Register a birth

It is a legal requirement to register the birth of your baby within the first 6 weeks their life. There are plenty of locations across Kent that you are able to attend to register your child, but you will need to book an appointment in advance.

I live in Kent or Bexley

You can book an appointment to visit one of our registration offices online or by telephone.

Book an appointment

Alternatively, call:

If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, call us on 03000 41 51 51.

This service doesn't include:

I don't live in Kent or Bexley

If the birth happened in Kent or Bexley but you can't attend an appointment here, then you can give the details to any registrar in England and Wales. The details will be sent to Kent Libraries, Registration and Archives who will register the birth. This is called registration by declaration.

I want to register a birth that occurred outside of Kent or Bexley

A birth can only be registered in the district that it occurred. If the birth happened outside the district of Kent or Bexley, you can give a birth declaration with a Kent or Bexley office who will send the declaration to the registrar in the district where the birth occurred. That registration district will then complete the registration and issue the necessary paperwork. Declarations can only be taken when the event occurred in England and Wales.

If you need any further information about registering a birth call us on 03000 41 51 51.

My baby was born abroad

If your baby was born abroad, you must register the child's details as advised by the government guidelines.

My baby was born through IVF or donor

To register a birth in accordance with the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008:

Before attending

Please bring the following to your appointment:

  • identification such as a passport or driver's licence
  • a card to pay for certificates as we are not taking cash at this time
  • the red book or hospital discharge papers (if available)
  • a face covering (optional).

What you'll be asked

The registrar will ask you to confirm information about you and the baby, where you will be asked to check the entry carefully before signing  to confirm all of the details are correct. Correcting any mistakes after the register has been signed can cause a delay and will be subject to a charge.

At the registration

You will officially name your baby at registration. The surname that you give at registration can only be changed by re-registration.

You will receive a Bookstart pack and you can purchase birth certificates.

Re-registrations are for parents that were not married at the time of the birth or where the natural father's details were not included in the original birth record.

There are two types of re-registration:

  • if the natural parents are unmarried and would like the natural father's details added to the birth record
  • if the natural parents have married each other since the birth.

Book an appointment to re-register a birth.