Re-registering a birth or making a correction

Parents have married after the birth: 

• If the parents have married after the child was born and you want the natural father’s details to be on the birth record, you must re-register your child’s birth by completing  Form LA1. 

Parents are not married: 

• If you want the father’s name on the birth record, both parents will need to fill in an  application form to re-register a child’s birth and return it to the Waltham Forest Register Office. 
• Both parents must attend the appointment. 
• If the child is 16 years of age or over, you must get their written consent before their surname can be changed.

To apply for re-registration, please see the GOV.UK website and download the appropriate form. 

You should then complete the form and send it to Waltham Forest Register Office. 

Once we receive your application we will contact you to book an appointment for you.  In some cases such as foreign marriages, we will have to refer to the General Register Office for approval which could take up to 6 weeks before an appointment can be made. 

There is no charge for re-registration but you may wish to buy a birth certificate during the appointment for £12.50. 

If you need to make changes to a birth certificate, here's what to do: 

1. Check GOV.UK to see what types of corrections can be made. 
2. Fill out the application form: 

   • Use the form to  correct details on a birth certificate.

   • Use a separate form to remove the wrong father’s details from the birth certificate.  

3. Send your form to the Waltham Forest Register Office. 

You will need to show that the information given at the original registration was incorrect. Include documents with your application that show the correct information. These documents should be from when your child was born or around that time. 

You can send in items like: 

• A passport. 
• Photocard driving licence. 
• Bank, building society, or credit card statement. 
• A letter from a hospital or doctor. 
• A letter from a government department. 

If you cannot provide proof, it is usually not possible to make a correction. 

The register office will contact you if an appointment is needed to make the correction.