Register a birth

Bookings

If your baby was born outside of Cheshire West, you should contact the register office for that area to register the birth. For example, if your baby was born at Leighton Hospital you should contact Cheshire East registration service.

Your appointment will take around 20 minutes and there is no charge.

Please note: birth registrations are required to be carried out at a face to face appointment with a registrar. For your safety we have introduced measures such as screens, hand sanitiser and we will be using larger rooms to allow social distancing.

It is not essential to bring any documents with you to the appointment. However, it is helpful if parents provide at least one document from the list below to ensure that the registration is completed accurately and to reduce future corrections. There is a fee for corrections to be made in a completed birth record.

• Passport
• Driving licence
• Council tax bill
• Birth certificate
• Marriage/civil partnership certificate
• Utility bill

It would also be useful to bring the red birth book if you were issued with one by the hospital.

If your baby was born in Cheshire West you can book an appointment to register a birth.

Birth certificates

You will be able to purchase birth certificates at your appointment. Certificates cost £12.50 each. Certificates can also be ordered online after your appointment. We are giving priority to certificates ordered in relation to recent births and deaths i.e. that have happened since February 2020.

We will accept email orders for copy certificates, but these will be dealt with as lower priority and would encourage all customers to order online if they can, email: chesterregisteroffice@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk.

Birth declaration

Births are usually registered in the district where the birth occurred. However, it is possible to give a declaration of particulars at any register office in England and Wales. The details will be sent to the appropriate register office and if you have made arrangements to purchase your child's certificate it will be sent to you after a short delay.

Naming ceremony

We would be happy to help you celebrate the arrival of your new family member with a naming ceremony. Our friendly and experienced celebrants can conduct the ceremony for you.

Further information about registering a birth

More information about registering a birth, how to add a parent’s details to a birth entry and how to re-register following parent’s marriage can be found on the Gov.uk website.