A Guide for Authorised Persons - Gov.uk

1. Introduction1.1 This booklet has been designed to provide you with guidance in your role atmarriage ceremonies as well as providing advice on how to keep accurate records.We hope you will find it helpful; if you have any queries please contact your localsuperintendent register or the General Register Office (GRO). Contact details areon page 21.Roles and responsibilities1.2 Before you start your duties as an authorised person you must have beenappointed by trustees of the building who need to complete the form entitled“Authorised Person –Certificate of Trustees or Governing Body” and send it toGRO.1.3 A registered building may have more than one authorised person: the “responsibleauthorised person” will be the first point of contact for GRO; trustees may alsoappoint “additional authorised persons”.1.4 Your responsibility, as an authorised person, is to ensure that the legalrequirements of marriages solemnized in a registered building are met; this includesmarriage preliminaries, authority for and registration of marriage.1.5 You can only use the marriage registers in the building for which it has been issued.1.6 You cannot use your register in the following circumstances:registering a marriage where a registrar of births, deaths and marriages from theregister office is required to attend;recording Church of England or Church in Wales marriages (unless it has beencertified as a Military Chapel);for a marriage for which civil preliminaries have not been carried out i.e. a noticeof marriage has not been given to the superintendent registrar; andwhen the church ceremony follows a register office ceremony (unless bothceremonies take place on the same day and separate preliminaries have takenplace for both ceremonies).1.7 You will normally attend and register marriages at the registered building to whichyou have been appointed; however you may also attend and register marriages atanother registered building provided that it is in the same registration district as thebuilding to which you have been appointed. The marriage must be registered in theduplicate registers which have been issued for use in that building.Registration stock1.8 GRO, Registration Supplies Unit, will provide you with the necessary registers,forms and certificates. These include marriage registers (in duplicate), forms forquarterly certified copies, forms for the nil return of certified quarterly copies andbooks of standard marriage certificates for issuing to the public. Replacement stockcan be ordered from GRO, Registration Supplies Unit by phone 0151 471 4810 orby email registration.supplies@ips.gsi.gov.uk. There is also a tear-off slip in theregister and certificate books that you can complete and return. We recommend3