The council can provide copies of birth, marriage or death certificates for anyone who was born or married, or who died, in Shropshire.
For births, marriages and deaths outside the county, 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 at the bottom of this page, and then type the town or postcode into the search facility on the site.
How to apply for copy certificates
To make an application for copy certificates you can:
- Telephone 0345 678 9016
- Complete the on-line form
- Visit any of the customer service points in Shropshire
- Print and complete the download form attached to this page
If you use the online application form, please note the seven 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 online and have any queries about your transaction, please contact the Certificate Production Unit on 0345 678 9016.
If you decide to print the download document and post it to us, you will need to include a cheque or postal order as payment for the copy certificates, otherwise we will not be able to process your application. Cheques and postal orders should be made payable to 'Shropshire Council'.
Fees and Services - From 1 April 2012 until 31 March 2013
Gold - Priority service (UK only)
£10.00 statutory fee for each standard certificate (unless within one month of registration) + £25.00 (per item) expedited service charge and special delivery by 9am next day = £35.00
For urgent requests. Same working day collection, or next day delivery (if the application is received by 1pm). Certificate packages will be tracked by Royal Mail and will need to be signed for at the point of delivery. Packages will be insured against loss in transit. Please note that the £35.00 fee is the same whether certificates are posted out or collected in person.
Silver - Premium service
£10.00 statutory fee for each standard certificate (unless within one month of registration) + £5.50 recorded delivery, inclusive of insurance (this fee covers up to four certificates in a single transaction) = £15.50
This service offers greater peace of mind. Applications will be processed within three working days for live certificates and five working days for historical certificates. Certificate packages will be tracked by Royal Mail and will need to be signed for at the point of delivery. Packages will be insured against loss in transit up to the value of £34.00.
Bronze - Standard service
£10.00 statutory fee for each standard certificate (unless within one month of registration).
Applications will be processed within three working days for live certificates and 5 working days for historical certificates. Certificates sent by second class post. Please note that no liability will be accepted by Shropshire Registration Service for non-delivered items.
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.
Shropshire BMD
We are pleased to announce that from Friday, 9 December you will be able to search the index of all Church of England and Authorised Person marriages in the Shrewsbury area from 1837 to 1935.
This project is ongoing and we hope to have further records available over the coming months.
Please follow the link at the bottom of this page to access the website.
Adopted children
The General Register Office for England and Wales holds the adopted children's register. Please visit their website if you require further information.
We have also included links to the General Register Offices in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.