The National Records of Scotland (NRS) is responsible for the arrangements for registering births, deaths, marriages, civil partnerships and other life events. Links on this page provide the answers to the questions we are asked most often.

The attached Registration Privacy Notice (248 KB PDF) tells you what happens to personal information when a life event is registered.

Ordering Certificates

Guidance about ordering certificates (official extracts from the statutory registers) is available at:-

• How to order a certificate (also known as an official extract) from the statutory registers, the Old Parish Registers and the 1841 to 1911 census records.
• How to order an official extract from the 1939 National Identity Register

General Information

General information on registration in Scotland is available at:-

• About Registration in Scotland
• The Scottish way of birth and death (University of Glasgow website): from the records of the Registrar General for Scotland, 1855-1939 (a project by the Centre for the History of Medicine, University of Glasgow)
• Items Included in the Main Registers

Royal Anniversary Messages

Her Majesty (HM) The Queen sends congratulatory messages for 60th, 65th, 70th wedding anniversaries and every year thereafter. Online applications may be made through NRS at Royal Anniversary Messages