Registering a stillbirth

It can be daunting to have to face registering a stillbirth. This information will help you through the process but if you would prefer to speak to someone personally, please contact the Registration office.

A child stillborn in Scotland can be registered in any Scottish registration office. If the still-birth happens elsewhere, it cannot be registered in Scotland even if the mother usually lives in Scotland.

A stillbirth should be registered within 21 days. In special circumstances a short postponement can be arranged by contacting the registrar.

The registration will be carried out remotely which means we can complete the registration over the phone.

To register a stillbirth the midwife or hospital doctor will require to email the medical certificate of cause of still birth (Form 6) to the registration office where you intend to register the stillbirth. It would be helpful if the contact details of the informant could be included with the medical certificate of cause of still birth. If contact details are not included you will have to contact the registration office.

When we receive the medical certificate of cause of still birth the registration process can start. We may need to contact you more than once to complete the registration process. If the Mother/Father/2nd Parent are not married or in a civil partnership to each other, both will need to be available on a speaker phone. 

If you intend to register the stillbirth in South Lanarkshire, the medical certificate of cause of still birth should be emailed to licensing@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 

The original medical certificate of cause of stillbirth should be posted to Licensing and Registration, Floor 11, Council Offices, Almada Street, Hamilton ML3 0AA.

Please do not send the medical certificate of cause of stillbirth to several registration offices.