Requesting UK birth certificate for living person under 50 years old?

[MarkDurham]

Hi all,

I did a search of the forums and turned up a couple of discussion from 2009 and 2012 on this subject but time has moved on since then.

I have the details from the GRO website for the person in question (actually a granddaughter) and the GRO website has populated the order form with those details. I know additional details that are being requested such as mother and fathers names and obviously the quarter that the birth was registered etc. The only bit I can't answer is the actual DOB, which due to various family issues, has been withheld from me.

Additional research online suggested that instead of using the GRO, I apply to the local council for a copy of the birth certificate as they may be more relaxed about providing it.

Unfortunately, today I received an email from the council saying that without the actual DOB, they couldn't issue a certificate.

I did read somewhere that the council couldn't refuse to supply the certificate but I don't now if that was the authors opinion or fact.

I'm thinking that my next step may be to ring the council and see what the issue is. Maybe they are using GDPR?

Would any of you have suggestions as to how to proceed from here?

One thought is that as I know the quarter, and it would be tiresome, but I could submit requests for each day of each month in the quarter. There's only one possible correct match, so sooner or later the correct DOB will be found. Is it worth mentioning this approach to the council to try and avoid the administrative burden this approach would obviously place on them?

Thanks.

[cbcarolyn]

I would think that the local registration district is bound by the same rules/law as GRO.

Have you tried searching social media for birthday celebrations etc of the child, you might be lucky.

[AntonyM]

Ring the local office who hold the register and remind them that under s31 of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953 the Superintendent Registrar is required to provide a certified copy of any entry in the registers they hold on payment of the statutory fee.

As far as I know, the additional information they are asking for has no basis in law, but it can be difficult to get past.

[MarkDurham]

Thanks for the replies.

AntonyM - Thanks for that. I'll take it on board. I'll call the local office that holds the record and see what smokescreen (if any) they hide behind.

[MarkDurham]

Update: It took a bit of persuading with a receptionist at the council but I finally got to speak to a human in the certificate issuing department. They were a bit evasive to begin with but when we indicated that it was purely for family history research they reversed their previous decision and processed our request for the birth certificate. I didn't have to bring up the information provided by AntonyM in relpy #3.

I hope this helps somebody else out in the future.

[GallowayLass]

Glad you got the order processed. Hope it solves your mystery