Services ☰ Sign in Register Home Births, deaths and ceremonies About us We have a wide ranging role in recording key life events for the people of Hampshire You may only use our services 2 or 3 times in your life, but they will be times when you need reassurance, to feel confident that everything is done properly and in line with the correct legal procedures. We also have a part to play in combating fraud and protecting the public, particularly in helping to prevent sham marriage. What we do We provide a facility for people to register and record all births deaths and marriages/civil partnerships that occur within England and Wales, giving everyone a name and identity within society. Our statutory functions include: registering births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships taking notices of marriage and civil partnership providing a designated register office for foreign nationals to give notice of marriage and civil partnership being the custodian of registers (birth, death and marriage) dating back to 1837 producing certified copies of the registered entries as and when requested conducting civil marriages/civil partnerships conducting Citizenship ceremonies licensing venues (including religious premises for civil partnerships) where civil marriage and civil partnership ceremonies may be solemnised and other ceremonies celebrated We register approximately 8,000 births and 10,000 deaths every year, and deliver nearly 5,000 ceremonies. Marriages are by far the largest area of our work, we help couples to complete all the necessary legal processes and support them from giving notice through to the big day. Beyond this, we are an important part of creating history. The information and statistical data we capture at the point of birth, death and marriage/civil partnership forms a key record for future generations and enables central government to make adequate provision for services such as health and education. Another key aspect of our role is to report any concerns we may have in relation to fraud, including: suspicious applications for copy certificates benefit fraud suspected forced or sham marriages We also offer a number of ‘choose to use’ services Nationality Checking Service – to ensure that British Citizenship application forms are completed correctly and accompanied by the correct documents A range of alternative ceremonies including renewal of vows; welcoming; commitment and private citizenship ceremonies Commemorative certificates The ‘Tell Us Once’ service for all customers attending to register a death Joint Service Standards We will: engage with customers, putting them at the centre of relevant and high quality services contribute to the health and wellbeing of our communities by: providing a safe environment supporting and guiding customers through the registration of their key life events provide equal access for everyone and embrace digital technologies to enhance our diverse range of services improve our services by developing our staff to achieve their full potential, and through collaboration with our partners respect the personal data of our customers, complying with legislation and good practice achieve financial resilience and sustainability by seizing opportunities to reduce costs and increase income Our Core Values which will underpin everything that we do and every change that we make. Equality Provide service access to those unable to attend a register office in person Provide an equal and inclusive service to all our customers Integrity and Trust Preserve the integrity of the registration process Performance Maintain a culture of performance management to ensure the development of our staff and improvement of our services Digital Develop services in a way which embraces digital technologies, where possible being at the forefront of digital innovation and aspiring to meet the needs of our customers within the framework of the law Sustainability Provide and promote services that people want to use, ensuring value for money, maximising income generating opportunities and attracting investment when it is appropriate to do so Feedback Listen to our customers, staff and partners to inform our decision making and plans for the future In this guide What we do Joint Service Standards Find us on Births, deaths and ceremonies Business, economy and consumers Community support Education and learning Jobs, careers and volunteering Land, planning and environment Libraries and archives Social care and health Things to do in Hampshire Transport and roads Waste prevention and recycling About the Council Supplier services Employee self service Web accessibility Contact The Castle Winchester SO23 8UJ Accessibility Privacy Disclaimer Cookie Control