Copy certificates

Do you need to order copies of birth, death, marriage or civil partnership certificates?

If you, or the person whose details you require, were either born, married or died in Shropshire you can apply to us for a copy certificate.

If this is not the case, you will need to contact the relevant register office. To do this visit the General Register Office website for England and Wales via the link on this page, and then type the town or postcode into the search facility on the site.

The charges for copy certificates are statutory fees. These charges are not subject to VAT and there is no charge for postage and packing.

• It costs £7.00 for a standard birth, death, marriage or civil partnership certificate.
• It costs £5.50 for a short copy of a birth certificate.

Short copies of birth certificates are not suitable in all application processes, such as passports, and it may be more appropriate to order a full (standard) copy.

Once you have submitted your application form for a copy certificate, applications for present day business will be dealt with within three days of receipt. Any certificate applications requesting family history will be dealt with within one week of receipt because of the complex nature of the searches.

How to apply for copy certificates
To make an application for copy certificates you can:

• Telephone 0845 678 9016 (Customer Service Centre).
• Complete the on-line form.
• Print and complete the download (PDF) form attached to this page, and post it to us (see contact button on this page for our address).

If you use the on-line application form, please note the 5 digit reference number (or merchant's cart ID) in case you have to contact us about your payment. If you are applying for more than one certificate do not bookmark the form - open a new version of the form for each application. If you have applied on-line and have any queries about your transaction, please contact Marjorie Dunning, Superintendent Registrar on 0845 678 9016 (via Customer Service Centre) and she will be able to assist.

If you decide to print the download (PDF) document and post it to us, you will need to include a cheque, made payable to Shropshire County Council as payment for the copy certificates, otherwise we will not be able to process your application.

Data Protection Statement
Shropshire County Council will use the data you provide for the sole purpose of this application. Your personal details will be retained for a maximum of three years and will not be passed to other parties or used for any other purposes.

Notes
The General Register Office for England and Wales also holds the adopted children's register. Please visit their website if you require further information.

We have also included links to the General Register Office in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, if you wish to find out further information about your family history.