth Certificates

It doesn't cost anything to register a baby’s birth. If you need a full copy of the certificate you can buy these for £11 each at the appointment. You are able to buy more certificates any time after the registration.

A full birth certificate is needed for a passport or to open bank accounts for your baby.

If it's not convenient for you to go to the district where your baby was born to register them you may prefer to make a declaration of the birth in Torbay.

The registrar will record the details in the form of a declaration and send it to the registrar in the district where the baby was born. The registrar who receives the declaration will enter the information in the birth register and send your baby's birth certificate to you in the post.

You will be sent a short birth certificate free of charge.If you need more copies of birth certificates, payment needs to be made to the district that is issuing them. They can usually be ordered and paid for by cheque or postal order at the time of making the declaration. However if you wish to pay by card the registrar will make a note on the paperwork that is sent to the issuing authority and they will contact you directly.

Search for a register office  Opens in a new window

You must register your child’s birth according to the regulations in the country where the child was born. They’ll give you a local birth certificate.

Information on registering a birth abroad  Opens in a new window

For more information on registering a birth after fertility treatment or surrogacy visit the website.

Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority  Opens in a new window