Part of: How to apply for Parental Responsibility
A father cannot put himself on a birth certificate on his own. Adding a father to a birth certificate takes one of two routes: if the mother agrees, the birth is re-registered on Form GRO 185, which is free; if she does not, the father applies to the family court for a declaration of parentage on Form C63, which costs £426. A new certificate is £12.50 either way. Be aware that the court route puts your name on the certificate but does not give you parental responsibility.
Key takeaways
- A father has no way to add his own name unilaterally. He needs either the mother’s agreement or a court order.
- With her agreement: re-register the birth using Form GRO 185. Re-registration is free; a new certificate costs £12.50 and is not issued automatically.
- Without it: apply for a declaration of parentage on Form C63. The fee is £426 (in force 13 July 2026). Help with Fees is available.
- A declaration of parentage does not give parental responsibility — and neither does the re-registration that follows it, because that happens under section 14A, which is not a route listed in Children Act 1989, s.4(1A). You need a separate agreement or order.
- Registration gives parental responsibility only where it took place on or after 1 December 2003. The date attaches to the registration, not the child’s birth.
- A DNA test is evidence for a court. It is not by itself a route into re-registration, and overseas tests and orders are not accepted at all.
Reviewed by Hannah Overton, Complex Children Specialist at Kabir Family Law.
Many fathers are in the unfortunate circumstances where their name does not appear on the child’s birth certificate. The consequences of this is that a father does not automatically acquire parental responsibility unless certain conditions are met, such as being married to the mother at the time of the baby’s birth or being named on the birth certificate. Without parental responsibility, if a father is not named on the birth certificate, he will not automatically have legal rights or responsibilities towards the child unless the mother allows this. Where a father is registered on the birth certificate by one of the routes listed in section 4(1A) of the Children Act 1989, and the registration took place on or after 1 December 2003, he acquires parental responsibility. That gives him a say in key decisions about the child, including medical treatment, schooling and travel.
Where the parents are unmarried, the father is normally named only if both parents register the birth together. He can also be named without the mother attending if she has made a statutory declaration acknowledging him, or if he produces a qualifying court order or parental responsibility agreement.
Without the father’s name on the birth certificate a mother could allow a child to live with the father but she will have the right to demand the child to be returned back to her at any time. Therefore many fathers ask not only “can a father put himself on the birth certificate?” but also what happens if the mother refuses or is no longer in contact.
How can a father put himself on the birth certificate?
He cannot do it on his own. In straightforward cases the quickest route is to attend the register office with the mother, or to ask her to sign the re-registration forms so his details can be added. Where she will not cooperate, the usual route is a court application — a declaration of parentage, or a qualifying court order the registrar will accept — so the register can be updated and the father’s legal status recognised.
It is often up to the mother of the child on whether or not the child’s birth certificate contains the father’s information. To register an unmarried father’s name on the child’s birth certificate, both parents can jointly register if they agree and sign together at the registrar so the father’s name appears on the original birth certificate, or, if they are not attending together, the father can provide a signed Statutory Declaration of Parentage form. A mother may declare no father on the birth certificate if the couple are not legally married. While parental rights for an unmarried couple aren’t quite as simple as they are for a married couple, it is important to note both the mother and father have options.
An unmarried father cannot usually have one parent register the birth alone unless the mother has made a statutory declaration acknowledging him as the father of the child or the father brings a parental responsibility agreement or court order to register the birth at the register office. The father’s details and father’s name are then added to the child’s birth certificate at the registrar’s office.
Mother not putting father on birth certificate
Where a mother is refusing to put the father on the birth certificate, he cannot overrule her at the register office. The route is a declaration of parentage from the family court on Form C63 — a court order deciding who the child’s father is. Once it is made, the court notifies the General Register Office, which re-registers the child’s birth.
Father not on birth certificate: what rights does he have?
The rights a dad has when he is not on the birth certificate are narrower than most people expect, but they are not nothing. A father who is not on the birth certificate usually has no parental responsibility, so he has no legal say in schooling, medical treatment, religion or travel. What he can do is ask the mother to sign a parental responsibility agreement, apply to the court for a parental responsibility order under section 4(1) of the Children Act 1989, or apply for a child arrangements order — see our guide on what rights does a father have to see his child.
A father with parental responsibility over a child will need to agree on things before they go ahead. The mother can make the day-to-day decisions for a child if she is the primary carer, but for important decisions and changes everyone that has parental responsibility will need to be consulted, which you can read more about in our guide on how to apply for parental responsibility.
Can a father put himself on the birth certificate without consent of the mother?
Fathers can often feel left out when they don’t appear on their child’s birth certificate. It is possible for fathers to be named on the birth certificate if the mother agrees.
If the mother disagrees then the father can make a court application to seek a declaration of parentage. This process involves a DNA test being carried out to establish paternity, which provides strong evidence for the court. Once paternity is established, the courts will notify the registrar general, and the child’s birth will then be updated with the father’s name through re-registration.
How to add a father to a birth certificate in the UK
There are two routes to adding a father to a birth certificate, and which one applies turns on whether the mother agrees: re-registration with her, or a court declaration without her.
| Mother agrees | Mother does not agree | |
|---|---|---|
| What happens | The birth is re-registered so the father’s details are added | The court declares who the parent is, then the Registrar General is notified and the birth is re-registered |
| Legal basis | Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953, s.10A | Family Law Act 1986, s.55A, then s.14A of the 1953 Act |
| Form | Form GRO 185 | Form C63 to the family court |
| Cost | Free. A new certificate is £12.50 | £426 court fee. A new certificate is £12.50 |
| Evidence needed | Both parents attend together, or a statutory declaration of acknowledgement of parentage, or a listed court order or parental responsibility agreement | Whatever the court requires, commonly an accredited DNA test |
| Parental responsibility? | Yes — registration under s.10A is a listed route, so long as it is on or after 1 December 2003 | No. Re-registration under s.14A is not a listed route. A separate agreement or court order is needed |
Which route applies also turns on whether you were married to the mother when the birth was registered: a married father’s details go on the certificate as of right, so re-registration only arises where the parents were unmarried at the time.
Where the mother will not cooperate, the process requires the court. Note that a DNA test is not by itself a route into re-registration: the General Register Office accepts joint attendance, a statutory declaration of acknowledgement of parentage, or one of the listed UK court orders or a parental responsibility agreement. A DNA test is evidence for the court, not a substitute for it. Court orders and DNA tests obtained outside the UK are not accepted for re-registration at all. Our family law specialists can advise on the appropriate route for your circumstances.
Does being on the birth certificate give a father parental responsibility?
Usually, yes — but not always, and the exceptions matter. Being named on the certificate and holding parental responsibility are two different things created by two different statutes. Registration is one of three ways to acquire parental responsibility under section 4(1) of the Children Act 1989: being registered as the father, a parental responsibility agreement with the mother, or a parental responsibility order from the court.
Two situations catch fathers out. The first is timing: registration before 1 December 2003 gives no parental responsibility. The second is the route used — section 4(1A) lists the registration provisions that count, and a re-registration made under section 14A after a declaration of parentage is not among them. A father in either position is named on the certificate and still has no parental responsibility.
It runs the other way too. A father married to the mother at the time of the birth has parental responsibility whether or not he is named, and a father with a parental responsibility agreement or order has it regardless of the certificate. And once acquired, it is durable: under section 4(2A) a person who has parental responsibility “shall cease to have that responsibility only if the court so orders”. Correcting or removing a name from a birth certificate does not by itself take it away.
Without parental responsibility a father has no automatic say in schooling, medical treatment, religion or travel, and the mother may make those decisions alone. That is why the certificate matters — but it is also why checking which route put you on it matters just as much.
What is a declaration of parentage, and when is it needed?
A declaration of parentage is a court order under section 55A of the Family Law Act 1986 stating whether a named person is the parent of another. It is the route when the mother will not agree to re-register, cannot be traced, or disputes that you are the father. Any person may apply, but the court will refuse to hear an application unless the applicant has a sufficient personal interest — a father applying about his own child is an excepted case, so he does not have to prove that.
You must be domiciled in England and Wales at the date of application, or have been habitually resident here for at least a year ending on that date. Where the mother or child refuses to take a DNA test, the court may draw adverse inferences from the refusal.
The point most fathers get wrong. A declaration of parentage does not give you parental responsibility, and neither does the re-registration that follows it. The re-registration happens under section 14A of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953, and section 14A is not one of the provisions listed in section 4(1A) of the Children Act 1989. You will be on the certificate and still have no parental responsibility. To get it you need a separate parental responsibility agreement with the mother, or a parental responsibility order from the court. Anyone who tells you the declaration does both has given you advice that is half true and wholly misleading.
Can a father put himself on the birth certificate without approval of the court?
Yes, if the mother agrees. Adding the father’s name to the birth certificate needs no court on that route — the court is only the fallback for when she will not agree.
The registrar handles it as a re-registration, and evidence is needed that the man is the child’s father: normally both parents attend the register office together, or the mother signs a statutory declaration acknowledging him as the father.
Is it illegal not to put father on birth certificate if the father wants to be put on?
It is not illegal for a mother not to include the father’s name on the birth certificate, and it does not have to be added when the birth is registered. If the parents are not married, the mother can register the birth without including the father’s name unless she agrees, and this applies even where she is the child’s biological mother. A father’s name can be added to the birth certificate at a later time. If the parents are married, then both parents’ details will appear on the birth certificate. Either parent can register the child’s birth on their own. This means if the father is married to the mother they can register the name.
If a genuine mistake was made during the registration process, it can be corrected without legal penalty.
Steps to take if mother is not putting father on birth certificate
It can be quite difficult when the mother refuses to name the father on a birth certificate. Without being on the birth certificate the father may not be entitled to parental responsibility automatically. In order to try and overcome this issue a father can look to initially communicate with the mother.
If both parents can reach an agreement amicably then there is no need for court intervention. If agreeable the mother can add the father’s name to the birth certificate at any time.
If the mother does not agree the father will need to consider making an application to the court as mentioned above. The courts will need to be satisfied through a DNA test of the father’s identity. Once paternity is established the child’s birth can be re-registered with the father’s name.
At Kabir Family Law, our family law specialists can assist you in adding your name to the birth certificate. If the mother is not on amicable terms we can assist with communication. If both the mother and father can mutually agree to add the father’s name then this can save both time and costs.
Frequently asked questions
What can a dad do if he is not on the birth certificate?
A dad who is not on the birth certificate has two options, and which one applies depends on the mother. Ask her to re-register the birth with you on Form GRO 185, which is free. If she will not, apply to the family court for a declaration of parentage on Form C63 (£426). Either way, check separately whether you have parental responsibility — you may need a parental responsibility agreement or order as well.
What are the pros and cons of putting the father on a birth certificate in the UK?
For the father, being named is normally what gives him parental responsibility, so he gains a say in schooling, medical treatment, religion and travel, and the record settles who the child’s father is. For the mother, the trade-off is that those decisions then have to be shared.
Does a father have to pay child maintenance if he is not on the birth certificate?
Yes, if he is the child’s legal parent. Child maintenance follows legal parentage, not the birth certificate: the Child Support Act 1991, s.54 defines a parent as any person who is in law the mother or father of the child. Being left off the certificate does not remove the liability, and being added to it does not create one.
How much does it cost to add a father to a birth certificate?
Re-registering the birth on Form GRO 185 is free, but a new birth certificate costs £12.50 and is not issued automatically. If the mother will not agree and you apply to the family court for a declaration of parentage on Form C63, the fee is £426 and Help with Fees is available.
Is there a time limit to add a father to a birth certificate?
Not in the ordinary case. GOV.UK sets no deadline for re-registering a birth on Form GRO 185 to add the natural father’s details, so where the mother agrees it can be done at any time. There is one exception: where the parents marry or form a civil partnership after the birth, section 9 of the Legitimacy Act 1976 makes it their duty to give the Registrar General the information for re-registration within three months of that marriage or civil partnership.
What rights does a father have if he is on the birth certificate in the UK?
In most cases being registered as the father gives parental responsibility, which means a say in major decisions such as schooling, medical treatment, religion and travel. It does not automatically decide where the child lives or how much time the child spends with each parent — that is a separate question, and where parents cannot agree it is settled by a child arrangements order.
Can a father’s parental rights be removed?
Parental responsibility can only be ended by a court, and only in serious cases judged on the child’s welfare. It is not ended by separation, by a lack of contact, or by removing a name from a birth certificate.
Is it illegal for a mother not to name the father?
No. Where the parents are not married or civil partners, the mother may register the birth alone and is not required to name the father. His details can be added later by re-registration or, if she will not agree, after a declaration of parentage.
Can a father be added to a birth certificate without the mother being present?
Yes, in limited circumstances. The father can be registered without the mother attending if he produces a statutory declaration from her acknowledging him as the father, or a qualifying court order or parental responsibility agreement. Without one of those, the registrar cannot add him.
What is classed as an unfit parent?
There is no legal category called an “unfit father”. The family court does not grade parents; it applies the welfare checklist in section 1 of the Children Act 1989 and asks what arrangement is best for this child. Concerns about harm, abuse, neglect or substance misuse are weighed there, not against a label.
Arrange a free consultation today
When your name is missing from your child’s birth certificate, it can feel like the law does not recognise you as a parent at all – even when you are there, providing care and trying to do the right thing. Our child law specialists regularly help fathers add their names to birth certificates, secure declarations of parentage, and obtain parental responsibility so they can take an active, legally recognised role in their child’s life. Arrange a free consultation today on 0330 094 5880 or let us call you back.
Our family law specialists in Oxford, together with teams in York, Newcastle, Fulham, Coventry, Northampton and London, provide a national service for fathers across England and Wales who want their legal status to match the reality of their relationship with their child. Whether you are just starting the process or are already in a dispute, we are ready to support you.
