Terms and conditions and FAQs about copy certificates
Frequently asked questions you may have about copy certificates and general terms and conditions.
Information provided to conduct a search
You need to ensure that you provide as much precise information as possible for us to locate the correct entry and issue a certificate. Leicester Register Office accepts no liability for a certificate issued where your information is limited.
For a birth certificate where the date of birth is less than 50 years prior to the date of application you MUST provide:
- Surname at birth
- Forename (s)
- Date of birth
- Place of birth
- Father’s surname (if stated on the entry)
- Father’s forename (if stated on the entry)
- Mother’s forename
- Mother’s maiden surname.
For a death certificate as a minimum we need:
- Full name of deceased
- Date of death
- Place of death
- Full names of both parties on the day of the marriage
- Date of marriage
- Place of marriage
We will undertake a 3 year search, 1 year either side of the year you quote. We will not perform another search for the same event at a later date.
Your details
Please ensure that the correct postal address details are provided on your form. Your certificate will be sent to the address EXACTLY as supplied on your form. If this turns out to be incorrect, Leicester Register Office will not be liable. Leicester Register Office is not responsible for items that go missing in the post. All items are sent via Royal Mail. If you want your certificate to be sent via a tracked method, you must choose the recorded delivery option. This is only available to UK customers. Any personal information that you provide will be processed in accordance with current Data Protection laws. It will be used by Leicester City Council and our partners to deliver and improve services and fulfil our legal duties. We will not disclose any personal information to anyone else unless required or allowed to do so by law. Read more about how we use personal data in our Fair Processing / Privacy Notice on our website: leicester.gov.uk.
Refunds
Our website and the above instruct on what a successful application will need. If we are unable to process your application due to you applying to the wrong office, or if your application results in no trace of the record, or there is insufficient information provided for a certificate to be issued, £1 will be retained from your payment as a refund processing fee.
Short birth certificates
Short birth certificates have very limited use. They only show the child’s name, date of birth, place of birth and gender. You must check with the organisation asking for a birth certificate if they will accept a short, or do they require the full (long/standard) birth certificate. If you apply for a short certificate in error, you will need to reapply for the full (long/standard) and pay the statutory fee. There is no facility to cancel an order once it has been placed. Orders feed directly into our production process, leaving us unable to stop the system. Please be sure before submitting your request.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a full and short certificate?
Full (or long/standard) certificates show all of the details given at the time of registration. Mother’s details will appear on this certificate, father’s details will appear if they were given at the time of registration. Short birth certificates have very limited use. They only show the child’s name, date of birth, place of birth and gender. If you apply for this certificate in error, you will need to reapply for the full (long/standard) and pay the statutory fee again
I live in Leicester, but was born abroad. Can I apply to Leicester Register Office for a birth certificate?
No, you can only apply to us if you were born in Leicester City. You will need to contact the country of birth or its Embassy for further advice.
I was married in a church in Leicestershire, will you hold the record?
All Church of England marriage registers for Leicestershire are held by the Leicestershire Register Office. Here at the Leicester Register Office we may hold some of the records of marriages in churches of other denominations. We advise that you call us or Leicestershire to check who holds the record before you apply.
I only have limited information, can I still apply for a copy birth, death or marriage certificate?If the event took place less than 50 years ago you will need to supply all of the details on the form to locate the correct the entry. If the details provided on your form do not match the registration, a certificate will not be issued.
I have a GRO volume and page reference number, can you find the registration with that?
No, this system was not created by Leicester Register Office so will not help to locate the entry. It is only useful if you are applying to GRO direct.
Does it matter if the person has been adopted?
If the birth certificate is for someone who has been adopted and it is the certificate showing the original name then application should be made to the local office, stating the original name (name at birth). The application should also state that you are aware that the person has been adopted. If the birth certificate is for someone who has been adopted and it is the certificate showing the adopted name that is required then application must be made to the adopted children’s register.
What happens if the birth, death or marriage took place before 1st July 1837?
Prior to July 1837 births and deaths were not registered but you may find that the local archivist holds the records. For further information contact the Leicestershire Records Office.
Can I collect my certificate once it has been ordered?
The office deals with people coming in to register births, deaths or marriages. We do not therefore offer a service for online applications to be collected.
Can I come in to the office to apply?
The office deals with people coming in to register births, deaths or marriages. You can apply for copy certificates in person, but they will still take 6 working days to be issued. Applying online is the most efficient method.
Can I pay more for the certificate to be issued quicker?
There is no priority service offered here at Leicester Register Office. You can apply to the General Register Office direct, who do offer a priority service.
Can I cancel my application once I have submitted it?
There is no facility to cancel an order once it has been placed. Orders feed directly into our production process, leaving us unable to stop the system. Please be sure before submitting your request.