North Lincolnshire CouncilCustomers, information and adviceApply and search for copy certificates

Apply and search for copy certificates

To follow any changes to this service, visit the Council Service Updates page.

Certificates – we are currently unable to produce any historical certificates. Any certificates already ordered will be held until you are able to collect them. You can order certificates here.

You can search and apply for birth, marriage and death certificates on this website.

All birth, death and marriage indexes from 1837 onwards are accessible online. The indexes do not contain entries for the current year or the year before. Please contact us directly if you wish to apply for a more recent certificate.

Fees for copy certificates

Copy certificates ordered online cost £11 each. You can choose to collect the certificate from the Register Office or have the certificate posted by recorded delivery. The postage fee is £2. We use recorded delivery to ensure safe delivery of your documents.

The certificates produced will be typed copies of original entries in the registers. If you wish to have a copy of a handwritten entry, please contact us on 01724 298555 to place your order. Please note this only applies to registration entries pre-1992

To find an entry, you’ll need to know the following:

Birth certificates

You must give the year and all or part of the surname. You can narrow the search by providing all or part of the forename. You can try different years if you’re not sure of the year.

Once you’ve entered the search information, you’ll see a list of all entries fitting the search criteria.

To order a certificate, just click on the entry you need and follow the simple online ordering instructions.

You will also be asked further security questions relating to the entry. If you are unable to answer them, we will be unable to supply the certificate.

Marriage certificates

You must give the year and all or part of the surname. You can narrow the search by providing all or part of the forename. If you’re not sure of the year you can try searching different years. Once you’ve entered the search information, you’ll see a list of all relevant entries. On the marriages index, there is a facility to view related records. This means you can cross check the names of both the bride and groom. To order a certificate, simply click on the entry you want and follow the instructions.

Whilst we hold the records for all marriages that have been registered in North Lincolnshire, there are some churches where registers have not yet been deposited with us and those records will not show up on the indexes. Those churches are:

St. Johns in Alkborough
St. Mary’s in Garthorpe
St. John’s in Whitton
Winteringham Methodist Church

If the marriage you require may have taken place in any of these churches, please contact us for advice on applying for a certified copy of that entry. There are also some instances where the entry you are applying for may be in a register which is still held by the church. In these cases we will contact you and explain how you should apply for a certified copy from the church.

Death certificates

The indexes do not contain entries for the current year or the year before. Please contact us directly if you wish to apply for a more recent death certificate.

You must give the year and all or part of the surname. You can narrow the search by providing all or part of the forename. If you’re not sure of the year you can try different years. Once you’ve entered the search information, you’ll see a list of all entries fitting the search criteria. To order a certificate, just click on the entry you need and follow the simple online ordering instructions.

Apply in person or by telephone

If you wish to order your certificate by telephone and pay by credit or debit card, you can telephone us on 01724 297000 or you can order it in person at the Register Office at Scunthorpe Central.

Certificates ordered in person or by telephone are charged at the following statutory prices:

Standard service – £11 – Ready within fifteen working days
Priority service – £35 – Orders placed before 3pm will be ready for collection after 10am the next working day. Orders placed after 3pm will be ready for collection from 3pm the following working day. Please note all certificates ordered after 3pm on a Friday will be available to collect from 10am on Monday.

If you wish your certificate to be posted to you, there is an additional £2 charge and the certificate will be sent by recorded delivery. This is to ensure safe delivery of your certificate.

Priority certificates will be posted the same working day if ordered before 11.30am, or the next working day if ordered after 11.30am due to postal arrangements.

If you wish to apply for a stillbirth certificate

Due to the sensitive nature of stillbirth registrations, the procedure for ordering copy certificates differs from other types of certificates. The General Register Office holds records of all stillbirths registered in England and Wales since 1 July 1927. Certified copies of these records can only be obtained with the Registrar General’s consent. The following conditions apply:

A certificate will only be issued to the mother or father of a stillborn child.
Siblings may only apply if their mother and father are no longer alive. They should send details of their parents’ dates of death with their application.
Stillbirth certificates can only be obtained from the General Register Office in Southport.

For more information on obtaining a certificate after the date of registration, telephone or write to the General Register Office, Southport, PR8 2WJ or call 0300 123 1837