Copy Certificates

Certificates The official recording of births, deaths and marriages began on 1st July 1837. These events are recorded in registers, which once full, are deposited with a Superintendent Registrar for the district register office in which the event took place.

There are many district register offices in England and Wales each holding locally completed registers. In addition to these locally held records, a central record is held by the General Register Office.

You can obtain a certified copy of a birth, death or marriage that took place in the county of Worcestershire as it stands today (fee and service option charge):

Order online
By credit or debit card over the telephone on 0845 603 2859
For copy certificates for Worcestershire church or chapel marriages, which have recently taken place call 0845 603 2859 before ordering
In person at Worcester Register Office, by appointment only
By post. Print the relevant form from the bottom of this page. Send the completed form with the appropriate payment (cheques or postal orders should be made payable to Worcestershire County Council) to: Worcester Register Office, County Hall, Spetchley Road, Worcester, WR5 2NP

Please note: A short birth certificate details the person's name and date of birth but NOT the parent's details. If you require a birth certificate for a passport application, job application or for financial reasons you must obtain a full birth certificate.

The Service aims to respond to requests for copy certificates - by post, in person, and by telephone where credit card details are given - within 5 working days. If you wish to arrange to pay for your certificate on collection from the Worcester Register Office, please arrange this over the phone on 0845 603 2859. Please note that a certificate cannot be produced without payment.

The Service aims to respond to all requests for copy certificates for family history research within 7 working days

District borders have changed over the years and you may find that what was once Worcestershire is now another district, for example Dudley is now a district of its own, and Tenbury Hospital is in the district of Shropshire (see link below) and therefore applications will need to be made to them.

Within Worcestershire, all registers are held in our central repository at the Register Office in County Hall, Spetchley Road, Worcester

If you require a copy of your adopted birth entry, you should apply to the General Register Office in Southport

Events before the 1st July 1837 may have been recorded in Church Baptismal, Marriage and Burial registers. Worcestershire Archive Service holds many records, which may be useful.

If you are in any doubt please contact us on 0845 603 2859.