| Document type |
Period after which document may be destroyed |
| Appointment forms of registration officers |
1 year after retirement |
| Forms for appointment of authorised persons under the Marriage Act 1898 or the Marriage Act 1949 |
2 years after vacation of office |
| Registrar General’s authorities for registration after 12 months in accordance with sections 7 and 21 of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953 |
2 years |
| Books recording the issue of books and forms of medical certificates Form 17 |
5 years after last entry |
| Notifications of disposals of bodies of deceased persons |
5 years |
| Declarations made by applicants for certificates for disposal (no liability to register) |
5 years |
| Marriage notices |
5 years |
| Forms of consent to marriages of minors |
1 year |
| Caveats against the grant of a superintendent registrar’s certificate or Registrar General’s licence for marriage |
2 years |
| Superintendent Registrar’s certificates for marriage |
2 years from the date of the marriage |
| Notifications of the issue of the Registrar General’s licence for marriage and Registrar General’s licences for marriage |
2 years from the date of the marriage |
| Requisitions for certificates of birth, marriage or death issued under certain Acts of Parliament for the purpose of those Acts |
2 years |
| Counter foils of certificates and forms: Standard certificates of birth, marriage, death and still-birth |
2 years |
| Counterfoils of certificates and forms: Certificates of registration of births and still births |
2 years |
| Counterfoils of certificates and forms: Requisitions to persons liable to register who have failed to do so |
1 year |
| Counterfoils of certificates and forms: Forms of report of death to coroner by registrar |
1 year |
| Counterfoils of certificates and forms: Certificates for disposal before or after registration of death Certificates for disposal of still-births Certificates for disposal of no liability to register |
5 years |
| Routine correspondence relating to appointment and conduct of officers |
2 years |
| Routine correspondence relating to registration of births, marriages and deaths, correction of errors, birth re registrations not made (Forms LA1 and GRO185 and copy documents), |
3 years |
| Routine correspondence relating to false information given to registration officers, falsification and forgery of certificates of birth, marriage or death, marriage of foreigners and persons divorced abroad |
3 years |
| Other GRO correspondence |
3 years |
| British Citizenship Ceremony Cover Note |
2 years |