Registering a stillbirth

How a stillbirth is defined

A stillborn child is legally defined as a child born after the 24th week of pregnancy who did not at any time after being born breathe or show any other signs of life (a child who breathed or showed other signs of life is considered live-born for registration purposes, irrespective of the number of weeks duration of the pregnancy).

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.

Issuing a medical certificate of stillbirth

When a child is stillborn, the doctor or midwife issues a medical certificate of stillbirth, which is sent electronically to the Registration Service for the district in which the stillbirth took place.

Every stillbirth in England or Wales must be registered in the district in which it takes place.

How to book an appointment to register a stillbirth

To book an appointment to register a stillbirth, please call 01865 519800 (option 2) and ask to be transferred to the Registration Hub.

From 9 November 2026, you can register a stillbirth either face-to-face in a registration office, or by telephone. If you choose to register a stillbirth by telephone, please note that any copies of the stillbirth certificate which you order will be despatched 2 working days after your appointment and will be subject to Royal Mail delivery times.

Ordering a certificate of stillbirth

Certificates of the stillbirth can be ordered and paid for at the time of making the appointment.

The registrar will also send the document to allow the burial or cremation to take place to the funeral director after the appointment.

Who can register a stillbirth?

Parents married or in a civil partnership with each other

If the parents of the child were married to, or were in a civil partnership with each other at the time of the stillbirth (or conception), either the mother or the father/second female parent may register.

Parents not married or in a civil partnership with each other

If the parents were not married to each other or in a civil partnership at the time of the stillbirth (or conception), information about the father may be recorded in the entry if both parents attend the registration appointment.

If two female parents were not married to or in a civil partnership with each other, information about the second female parent may be recorded in the entry if both parents attend the registration appointment and meet the requirements of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act.

Although the parents register the majority of stillbirths, sometimes neither the mother nor the father or second female parent  can do this. In these circumstances, the registrar will arrange for the registration to be completed by whichever of the following people is best able to do so:

• the occupier of the house or hospital where the child was stillborn
• a person who was present at the stillbirth
• a person who is responsible for the stillborn child
• the person who found the stillborn child (where the date and place of the stillbirth are unknown)

Information you will need to give the registrar 

1. date and place your baby was born
2. full name you have chosen to give your baby
3. full names of your baby’s parents (including any previously used names)
4. baby’s parents’ places of birth
5. baby’s parents’ occupations
6. baby’s parents’ address

The person registering the stillbirth should check the information very carefully. It may be possible to apply to the Registrar General later for a stillbirth registration correction, but it is costly. The application to have the correction considered will be either £83 or £99, and you will also have to provide evidence of the correct information.

Certificates that will be issued

Certificate of registration

The person who registers the stillbirth will receive a certificate of registration, free of charge. This certificate provides proof that the stillbirth has been registered. Any names given to the stillborn child and included in the entry will be recorded on the certificate of registration.

Stillbirth certificate

After a stillbirth has been registered, one or more certificates may be issued at the time of registration or at any time afterwards to the mother or the father/second female parent. (The father’s or second female parent’s details would need to be recorded in the stillbirth entry for them to be able to obtain a certificate). Any application for a certificate from someone who is not the mother, father or second female parent should be sent to the address below, giving full details of the purpose for which the certificate is required:

General Register Office
PO Box 2
Southport PR8 2JD

More information can be found at the General Register Office. 

Certificate for burial or cremation

The registrar will issue a certificate for the burial (in a cemetery) or cremation (in a crematorium) of the stillborn child. The certificate is normally sent by the registrar to the funeral director making the arrangements.

A funeral cannot take place until this certificate is given to the burial authority or the crematorium.

If there is a delay to the registration, it is possible for a certificate for the burial (in a cemetery) to be issued before registration provided the stillbirth does not need to be reported to the coroner. A certificate for cremation cannot be issued before the registration.

Support and advice

• Sands - Offer support for all types of pregnancy and baby loss.
• Tommy’s - Provide support and further help for parents who have had a stillborn baby. 
• The Twins Trust - can also support families who have experienced the loss of one or more of their twins or triplets.