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You have to register the birth of your baby within 42 days, in the registration district where your baby was born.
Babies born at Russells Hall Hospital and elsewhere within the Dudley Borough can be registered at either Dudley Register Office or Stourbridge Registration Office.
Appointments are also offered at Coseley and Stourbridge Family Hubs
Birth registration
We cannot accept cash payments, all birth certificates must be paid for by card. You can do this online when you book your appointment. If you are unable to pay for certificates in advance of your appointment you will be able to apply online for certificates afterwards at www.dudley.gov.uk/certificates.
Book an appointment online
To prevent unnecessary waiting for you, we use an appointment system. It is unlikely that we will be able to see you if you come without an appointment.
To make an appointment to register a birth please book an appointment online.
It is usual for the baby’s mother to register the birth. However, if the baby’s mother is married to the father at the time of the birth, it is equally possible for him to register the birth.
If the baby’s mother and father are not married or in a civil partnership, we can enter the father’s details in the register if both parents come together to register the birth. If that is not possible, please phone the register office for advice. When the father's details are entered into the register both parents will have parental responsibility.
You must register the birth in the registration district in which your baby was born. If your baby was born in Russells Hall Hospital, this can be at either Dudley Register Office (Priory Hall) or Stourbridge Registration Office (Thomas Robinson Building). If it is not convenient for you to visit a register office in the district where your baby was born, you can go to any other register office in England or Wales to make a 'Declaration of the Particulars'. In that case, you will receive any birth certificates you need by post.
Appointments are also offered at Coseley Family Hub and Stourbridge Family Hub. A registrar visits each hub one day each week.
For baby - We will need:
details of the date and place of the baby’s birth (if the baby is a twin, triplet and so on, we will need the time of each baby’s birth);
whether the baby is a boy or girl; and
the first names and surname of your baby.
For baby's father - If you want us to enter details into the register, we will need:
his first names and surname;
the date and place of his birth; and
his occupation at the time of your baby’s birth (or if he is unemployed, we will need details of his last occupation).
For baby's mother - We will need:
her first names and any surnames which you have used before and since your marriage or civil partnership (if this applies);
her date and place of birth;
her address;
her occupation (if this applies);
the date of marriage or civil partnership (if this applies; and
the number of previous children (by the present and any former husbands or partners).
It is very important that the information in the register is correct. If any mistake is made, it is not always possible to have it corrected, so you should check the entry in the register very carefully before you sign.
After the information has been recorded into the birth register you will be able to purchase as many certified copies of the registration, known as 'birth certificates' as you would like. You can purchase short (showing baby's names, date and place of birth) and full (showing the parents' details as well as baby's details) birth certificates when you register. Most organisations insist on seeing the 'full birth certificate' for official purposes.
Certificates cost £12.50 each.
If you pay online for certificates before you visit us, the registrar will be able to issue the certificates at the end of your appointment for you to take away. Please note that we do not accept cash or cheques. Certificates can be ordered online after your appointment if you are not able to pay in advance.
Under certain circumstances it may be possible to add to the information recorded at the time of the original registration.
If baby's birth is registered without showing the father's details, it is possible to add this information at a later date.
If baby's natural parents marry or form a civil partnership with each other after the birth has been registered, the birth should be re-registered showing the updated information.
For more information on re-registration please visit gov.uk where you can download an application form. Please return completed and signed application forms to Dudley register Office, Priory Hall, Priory Park, Dudley DY1 4EU with the supporting documentation required.
Please allow two weeks before your appointment for us to process your application.
After you have been advised to book an appointment by us, please book an appointment to re-register your child's birth online. There is no charge to re-register the birth but you will need to pay for any new certificates.
Sadly not every pregnancy ends with a healthy baby. If your baby is not born alive you will need an appointment to register a stillbirth.
A Naming Ceremony is a personalised way of celebrating the birth of your child and welcoming the new arrival into your family. It can also be utilised for welcoming stepchildren or adoptive children into a new family. It is a unique opportunity to pledge your parental commitment to the child, before your family and friends. Also other adult friends or relatives can acknowledge their special relationship with the child or children.
Each ceremony can be tailor made to incorporate the individual needs and wishes of the family. Families can include their own selection of words, readings and music to personalise the ceremony to the child or children involved.
Included in the ceremony is a celebratory certificate, which is signed by the parents, any supporting adults and the registrar. The child or children can be of any age. The parents, legal guardians, or anyone who hold parental responsibility can arrange a ceremony regardless of martial status, cultural or religious beliefs. The ceremony has no legal standing.
It is possible to conduct the ceremonies at Priory Hall, Dudley or at any of the approved premises within the borough. ( A list of venues can be obtained from the register office).
The fees for the ceremony will depend up the where and when the ceremony is held. This can be discussed with a member of register office staff.
If English is not your first language, please feel free to bring a friend or relative with you to help. But you must register the birth personally; you cannot ask a friend or relative to attend instead of you.
If you are not able to speak and understand English, you will need to bring an interpreter to your appointment who can translate for you. If you are not married or in a civil partnership, your partner cannot translate for you.
Information about Child Benefit can be found on GOV.UK including the Child Benefit claim form CH2 (CH2 Claim Form).
For your first child, this must be printed out, filled in, and sent to the Child Benefit office. If you don’t have access to a printer, you can call 0300 200 3100 and HMRC will send you a form in the post. The form also contains information for the small minority of families who may be eligible for the High-Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC). If you already have a Child Benefit claim, you can add further children by calling HMRC on the number above.
Certificate Boxes
Commemorative certificate boxes are available to purchase at the register office for £10. A lovely keepsake for your child or the perfect gift for new grandparents. Scroll your certificate and store in the box safely.
