Registering the birth of your baby

You need to register the birth of your baby within 42 days of the date of birth. You can find information about the legal requirements for registering a birth on the government website. This includes details about who can register a birth which depends on whether the parents were married or in a civil partnership at the time of the birth.

If your baby was born in North Yorkshire, you can book an appointment to register the birth at any North Yorkshire registration office.

To book your appointment online, you will need to tell us your:

• name 
• email address 
• phone number 
• baby's date and location of birth 

Change or cancel an appointment

You need to contact us to change or cancel an appointment.

When you should not book an appointment online

Please contact us for advice if any of the following circumstances apply:

• stillbirths or simultaneous birth and death appointments
• if the mother has died
• court orders and adoptions
• if you need to register more than four children

If your baby was born outside North Yorkshire

The fastest way to register the birth and get a birth certificate is by contacting the registration service in the area where your baby was born.

If your baby was not born in North Yorkshire or at one of the nearby hospitals we have arrangements with, and you register the birth with us, this is called a birth declaration. The appointment takes longer, and you will not get a birth certificate at the appointment. The registration service for the area your baby was born in will post a certificate to you later.

We have arrangements with certain hospitals outside North Yorkshire to register births at those hospitals at some of our registration offices.

These hospitals are:

• James Cook Hospital
• York District Hospital
• Airedale Hospital