Registering a Still Birth

Please note that from 1st April 2019 the Lisburn Registration Office located at Lagan Valley Island, Lisburn will move to an Appointment System.

Castlereagh Registration Office, Bradford Court, Castlereagh currently operates by Appointment

To make an appointment for Lisburn Registration Office at Lagan Valley Island (from 1st April), or Castlereagh Registration Office at Bradford Court, Castlereagh please ring 028 9244 7270 or 028 9244 7263

Losing a child is an extremely difficult time, so the thought of having to register a stillbirth is no doubt the farthest thing from a grieving parent’s mind. There are family members who can help and while you must register a stillbirth by law, you do have one year from the stillbirth date to complete the registration.

WHO CAN REGISTER A STILL BIRTH

The following people may register a stillbirth:

the mother or father/second female parent (if married/in a civil partnership)
the mother and father/second female parent (if unmarried or in a civil partnership)
the mother or father (if unmarried)
the grandmother, grandfather, uncle or aunt of the stillborn child
any person present at the stillbirth
any person having charge of the stillborn child
the occupier of the premises where the still birth took place

For female couples in a civil partnership, where Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 applies to the birth, either parent can register the still birth.

Where the female couple are not in a civil partnership, the name of the second female parent may only be recorded if the parent satisfies the agreed female parenthood conditions as set out in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008. In this case both parents must be there to sign the registration together.

HOW TO REGISTER

To register a stillbirth you will need to provide a certificate signed by a registered medical practitioner (or registered midwife) that was present at the stillbirth or has examined the body of the still born child.

You will also need to provide the following information:

full name and sex of the stillborn child
date of the stillbirth
district and place of stillbirth
full names and dates of birth of the parents
full addresses and occupations of the parents

You must register a stillbirth in person, but you can do it at any Registration Office in Northern Ireland. Once the registration is completed, the Registrar will issue a stillbirth certificate free of charge.

APPOINTMENT SYSTEM

From 1st April 2019 Lisburn Registration Office will move to an Appointment System.

Castlereagh Registration Office currently operates by Appointment.

To make an appointment for either Registration Office please ring 028 9244 7270 or 028 9244 7263.

ORDER A STILL BIRTH CERTIFICATE

If you need to order a certified copy of a stillbirth certificate, the procedure differs slightly from other types of certificate. Only certain family members related to the stillborn baby can order the certificate. They are:

mother or father (if named on the certificate)
grandparents
aunts or uncles
brothers or sisters

Stillbirth certificates are ordered through the General Register Office, you won’t be able to order at a local registration office. You can pay by cash, cheque or postal order. Cheques and postal orders should be made payable to The Registrar General.

If you are unsure of the date of the stillbirth, you can contact the General Register Office (GRONI) to ask for a search of the register to be carried out. The fee is £7.00 for each five year period or part of it. The results of the search will be sent to the applicant in a letter. A certificate can be issued when an additional £8.00 fee is paid.