Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953
Part I Registration of Births
1 Particulars of births to be registered.
2 Information concerning birth to be given to registrar within forty–two days.
3 Information concerning finding of new–born child to be given to registrar within forty–two days.
3A Registration of births of abandoned children.
4 Registrar’s power to require information concerning birth.
5 Registration of births free of charge.
6 Registration between three and twelve months from date of birth.
7 Registration after twelve months from date of birth.
8 Penalty for improper registration after 12 months from date of birth.
9 Giving of information to a person other than the registrar.
10 Registration of father where parents not married or of second female parent where parents not married or civil partners
10ZARegistration of father or second female parent by virtue of certain provisions of Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008
10ARe-registration where parents neither married nor civil partners
11 Special provision as to registration of still–birth.
12 Certificate of registration of birth.
13 Registration of name of child or of alteration of name.
14Re–registration of births of legitimated persons.
14A Re–registration after declaration of parentage.
Part II Registration of Deaths
15 Particulars of deaths to be registered.
16 Information concerning death in a house.
17 Information concerning other deaths.
18 Notice preliminary to information of death.
19 Registrar’s power to require information concerning death.
20 Registration of death free of charge.
21 Registration of death after twelve months.
22 Certificates of cause of death.
23 Furnishing of information by coroner.
23AGiving of information concerning a death to a person other than the registrar
24 Certificates as to registration of death.
Part III General
Registers, certified copies, etc.
25 Provision of registers, etc., by Registrar General.
26 Quarterly returns to be made by registrar to superintendent registrar.
27 Quarterly returns by superintendent registrar to Registrar General.
28 Custody of registers, etc.
29 Correction of errors in registers.
29A Alternative procedure for certain corrections.
Searches and Certificates
30 Searches of indexes kept by Registrar General.
31 Searches of indexes kept by superintendent registrars.
32 Searches in registers kept by registrars.
33 Short certificate of birth.
34 Entry in register as evidence of birth or death.
34ASearches and records of information: additional provision
Offences
35 Offences relating to registers.
36 Penalties for failure to given information, etc.
37 Penalty for forging certificate, etc.
38 Prosecution of offences and application of fines.
Miscellaneous
38AFees
39 Regulations and approval of electronic forms etc.
39ARegulations made by the Minister: further provisions
40 Sending and providing notices, information or other documents
40AOriginal documents may be in an approved electronic form
41 Interpretation.
42 Savings, etc.
43 Repeals and consequential amendments.
44 Short title, extent and commencement.
FIRST SCHEDULE Consequential Amendments of other Enactments
1. . . . . . . . . ....
B. The Births and Deaths Registration Act, 1926 (16 & 17 Geo.5. c.88)
2In subsection (1) of section one, for the reference to...
3In section five, for the reference to a certificate given...
The Legitimacy Act, 1926 (16 & 17 Geo. 5. c.60)
4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SECOND SCHEDULE

Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953

1953 c.20

An Act to consolidate certain enactments relating to the registration of births and deaths in England and Wales with corrections and improvements made under the Consolidation of Enactments (Procedure) Act 1949.

Annotations:
Commencement Information
I1

Act wholly in force at 30.9.1953 see s. 44(3)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)