Fetal Death Certificate and Stillbirth Certificate: How to Get One

The Documents That May Exist After a Stillbirth

In the United States, two types of official documents may be generated after a stillbirth: a fetal death certificate (a legal/medical record filed by the hospital) and a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth (a commemorative recognition document requested by the parents). Other countries use different records, and the rules depend on where you live.

For qualifying fetal deaths in the US, the hospital files the required fetal-death record. A commemorative document is optional and available only where a state offers one; it recognizes the birth but is not a standard birth certificate.

United States: How It Works

Fetal Death Certificate: The hospital files this with the state vital records office. Reporting is typically required for fetal deaths at or after 20 weeks gestation, but the exact threshold varies by state. The attending physician or midwife completes the medical section; the hospital's registrar handles the demographic information and filing.

Ask your state's vital records office what copy of the fetal-death record may be issued to parents, how to request it, and whether a fee applies.

Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth (CBRS): Some US states offer a CBRS or Certificate of Stillbirth (CoS) — a commemorative document that recognizes the birth. This is not a legal birth certificate and cannot be used for identification or benefits purposes. It is a formal acknowledgment.

To request a CBRS, contact your state's vital records office (sometimes called the Office of Vital Statistics or the Department of Health). Some states allow retroactive requests for stillbirths that occurred years or decades ago. Requirements vary: some states issue the CBRS automatically when a fetal death certificate is filed; others require a separate application.

United Kingdom: Stillbirth Registration

In the UK, a stillbirth is defined as a baby born dead after 24 completed weeks of pregnancy. Registration requirements differ by country:

England and Wales: Register the stillbirth at the local Register Office within 42 days. The hospital usually provides a Medical Certificate of Stillbirth (Form 12) signed by the attending doctor or midwife. You bring this to the registrar appointment. If the parents are married or in a civil partnership, either parent can register alone. If unmarried, both parents must attend for the father's details to appear on the stillbirth certificate. If the mother registers alone, the father's details can be added later through a statutory declaration of acknowledgement of parentage, signed before a solicitor or magistrate.

Scotland: The deadline is 21 days. The process is similar, using the local registrar's office.

Northern Ireland: Register the stillbirth within one year through a District Registrar or the General Register Office for Northern Ireland.

After registration, you receive a stillbirth certificate. This is the official record. Fees and ordering procedures for additional certified copies depend on jurisdiction. In Northern Ireland, the first certificate is free; additional certified copies cost £15 each and are ordered through GRONI.

Australia and Canada

Australia: Stillbirth registration requirements vary by state and territory. The usual stillbirth threshold is at or after 20 weeks gestation or weighing at least 400 grams. Ask the hospital what it has filed and the local Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages what record or certificate is available to parents; the document and process differ by jurisdiction.

Canada: Stillbirth registration is handled by provincial or territorial vital statistics offices. Definitions, filing procedures, and the certificates parents can request vary by jurisdiction. Ask the hospital and local office which records have been filed and what copies are available.

What About Neonatal Deaths?

If your baby was born alive and died afterward (neonatal death), the documentation is different. The baby receives a standard birth certificate and a separate death certificate. Both are legal documents. The hospital typically initiates both, but you may need to follow up with the registrar or vital records office to ensure everything is properly filed.

In England and Wales, register the birth within 42 days and the death within 5 days of confirmation. In Scotland, the birth registration deadline is 21 days and the death deadline is 8 days. In Northern Ireland, birth registration is due within 42 days and death registration within 5 days. In the US, ask the hospital and local vital records office what has been filed and what follow-up is needed.

Practical Steps to Take Now

1. Ask your hospital's bereavement coordinator what they have already filed and what you need to do. In most cases, the hospital handles the medical filing, and you handle the registration appointment.
2. Find your local registrar or vital records office. In the UK, this is the Register Office in the district where the baby was born or where you live. In the US, search for your state's vital records office online.
3. Bring identification and the hospital paperwork to the registration appointment. In the UK, you need the Medical Certificate of Stillbirth. In the US, the hospital may have already filed electronically.
4. Request extra certified copies while you are there. You may need them for insurance claims, workplace leave documentation, or financial matters.

If you are working through these steps alongside everything else — physical recovery, funeral planning, workplace leave — the When Your Baby Dies Response Toolkit lays out every administrative and legal step in order, organized by what is due first.