Minimum period of the preservation of official documents
| Appointment and ceremony bookings | When the document may be destroyed |
|---|---|
| Information relating to all appointments/ceremonies | 1 year from date of service (apart from financial records) |
| Nationality Checking Service and the Nationality Document Return Service authorisation | 6 years |
| Correspondence | When the document may be destroyed |
|---|---|
| Relating to appointment and conduct of officers | 2 years |
| Relating to registration of births, marriages, civil partnerships and deaths, correction of errors, birth re-registrations not made (Forms LA1 and GRO185 and copy documents) and irregular burials | 3 years |
| Relating to false information given to registration officers, falsification and forgery of certificates of birth, marriage or death, marriage of foreigners and persons divorced abroad | 3 years |
| Other correspondence from the General Register Office | 3 years |
| Applications for copy certificates | 1 year |
| Counter foils of certificates and forms | When the document may be destroyed |
|---|---|
| Standard certificates of birth, marriage, civil partnership, death and stillbirth | 2 years |
| Requisitions to persons liable to register who have failed to do so | 1 year |
| Forms of report of death to coroner by registrar | 1 year |
Certificates for disposal
|
5 years |
| Document type | When the document may be destroyed |
|---|---|
| Appointment forms of registration officers | 1 year after retirement |
| Forms for appointment of authorised persons under the Marriage Act 1898 or the Marriage Act 1949 | 2 years after vacation of office |
| Registrar General’s authorities for registration after 12 months in accordance with sections 7 and 21 of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953 | 2 years |
| Books recording the issue of books and forms of medical certificates (Form 17) | 5 years after last entry |
| Notifications of disposals of bodies of deceased persons | 5 years |
| Declarations made by applicants for certificates for disposal (no liability to register) | 5 years |
| Marriage and civil partnership notices | 1 year |
| Caveats against the grant of a superintendent registrar’s certificate or Registrar General’s licence for marriage or civil partnership | 2 years |
| Superintendent Registrar’s certificates for marriage | 2 years from the date of the marriage |
| Civil partnership schedule | 3 months from the date of civil partnership then sent to the Registrar General |
| Notifications of the issue of the Registrar General’s licence for marriage/civil partnership and Registrar General’s licences for marriage/civil partnership | 2 years from the date of the marriage/civil partnership |
| Requisitions for certificates of birth, marriage, civil partnership or death issued under certain Acts of Parliament for the purpose of those Acts | 2 years |
| Premises licensed for marriages or civil partnerships | When the document may be destroyed |
|---|---|
| Approval of premises to be used for a civil marriage or civil partnership ceremonies | 4 years following expiry or termination of licence |
| Religious building registered for legal marriage ceremonies | 12 months from removal of the building from the register |
| Registers | When the document may be destroyed |
|---|---|
| Registers of births, deaths, marriage and civil partnership | Never – retained indefinitely |
| Annual indexes of all registers | Never – retained indefinitely |
