Two kinds of trouble gather around certificates in the UK. One is the look-alike ordering site, which sells you a certificate or a criminal record check that a government service provides at a fixed fee. The other is the forged certificate, sold for immigration, employment or benefit claims. Each guide below covers one, and each ends at the official service.
- England and Wales: a birth, marriage or death certificate costs £12.50, or £38.50 for priority, from the General Register Office.
- Scotland charges £12 for a certificate and £10 for extra copies; Northern Ireland charges £15, with extra copies at £8.
- A basic DBS check fell from £21.50 to £20.00 on 5 October 2026. The Update Service fell from £16 to £15 a year.
- Volunteer DBS checks remain free.
Start here, by situation
- Lost a birth, marriage or death certificate: replacing a birth certificate, or Scotland and Northern Ireland if the event was registered there.
- Charged far more than expected for a certificate: birth certificate websites that overcharge.
- Applying for a job that needs a criminal record check: basic DBS check, and DBS job scams if a recruiter wants a payment.
- An employer or landlord asks for proof: how employers check a DBS certificate.
- A visa needs a police certificate from another country: overseas police certificates.
Birth, marriage and death certificates
Replacing a birth certificate gives the England and Wales fees and timings, including the £3.50 search fee that applies if you lack a reference. The GRO index reference explains where that number comes from and why quoting it speeds up an order.
Birth certificate websites that overcharge uses a 2011 advertising ruling to show the pattern, then gives the signs to look for now. Scottish certificates covers ScotlandsPeople, council offices and a fee review under way, while Northern Ireland covers the £15 certificate from GRONI through nidirect.
Fake marriage certificates explains which Act covers forged certificates, why a forged one fails when an authority asks the register office, and how to get a genuine copy.
Criminal record checks
The basic DBS check sets out the new £20.00 fee, the GOV.UK One Login you need, and the three-day processing time. Fake DBS check websites describes a prosecution brought by National Trading Standards over a fake recruiter, and the signs of a look-alike.
Job offers that ask you to pay for a DBS check explains which checks an applicant can request and which only an employer can. How employers check a DBS certificate says why a photocopy is not enough. The DBS Update Service covers the £15 subscription, the 30-day joining deadline, and the free status check for employers.
Disclosure Scotland and AccessNI compares the £25 Scottish Level 1 disclosure with the £16 AccessNI basic check. Police certificates from other countries explains that a certificate must come from the issuing authority or its embassy, never from a third-party seller.
The law
The offences that apply to false certificates, and their published maximum penalties, are collected on UK law on fake documents.
Further guides
Frequently asked questions
Where do I order an official birth certificate?
In England and Wales, through the General Register Office service on GOV.UK. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own services.
Is a DBS check ever free to the job applicant?
A basic check is paid by the applicant and costs £20.00 from 5 October 2026. Checks for unpaid volunteers are free. Never pay a recruiter up front for a check on a site you reached through a job advert.
How much does a birth certificate cost in the UK?
£12.50 in England and Wales, £12 in Scotland and £15 in Northern Ireland, according to the official services. Priority options cost more, and extra copies are priced differently in each nation.
Can a private website order a certificate for me?
A private firm may charge to help with an application, but it must not imply it is the register office. The same certificate is available directly from the official service at the published fee.
Where do I report a certificate or DBS scam?
Tell your bank if you paid, then report to Report Fraud (Police Scotland on 101 in Scotland). The Citizens Advice consumer helpline, 0808 223 1133, can refer a case to Trading Standards.