Information on Wolverhampton Register Office and our service standards.

New death certification reforms will become statutory from Monday 9th September 2024.

The new death certification reforms require an independent review to be carried out for all deaths in England and Wales, without exception. This will either be provided by independent scrutiny by a medical examiner or by investigation by a coroner.

More information regarding the Medical Examiner Service can be found under Downloads.

If the death occurred in Wolverhampton you will need to arrange an appointment to attend at the civic centre to complete the registration, as soon as the Medical Examiner or Coroner have spoken with you to confirm the cause of death and have let you know that the medical cause of death certificate or Coroner’s paperwork has been scanned to the register office.

Legally, a death should be registered within 5 days of the register office receiving the medical cause of death certificate from the Medical Examiner at New Cross Hospital.

This may be extended if the Coroner is investigating the death. 

Death registration appointments will be carried out face to face and you will need to attend at the register office, civic centre, St Peter’s Square, Wolverhampton.  

The quickest and easiest way to book an appointment is online.

Book an appointment

Alternatively, you can book an appointment by calling our customer services team on 01902 551234.  

Statutory Ceremony Room availability

Here at Wolverhampton Register Office, our statutory ceremony room is currently available for ceremonies/civil partnership formations on a Wednesday morning only at 9.30am, 10am, 10.30am and 11am.

Our services

  • We register all births, stillbirths and deaths that occur within the Wolverhampton registration district, including those for housebound customers.
  • We register birth re-registrations.
  • We annotate all adopted birth and re-registration entries.
  • We take declarations from customers for births and deaths for other registration districts.
  • We requisition customers regarding late registration of births.
  • We notify relevant authorities of certain registrations - through Tell Us Once on behalf of the DWP
  • We contribute to the collection of statistical information for the national index.
  • We collect quarterly copies of marriage entries from clergies and authorised persons and pay the appropriate fees.
  • We check accuracy and completeness and submit quarterly copies of births, deaths, marriage and civil partnership entries to the Registrar General.
  • We collect and store completed registers from Registrars and Clergies.
  • We attest notices of intention to marry from Wolverhampton residents who wish to marry in the city and issue the authority to allow the marriage to take place.
  • We license approved venues within the city.
  • We perform civil marriage/civil partnership ceremonies at approved venues and the register office.
  • We perform the above in homes and hospitals for housebound customers and detained persons.
  • We collect fees, both statutory and non-statutory, and account for all services provided.
  • We issue copy certificates of births, deaths and marriages from records held.
  • We arrange and conduct citizenship ceremonies.

Our Customer Charter

Service Delivery Standards

  • We will ensure that an appointment to register a birth is available within five working days.
  • We will ensure that an appointment to register a death or still-birth is available within two working days.
  • If a birth or death cannot be registered for legal reasons, we will give you a clear explanation of why.
  • We will ensure that an appointment to give notice of marriage or civil partnership is available within five working days.
  • We aim to see customers who have made an appointment within 10 minutes of the scheduled time, if we think you may have a longer wait, we will explain why and give you a suggested time.
  • We will process applications for duplicate certificates within five working days from receipt, as long as you’ve enclosed the right fee and enough information for us to trace and reproduce it.
  • When we receive a declaration to register a birth, death or still-born from another office, or an authority from the Coroner to register a death, we will ensure that the event is registered within two working days.
  • If you have applied for a correction or re-registration that requires approval from the General Registration Office (GRO) and for you to attend an appointment with us to complete, we will ensure that an appointment with us to do this is available within five working days of receipt of authorisation from the GRO.

Right Treatment

  • We will treat you courteously and with respect.
  • We will act confidently and with sensitivity at all times.
  • We will listen to your questions carefully to ensure that the information that we provide is appropriate, correct and timely.
  • We will frequently review the quality of service we offer by asking customers and stakeholders for their views through e-surveys and customer feedback to shape future service delivery.
  • We will publish our performance figures annually on the council website, along with our annual report.
  • We recognise and celebrate diversity, understanding individual needs.
  • Our Registration Officers will always arrive at least 30 minutes before the start of any ceremony at an Approved Venue.
  • We will be delighted to work with you in planning any ceremony you book with us to personalise your ceremony and make it unique and special for you.

You can help us by

  • Ensuring you are prepared for your visit by bringing with you all the necessary documents required for your appointment.
  • Providing us with accurate information.
  • Please let us know if you are going to be delayed. If you are more than 10 minutes late we may need to reschedule your appointment.
  • Please let us know if you wish to cancel your appointment

Need further help?

If you need further help then please contact us.

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