National Records of Scotland

Preserving the past, Recording the present, Informing the future

Re-registration of Birth or Stillbirth

Re-registration of Birth or Stillbirth

The attached Registration Privacy Notice (150KB PDF) tells you what happens to personal information when a life event is registered.

What is re-registration?

Re-registration is the creation of a new birth entry to add the natural father’s/parent's details, alter parentage details or add the parents’ marriage or civil partnership details if that marriage or civil partnership took place after the birth was originally registered.

Applications for re-registration should be made on form RR1 and be accompanied by the relevant declaration form(s).

  • Form RR1 (44Kb pdf file) - Application for re-registration of a birth or still-birth
  • Form 26 (18Kb pdf file) - Declaration as to parentage by the mother of a child
  • Form DPF (25Kb pdf file) - Declaration as to parentage by father/parent
  • Form 27 (18Kb pdf file) - Declaration by father/parent of a child
  • Form DPM (25Kb pdf file) - Declaration as to parentage by mother

When can re-registration be applied for?

A person’s birth or still-birth registered in Scotland can be re-registered, if:

  • the entry in the register of births is affected by any matter concerning their parentage e.g. the entry does not contain their father’s details,
  • the entry in the register of births shows or implies that they were found exposed (abandoned), or
  • the entry in the register of births shows or implies that their parents were not married to each other or parties to a civil partnership at the time of their birth but their parents have subsequently married or registered their civil partnership.

Who can apply for re-registration?

  • If the person whose birth is to be re-registered is under 16 years of age, anyone who has parental responsibilities in relation to that person, even if they are also under 16 years of age (e.g. the mother) can apply
  • If the person whose birth is to be re-registered is 16 years of age or over they must apply on their own behalf
  • If the person whose birth is to be re-registered has died, or was a still-born child, application may be made:
    (a) by the person’s mother or, if the person’s mother is married, by her husband if he is the natural father
    (b) if the mother is dead, by a person who has been registered as the father/parent of the child in the birth entry concerned,

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does re-registration cost?

There is no fee for re-registration. However, if parents wish to purchase an extract of the new birth entry the usual extract fees apply.

Who can I ask to witness my declaration forms?

It is very important that the forms are signed by applicants and witnesses on the same date and they can be witnessed as follows:

  • Form 26 - A registrar in any registration office in Scotland.
  • Form DPF - A Justice of the Peace, Notary Public or other person authorised by law to administer oaths.
  • Forms DPM - A Justice of the Peace, Notary Public or other person authorised by law to administer oaths.
  • Form 27 - A registrar in any registration office in Scotland.

Can a Scottish Registrar witness the declaration forms for both the mother and the father?

No - one form must be witnessed by a Scottish Registrar and the other by a Justice of the Peace, Notary Public or other person authorised by law to administer oaths.

Can I change my child's name to have the same name as his/her father?

Yes, this can be achieved through the re-registration process. However, no changes of forename can be permitted at this stage unless the child had the mother’s surname and you now wish to include the mother’s surname as a forename. If changes of forename are required this can be done through the change of name procedure. Please see Recording Changes of Forename(s) and Surname(s) in Scotland for further information.

Where does the re-registration take place?

Re-registration can take place in any Scottish registration office and does not need to be carried out at the office where the original birth was registered.

Can a father who is not married to the mother apply to re-register a birth?

A father who is not married to the mother can apply to re-register a birth if he has parental responsibilities for the child. However, his details would not be entered in the child’s birth record unless a qualified informant agrees to sign the re-registered birth entry. This includes the child’s mother but not a father who is not married to the mother and has not been married to her since the child’s conception.

Where can I get more information about the re-registration procedures?

Contact us

Write to:

National Records of Scotland
General Registration Unit
Room 35
New Register House
3 West Register Street
Edinburgh
EH1 3YT
 

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 0131 314 4452

Last updated April 2023