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Stillbirths
Information on how to register a stillbirth.
A stillbirth should be registered within 42 days (six weeks). All registrations are by appointment and will take about 40 minutes.
When a child is stillborn, the doctor or midwife will issue a medical certificate of stillbirth. You must take this to the appointment with you.
You can register at:
- Paignton Library - Monday to Friday (appointments from 9:30am to 3:30pm)
- Torquay Library - Monday only (appointments from 9:50am to 3:30pm)
Please ring 01803 207130 to make an appointment.
Who can register a stillbirth?
If the parents are married:
- The mother
- The father
If the parents aren't married:
- The mother
- The father if a 'signed declaration' has been made by the mother
If the child was conceived as a result of fertility treatment:
Any of the following can register the stillbirth:
- The mother
- The father, if he was married to the mother at the time of treatment
- The second female parent if she was in a civil partnership with the mother at the time of treatment
For full details of who can register a stillbirth, including what to do if neither parent can attend please see the further information on registering a stillbirth Opens in a new window.
You must bring the certificate of stillbirth which will have been issued to by the midwife or doctor that delivered your baby.
It would be helpful if you could bring with you ID for you and your partner like your passport, council tax bill, driving licence, birth certificate or a utility bill.
- A certificate for burial or cremation
- A certificate of registration
- A stillbirth certificate
You can register a stillbirth at the register office which covers the area in which it happened or you can supply the information to a registrar in another district, however, this may take longer.
You should register at the register office closest to where the stillbirth occurred. If this is not possible you can register in Torbay but this will be a registration by declaration.
Search for a register office Opens in a new window False
At a declaration all details are sent through the post to the district in which the stillbirth occurred. The form for the funeral director and any certificates will be returned to you in the post.
This page was last updated over three months ago