Certificate refunds and cancellations
Certificate Ordering
Birth, death and marriage registers for the Hastings, Eastbourne and Lewes areas (1837–2008) are currently undergoing essential preservation work to safeguard them for future generations.
Certificates from these registers can still be ordered from the General Register Office (GRO):
Order a birth, death, marriage or civil partnership certificate - GOV.UK
This does not affect:
- registers from 2009 to present day
- registers for the Crowborough registration district
- marriage registers at places of worship
If we cannot fulfil your certificate order, we will notify you and provide a full refund.
Unsuccessful Applications
If we are unable to issue the certificate you requested, we will refund your payment using the original payment method. You will receive an email explaining why your order could not be fulfilled.
Cancellation Rights
Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, customers have the right to cancel an order for non‑personalised goods within 14 days for a full refund.
Certificate orders are personalised documents produced based on the information you supply. For this reason, once processing of your certificate has begun, the order cannot be cancelled or refunded.
If you wish to cancel your application before processing starts, please email: Registrar@eastsussex.gov.uk
Uncollected Certificates
If your certificate is not collected, we will retain it for 2 years from the date of the order. We will make reasonable efforts to contact you during this time. After 2 years, uncollected certificates will be securely destroyed.
