Apply for a birth, death, marriage or civil partnership certificate

Before you start

The Oxfordshire Registration Service holds records of births, deaths, marriages, and civil partnerships that have taken place in Oxfordshire since 1 July 1837.  We can only provide certificates for events that happened in Oxfordshire.

If the birth, death, marriage, or civil partnership occurred outside Oxfordshire, you will need to find the register office for the area where the event took place to order copies of the certificate with them directly. 

Payment and delivery

Certificates can be collected from Oxford County Hall or can be posted by Royal Mail. We cannot guarantee Royal Mail's delivery times as these are subject to their own working practices.

For the latest information on postal delivery times and any service disruptions, please visit the Royal Mail website. As delivery times cannot be guaranteed, we recommend allowing extra time for your certificate to arrive.

Disclaimer, terms and conditions: Oxfordshire County Council will not be held liable for postal delays or failures to provide certificates arising from circumstances beyond the council's reasonable control.

When placing your order, you can choose from the following options:

• Collect your order – You can collect your certificate from the reception desk at Oxford County Hall, New Road, Oxford, OX1 1ND, Monday to Thursday, 8:30am to 4:30pm, and on Fridays, 8:30am to 4pm. Collection is not possible on weekends or bank holidays. You will receive a confirmation email once the certificate has been issued and is available for collection. When collecting your certificate, please have your email confirmation ready to present to the receptionist.
• Receive your order by post – Standard orders are sent by Royal Mail 2nd class post. Priority orders are sent by Royal Mail 1st class post. For UK deliveries only, you can upgrade to Royal Mail 1st Class 'Signed For' postage for an additional charge. This provides secure delivery with tracking information available on request. This does not mean that you will receive your certificate the next working day.  For the latest information on postal delivery times, please visit the Royal Mail website.

Standard service

The cost of each certificate is £12.50, including Royal Mail 2nd class postage.  Postage can be upgraded to Royal Mail 1st Class 'Signed For' for an additional charge of £4.15.

Certificates will be issued for collection or posting within 15 working days of receiving your payment, Monday to Friday (excluding bank and public holidays).

If posting, once we have dispatched your certificate, it is Royal Mail's full responsibility for delivery. There is no guaranteed delivery time, so please allow sufficient time for your certificate to reach you.

Priority service

The cost of each certificate is £38.50, including Royal Mail 1st class postage. Postage can be upgraded to Royal Mail 1st Class 'Signed For' for an additional charge of £4.15.

Certificates will be issued and ready for collection or posting by the next working day if ordered before 2.30pm, or within two working days if ordered after 2.30pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank and public holidays). 

Please note, we are unable to offer the priority service for marriages and civil partnerships that took place less than 21 days ago.

If posting, once we have dispatched your certificate, it is the full responsibility of Royal Mail for delivery. There is no guaranteed delivery time, so please allow sufficient time for your certificate to reach you.

Apply for a marriage or civil partnership certificate

To apply for a certified copy of a marriage or civil partnership record we need to know:

• full names of both parties at the time of the marriage / civil partnership
• date of the marriage / civil partnership ceremony (the priority service is not available where the ceremony has taken place in the last 21 days)
• name of the marriage / civil partnership venue

Marriage and civil partnership certificates can only be issued by a register office or the General Register Office.

Apply for a birth certificate

To apply for a full certified copy of a birth record we need to know:

• full name of the child (as registered at birth)
• date of birth
• place of birth (such as hospital or home address)
• parents' names (as shown on the original registration)

A full birth certificate contains all the information recorded in the original birth register including mother and father's details (where recorded). This certificate is required for official purposes such as passport and driving licence applications, and for many insurance, employment, pension, and salary requirements. Birth certificates are not evidence of identity.

If a person was adopted, the original birth certificate can no longer be used for official use, such as a passport application. To obtain the legal birth/adoption record contact the General Register Office on 0300 123 1837.

Apply for a death certificate

To apply for a certified copy of a death record we need to know:

• the deceased's full name
• the date of birth or age at death
• the date of death
• the place of death

Apply for a baby loss certificate

If your pregnancy ends before the 24th week, you can get a certificate in memory of your baby. It's optional and free to get a certificate.  

The certificate is not a legal document and you cannot use it to claim benefits. The certificate will not be added to your GP record.