How To Order A Birth, Marriage or Death Certificate

Birth, marriage and death certificates offer a rich resource of information about your ancestors’ lives. They will be a key resource in tracing your family by providing vital evidence to help you uncover previously unknown generations.

Birth certificates reveal the names of parents including the mother’s maiden name…

Marriage certificates reveal the names of spouses and fathers…

And, as well as revealing the cause of your ancestors’ demise, death certificates also include the name of the informant of death; which can often be a family member.

Births, marriages and deaths have been recorded in England and Wales since civil registration was introduced in 1837. The actual records themselves are not available for the public to search and view neither online or offline. However if you know when and where a specific birth, marriage or death was registered it is possible to order a copy of the record in the form of a birth, marriage or death certificate.

So how do you confirm that the record you are looking for actually exists? This is where the GRO Index comes in.

What is the GRO Index?

The GRO index is a list of names of all the people whose births, marriages or deaths were registered in England and Wales since 1837. The index for each life event is split into years and quarters.

As well as listing the name and registration district in which the event occurred, you will also see the GRO index reference number. This number consists of the volume and page number where the full record is located in the registers. If you have this number you can then apply for a copy of the certificate from the General Register Office.

To find out more about the GRO index and where to find it read our guide here:

Using The GRO Index To Find Births, Marriages and Deaths

Where can I order a copy of a birth, marriage or death certificate?

So, you have confirmed that your ancestor’s birth, marriage or death has been registered by locating it in the GRO Index. From the entry in the index you know the year, quarter, registration district and GRO index reference number. You can now apply for a duplicate certificate at the General Register Office’s online certificate ordering service.

How much does a duplicate birth, marriage or death certificate cost?

Copies of certificates currently cost £9.25 each, so you want to be as certain as you possibly can be that you are ordering the correct document. It is also worth checking that neither you nor your family already have the original certificate or a copy hidden away somewhere.

You may find other websites or services offering to provide certificates for a much higher fee online. Anyone who provides a genuine certificate will have to order via the GRO, so cut out the middle man by ordering direct yourself.

What information is included in a birth, marriage or death certificate?

Birth Certificates

• Name
• Sex
• Date of Birth
• Address where born
• Father’s name and occupation
• Mother’s name and maiden name
• Signature, description and residence of informant
• When Registered
• Signature of Registrar
• Registration District and Sub Registration District

Marriage Certificates

• For each spouse:
  • Name
  • Age
  • Condition – e.g. Bachelor, Spinster, Widow etc
  • Occupation
  • Residence at the time of marriage
  • Father’s name and occupation
• Place and date of marriage
• The religion of the ceremony
• Signatures of the couple and the witnesses
• Signature of Registrar
• Registration District and Sub Registration District

Death Certificates

• Name
• Date and place of death
• Sex
• Age at death
• Occupation
• Cause of death
• Signature, description and residence of informant
• When Registered
• Signature of Registrar
• Registration District and Sub Registration District