Retention Schedule

Authorities for registrations after 12 months in accordance with sections 7 and 21 of the
Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953

    2 years                              

Declarations made by applicants for certificates for disposal (no liability to register)

     5 years

Marriage/ Civil Partnership notices

     5 years

Forms of consent to marriages/ civil partnership of minors

     1 year

Caveats against the grant of a superintendent registrar’s certificate or certificate
and licence or Registrar General’s licence for marriage/ civil partnership

     2 years

Superintendent registrar’s certificates and licences for marriage, and civil partnership schedules and records/extracts 

     2 years from date of marriage/ civil partnership

Requisitions to persons liable to register who have failed to do so

     1 year

Receipt books 

     7 years

Routine correspondence

• relating to the registration of births, marriages, deaths and civil partnerships, correction of errors, birth re-registration name made (Forms LA1 and GRO 185 and copy documents), issue of certificates under certain Acts of parliament, irregular burials                                                                                                    
• relating to false information given to registration officers, falsification and forgery of certificates of birth, marriage or death; marriage of foreigners and persons divorced abroad
• relating to accounting transactions, charges, receipts 

     3 years

      3 years

      2 years

All other personal information collected by the Registration Service

      2 years