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  3. Registrar of births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships

Registrar of births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships

Alternative titles for this job include Registration officer

Registrars collect and record details of all births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships.

Average salary (a year)

£26,000 Starter

to

£40,000 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

30 to 40 variable

You could work

evenings / weekends / bank holidays on a rota

How to become

Explore the different ways to get into this role.

How to become

You can get into this job through:

  • working towards this role
  • applying directly

Work

You could start as a registration admin assistant or deputy registrar. With experience and on-the-job training, you could apply for a registrar position.

To apply for an assistant or deputy role, you'll usually need:

  • to be at least 18 years of age
  • GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) in English and maths, or equivalent

You could also work your way up from a managerial role at a local council or by getting relevant experience with a commercial company.

Direct Application

To apply directly for registrar jobs, you'll need experience in management and handling budgets. It's useful to have knowledge of relevant legislation and legal processes. You'll also need excellent skills in customer service, public speaking and IT.

You might get this type of experience from working at managerial level in a registrar's department, a local council, or from being a manager in the private sector.

You must be over 21 to apply to be a registrar.

More Information

Career tips

Each local council registration service sets its own entry requirements, so check with them for details of what you'll need.

Further information

You can find out more about training and working as a registrar from the Local Registration Services Association.

What it takes

Find out what skills you’ll use in this role.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • administration skills
  • customer service skills
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • knowledge of English language
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • active listening skills
  • be able to work well under pressure
  • legal knowledge including court procedures and government regulations
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

  • be over 21 years of age

Doctors, midwives, ministers of religion, funeral directors and anyone working in the life assurance industry are not allowed to become registrars.

You may need a driving licence for some jobs.

What you’ll do

Discover the day to day tasks you’ll do in this role.

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

As a registrar, you could:

  • complete paper and digital registration records
  • check registration documents supplied by applicants
  • issue certificates for births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships
  • report suspected fraudulent registrations and certificate requests
  • perform civil ceremonies for marriages, civil partnerships, and naming and citizenship events
  • collect statistics to send to the General Register Office
  • handle customer payments
  • inform the coroner if there are any suspicious circumstances surrounding a death

Working environment

You could work in the community or in an office.

Career path and progression

Look at progression in this role and similar opportunities.

Career path and progression

With experience, you could be promoted from assistant registrar to deputy registrar, then to registrar and superintendent.

Each local district has at least one superintendent registrar and deputy, and each sub-district has a registrar and deputy.

Current opportunities

Find apprenticeships, courses and jobs available near you.

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

We can't find any apprenticeship vacancies in England for a registrar of births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships right now.

The Find an apprenticeship service can help you with your search, send alerts when new apprenticeships become available and has advice on how to apply.

Courses In England

ESOL Adults Vocational - Business Administration

  • Provider: SOUTH & CITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM
  • Start date: 26 September 2025
  • Location: Birmingham
Find courses near you

Jobs In the United Kingdom

The Find a job service can help you with your search for jobs and send alerts when new jobs become available.

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