The civil registration service has been in existence since 1837. The Superintendent Registrar has custody of all the completed registers of births, marriages and deaths in the Swindon district since that time and has the responsibility for supplying applicants with certificates (certified copies of entries) on request providing that enough information is given for the entry required to be identified.

Personal Applications

You will need to complete an application form.  A member of staff will be able to assist you with this if required. We normally issue certificates within 24 hours. If you need to obtain a certificate within a shorter space of time, please ask to use our Fast Track Service.  Certificates ordered through this enhanced service can be collected one hour after ordering.  There is a charge for this service of £10 additional fee, which must be paid when ordering the certificate.  This service is available to personal callers only.

If the record you have applied for is not held in Swindon we will tell you which register office holds it.

Postal Applications

Please write to us with full details of the certificate you require, and enclose the correct fee.  If you have given us enough information to trace the record, and it is held in Swindon, the certificate will normally be issued within 24 hours of the application being received.  If the record is not held in Swindon, we will forward your application to the appropriate office if known; if not, we will write and tell you.

We are happy to post your certificates to you by second class post if you wish, and there is a charge of £0.50 per despatch for this service.

Information Required for a Birth Entry

When you request copies of birth records, please give as many details as you can. The information required is:

• Full names (including surname)
• Date and place of birth
• Parents' names
• Mother's maiden name (if appropriate)

Information Required for a Death Entry

• Full names (including surname) of the deceased
• Date and place of death

Information Required for a Marriage Entry

• Full names (including surnames) of parties to the marriage
• Date and place of marriage (eg: register office, name of church or other building)

Cost of Certificates

The fees are set by parliament and change on April 1 each year. Please telephone any register office and a member of staff will let you know the current fee.

Searching the Records

The public are not allowed access to the original records. However, you are allowed to search the indexes of all the records held at the Swindon Register Office for a period of six successive hours. There is a fee payable for this and this is set by Parliament and can change annually. If you wish to conduct a general search, please telephone us to make an appointment and you will be advised of the current fee.

See: Opening Times and Contact Details