Your Questions
Can I register a birth at any registrar's office?
By law, you can now register the birth of a child born in Scotland at any registrars office in Scotland. more information on registering a birth - information on registering a still birth
Do your registrar offices open at weekends?
Registration offices do not open for normal registration business on weekends although some offices will be open by prior arrangement on a Saturday for marriage ceremonies.
Where can I be married by a registrar?
The Council provides civil marriage venues at selected Registrar's offices. However, the marriage (Scotland) Act 2002 now allows couples to be married by a registrar in a place of their own choosing, subject to certain criteria. The place in question must not compromise the solemnity and dignity of civil marriage or have a recent or continuing connection with any religion or religious practice. In addition, any application must meet with safety requirements, etc. Couples may be married almost wherever they choose. Many hotels etc. have applied for period licences to allow civil marriages to be conducted and couples may also apply for a temporary licence for a marriage at the place of their choice.
Do I have to be married in the area where I live?
No, as there is no residential qualification for marriage in Scotland so you can choose to be married in the area of your choice, whether that be in a registration office, church, scenic location or venue of your choice.
How much notice am I required to give the registrar before I want to get married or have a civil partnership ceremony
Each of you must complete and submit a marriage notice, along with the required documents and a fee, to the registrar for the district in which the marriage is to take place. The notices must be submitted early enough to enable the registrar to be satisfied that you are free to marry one another, normally about four weeks before the marriage; but if either of you has been married or in a registered civil partnership before, the notices should be with the registrar six weeks beforehand. The minimum period is 15 days before the date of the proposed marriage but, if you leave things as late as this, you could be faced with the need to postpone your special day.
more information on civil partnerships
If I am unable to provide the necessary documentation, what information does the Registrar need in order to register a death?
If you are unable to provide the registrar with the necessary documentation, the registrar will require the following information about the deceased, in order to register the death: full name, date, and place of birth; occupation; address; the full names of all spouses and civil partners and their occupations; father's full name and usual occupation; mother's full name, maiden name and usual occupation; name and address of their registered NHS doctor.
After I have registered a death, what forms will the Registrar give me to take home?
You will be given an abbreviated death certificate together with a Certificate of Registration of Death (form14). This form must be given to the undertaker dealing with the funeral arrangements. You will also get a Benefits Agency Certificate of Registration of Death for DSS purposes, to help in organising pensions, benefits, tax credits etc.
more information on registering a death
What are the penalties for giving false information to a registrar?
Giving false information is a serious offence. Any person who knowingly gives false information in a material particular to a registrar is liable: a) on conviction on indictment, to a fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or to both; b) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding Level 3 on the standard scale or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months, or to both.
