Are you aware you can just buy a copy of someone's Birth, Marriage or Death certificate?

Posted by DeviousBeevious@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 22 comments

Many people seem surprised when I tell them this, but birth, marriage and death certificates are a matter of public record, so if you go to the registrar's website you can just buy a copy, they cost about £10. All you need to know is someone's name and the approximate date and you can search for them. Does this surprise you? What are your thoughts? For clarification, I don't think there is anything wrong with this system, I just find it amusing that others don't know about it.

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22 Comments

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External_Science6849@reddit

Worked as a registrar and you literally just need to know the name, place and date of birth when ordering a birth certificate. If we found multiple possibilities, we’d call the customer for more information and then issue the certificate to them. You can pretty much get a hold of anyone’s birth, death or marriage certificate if the right details were known to make a purchase because to some degree, it’s public information. There’s also Ancestry which helps fill in the blanks when people are doing their family tree and that’s how they know what local authority to order from

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blackthornjohn@reddit

No it doesn't surprise me that one of the most popular forms of identification can be bought in almost whatever name you choose.

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dilfhuntingx@reddit

Does this also apply to famous/well known people?

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Zennyzenny81@reddit

They're public record, so yes it seems quite reasonable.

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gsej2@reddit

Of course, it's what "public record" means. I was recently asked to delete a copy of a will I was sent (not by mistake, but because they'd changed my mind about me seeing it). I pointed out that as it wasn't the Queen who'd died, I could get a copy online for £1.50.

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DeviousBeevious@reddit (OP)

Though it should be noted they only become a matter of public record AFTER a grant of probate has been made. while the person is alive, they are the only person allowed to decide who can see the will.

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gsej2@reddit

Yes, quite right. I went through all of this recently. Reserved my own powers of executorship (whatever that's called), and the remaining executor refused to share details of the will. Another £1.50 for the government :-).

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Paulstan67@reddit

Yes and it's one of the first steps people can use for identity theft.

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rev9of8@reddit

[**Day of the Jackal**-type identity theft was finally addressed with changes that were made in 2007](https://metro.co.uk/2007/03/04/day-of-jackal-identity-scam-ended-130911/).

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Breaking-Dad-@reddit

Yeah, it feels odd that your Birth Certificate is used as proof of identity (is it still when getting a passport?) and yet anyone could buy one.

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glasgowgeg@reddit

> it feels odd that your Birth Certificate is used as proof of identity It specifically says "A CERTIFICATE IS NOT EVIDENCE OF IDENTITY" on it. >(is it still when getting a passport?) It isn't, that's why you need a passport application countersigned by someone who's: * An adult that's known you for at least 2 years * Is able to identify you * Is 'a person of good standing in their community' or working in/retired from a recognised profession

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Arkslippy@reddit

Not on its own though.

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Arkslippy@reddit

You have to know a bit more than their name though and date of birth, you have to know their parents names and maiden name, possibly an occupation for security reasons. Also what would you be getting for an identity using a birth cert ? You need more for a passport If you were born on the island of Ireland and are now resident in Ireland, please submit the following original documents. These will be returned to you. Identity verification form. Full original civil birth certificate (version that includes the name(s) of the parent(s)). Original Civil marriage or Civil Partnership certificate (if applying for a passport in your married name). Proof of address such as Government correspondence such as a letter from the Department of Social Protection or the Revenue Commissioners. If you do not have these, original utility bills, or bank statements can be considered. Proof of name such as Government correspondence such as a letter from the Department of Social Protection or the Revenue Commissioners. If you do not have these, original utility bills, or bank statements can be considered. You must submit one document as proof of name and one document as proof of address. It cannot be the same document. Photographic identification The Public Services Card is the most efficient way for you to verify your identify. This ensures that your application can be processed quickly. We only need a photocopy of your PSC card. If you do not have a Public Services Card, you must submit an original government issued photographic identification. This could be an original passport from another country or a certified copy of your driver’s licence (certified by a solicitor or notary public). If you do not have any suitable documents, you will have to arrange an interview with staff at our Passport Office in Dublin or Cork. Contact us to arrange this.

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HistorikalGroov@reddit

Yes. It's very useful when researching people who are no longer alive.

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DeviousBeevious@reddit (OP)

I meant for live people also.

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_marimays@reddit

I bought my great granddad's death certificate to try to figure out why / how he died. I got it 5 years ago, but other information was restricted. His death certificate states suicide but the circumstances are a bit weird. This year is 70 years since his death so I should be able to get the inquest records.

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erinys_adrasteia@reddit

Yep, I bought my great-grandmother's death certificate because although I knew she died young, nobody in the family talked about why and I wanted to make sure it wasn't anything that would be relevant to my own health. Didn't tell anyone else I'd done it.

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DeviousBeevious@reddit (OP)

of course, the cause of death on the certificate isn't a guarantee of the actual causes. The Queen officially died of "Old Age" but I'm certain they worked out some underlying cause that the family are aware of.

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erinys_adrasteia@reddit

Oh, absolutely. The certificate had her dropping dead of a brain aneurysm at forty, which fits with the occasional bit of narrative I'd overheard. Pretty awful but it confirmed there was no family history of cancer.

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DeviousBeevious@reddit (OP)

> it confirmed there was no family history of cancer. I don't think it did, it just confirmed that wasn't what they wrote on the death certificate. (sorry, not trying to annoy you, but if someone has cancer and dies in a car crash, the car crash is the cause of death but there is still a family history of cancer.. you see what I mean?)

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LondonCycling@reddit

Did you know that while you can openly out of the edited/"open" register, the full register is available for inspection for free through each local authority, typically in a library, under supervision. Unless you're registered as an anonymous voter, if someone knows which local authority you live in, they can find your full address out this way. Though inspection really does mean inspection - you can't make copies, take photos of it, but you can take pencil and paper in to make notes.

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thefogdog@reddit

Yeah, we do it at work all the time (death certs) if we're unable to receive one through more conventional means. That way, we can contact any next of kin. It's also essentially how the likes of Ancestry work.