It is your responsibility to check that the details in a birth, death, marriage or civil partnership registration are correct at the time of the registration.
The information on a birth certificate can be changed under the following circumstances:
The information on a death, marriage or civil partnership certificate can be changed under the following circumstances:
More information on all the above changes can be found in the expandable sections below:
Add a father’s name to a birth certificate
You can add father’s details to a birth certificate by re-registering the birth. You can also change your child's surname (if you wish) on the birth record when you re-register.
This can only be done in the following instance:
If the parents are unmarried and you would like the natural father's details added to the birth record.
To book a re-registration appointment please call us on 0113 222 4408. Both parents should attend the register office for the re-registration if they are not married. You will need to complete the
GRO185 re-registration application formGRO185 re-registration application form before the appointment.
Update a birth certificate following the parent’s marriage
If you marry or form a civil partnership with the natural father after your child’s birth was registered – you must re-register the birth by law. When re-registering a birth we will amend the birth record to show that you are now married or civil partners. You can also change the child's and parent’s surnames (if you wish) on the birth record.
To book a re-registration appointment please call us on 0113 222 4408. You will need to complete the
LA1 re-registration application formLA1 re-registration application form before the appointment. Only one parent needs to attend, though both need to have signed the LA1 form. If this is not possible, please call us.
Add to or change a child's forename
You can change a child’s forename only if a new forename(s) was given in baptism or by regular use within 12 months of the birth being registered.
Please note this change can only be made once. Only the mother, father or legal guardian of the child may make the change. You must comply with any court orders in force about the naming of your child.
For more information on changing a child’s forename or to ask for an application form please call us on 0113 2224408.
How much does it cost?
Following a law change on 1st November 2017 an addition or change to a child’s forename costs £40.
Removing the wrong father’s details
You can apply to change who the father is on the birth certificate, if evidence is provided to prove that the man named on the certificate isn’t the natural father, such as:
- a DNA test report
- a court order
- other conclusive evidence
If your evidence is a DNA test report, you must use a government accredited
DNA Test Centre.
You will then need to complete an
application form to remove the wrong father’s details then please call us on 0113 222 4408 for further advice.
Do I need to pay for a correction?
Following a law change on 1st November 2017 an application to remove the wrong father from a birth certificate costs £90 as it will be referred to the General Register Office.
How to correct an error
Corrections to a birth, death, marriage or civil partnership can only be made if the information is wrong on the certificate
An error can only be changed in accordance with the legal procedures.
If you find a mistake in a certificate you should contact the Register Office who hold the birth, death, marriage or civil partnership entry. If the record is held by Leeds Register Office, please email us at registerofficecorrections@Leeds.gov.uk. The Registrar will advise you how to correct the certificate as you may need to provide evidence of the correct details. Alternatively you can find out more about correcting a certificate, including application form downloads on the
GOV.UK website.
Depending on the type of error we may need to copy your documents and refer your application to the General Register Office for their approval. You may also need to visit the register office to witness the correction after we have received approval.
Once an error has been corrected you will be able to buy a new certificate.
Do I need to pay for a correction?
Following a law change on 1st November 2017 an application to correct a birth, death, marriage or civil partnership certificate cost £75. If your application needs to be referred to the General Register Office this will incur a further fee of £15 (£90 in total).
What does a correction look like?
If your application is approved, a correction is made in the register.
The original information will always be shown in the register. A note will be added to the margin of the register to explain what the correct information is and when the correction was made.
Any new certificates will include the note in the margin although a short birth certificate will only include the new correct details.
Information we may collect about you
The council has a statutory duty to register births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships and to administer citizenship services on behalf of the Home Office. Your information will only be used to assist us with your registration appointment and/or ceremony or your copy certificate application. We will not share this information with anyone else unless we are required to do so by law. Please see our
privacy policy for further information on how we process your personal data.
