Registration - copy certificates
Who can apply for a certificate & information required
Anyone who can identify the entry in the register and provide us with the correct fee is entitled to apply for a birth, civil partnership, marriage or death certificate.
Identifying an entry means knowing the pertinent details that will appear on the certificate.
- In the case of birth entries, we expect the applicant to name the name on the certificate, date of birth, specific place of birth (address or hospital name) and one or both parents names.
- When applying for a death entry we ask for the deceased's name, date of death and place of death, and
- For a marriage certificate you must know the name of both parties, date of marriage and specific place of marriage (i.e. venue, church name etc.).
- For civil partnership certificates you must be able to provide the partners' full addresses.
Changes to family history certificate applications
Please note - Due to increased pressure on our service, Manchester Registration Service have changed the way that we deal with applications for certificates.
Certificate applications received by this office will be searched on the basis of name, year, quarter and district of registration. We are no longer be able to verify additional information such as parents' names, occupations, and street names before issuing a certificate.
In each case where the name, year, quarter and district correspond with those given by the applicant a certificate will be issued and fee charged without exception.
For applications containing a Lancashire BMD reference, if the name corresponds to that stated on the application, a certificate will be issued and fee charged without exception.
Please bear in mind that the General Search facility remains available for customers who wish to personally conduct their own searches of our birth, death or marriage indexes. This service is only available by appointment at a cost of £18. Please contact the Register Office for further information.
What if I only have limited information?
If the certificate you require is for genealogical purposes we suggest that you may like to contact your local library,
The Manchester Room@City Library
City Library, Elliot House
151 Deansgate
Manchester
M3 2HN
Tel: 0161 234 1979
or you can try making your own search via the internet.
A number of websites are available. For example:
Free access to Ancestry.com via Ancestry Library Edition is available at the Manchester Room@City Library or any Manchester City Council library. Free access to Findmypast is available at the Manchester Room@City Library.
You can find more information about the Manchester Room@City Library at:
Various other local authority record offices throughout the county also hold copies of the General Register Office Index.
The General Register Office publishes a list of public holders of the GRO Indexes at:
Contents of Registration - copy certificates
- Making an application for a copy certificate
- Who can apply for a certificate & information required (this page)
- Certificates for Passport Applications
- Apply for a Copy Certificate On-line
Further information
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Application for a copy birth certificate
If you are unable to apply on line, you can download this form and use it to apply for a copy birth certificate by post.
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Application for a copy civil partnership certficate
If you are unable to apply on-line, you can download this form and use it to apply for a copy civil partnership certificate by post.
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Application for a copy death certificate
If you are unable to apply on-line, you can download this form and use it to apply for a copy death certificate by post.
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Application for a copy marriage certificate
If you are unable to apply on-line, you can download this form and use it to apply for a copy marriage certificate by post.
