Order a copy of a certificate

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Order a copy of a certificate

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You can order most certificates either:

online through our Scotland's People service
through your local registration office

There's a separate process for:

adoption certificates
no trace divorce letters
extracts from the 1939 National Identity Register

What you'll need

You'll need the:

full name of the person on the certificate
year the event took place
location the event took place, for example where they were born

Order through your local registration office

You can get details of your local registration office from your local council.

Find a registrar

You can find which local council area you live in by clicking here

Order an adoption certificate

To order an adoption certificate, you’ll need:

the full name of the person adopted
date of birth
adoptive parents’ names

For recently granted adoptions, please also tell us the:

court
date of the adoption order

You should complete and send the application form.

Follow the instructions in the form on where to send it.

No trace divorce letters

We can issue a formal letter in support of a divorce application as evidence of an individual's marital status within Scotland. This is not an official certificate.

To apply complete and send the application form.

Follow the instructions in the form on where to send it.

Order an extract from the 1939 National Identity Register

To order an extract of an entry from the 1939 National Identity Register, complete and send us the application form.

Ordering a 1939 extract

A certificate costs £15, excluding postage. We’ll send your extract within 15 working days after receiving your order.

We’ll charge a £5 search fee if you request a record but the entry can’t be found.

All certificates are posted by either:

1st class post, if you're in the UK
standard airmail, if you're abroad

Other postage options are available when paying for your order.

You’ll need information about the person whose extract you’re requesting.

You’ll need their:

surname
forename(s)
date of death
date of birth (if known)

If the person’s death was registered outside Scotland, you’ll need to provide us with a copy of their death certificate.

Extracts from the 1939 Register is covered by Crown Copyright and cannot be reproduced without specific permission from National Records of Scotland.

If you want to reproduce the extract in any format, contact us through Scotland’s People.

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