• You can search the births index online and on on microfiche or microfilm in libraries and at Family History Centres. For other locations, see the Direct.gov  page Using the General Register Office to Research Family History

Online

• You can search and view the births index 1837-2005 free at all Bedford Borough and Central  Bedfordshire libraries on Ancestry Library Edition. In addition to free use in libraries, the Ancestry web site is also available by subscription at Ancestry.com
• If you are in a Bedfordshire library now, you can go to Ancestry Library Edition now. If it is your first time, or if you are not in a Bedfordshire library now, see Ancestry Library Edition tips for further details
• The Ancestry site also gives free access to the partial transcriptions and images produced by a project called FreeBMD. FreeBMD transcribes every name on an index page so you can find individual entries rather than having to read through index pages
• However, FreeBMD coverage is not yet comprehensive. Therefore, if you use the FreeBMD records it is advisable to check on the FreeBMD web site itself (which is entirely free) to see whether you are searching a comprehensive or a partial set of records for any particular year
• There are also several sites that enable you to search the births index free and then pay to see the actual index entries. Some offer their own unique and useful ways of searching. Examples of pay-to-view sites are Findmypast.com and FamilyRelatives.com and BMDindex.co.uk
• For overseas births of some British citizens, you can view indexes of various dates free at FamilyRelatives.com
• You can find the above sites, plus lots more at the Births, Marriages, and Deaths section of Family History on Weblinks

On microfiche or microfilm

• Bedford Central Library has the 1837 - 2004 index for England and Wales. It also has indexes of overseas births of some British citizens, for various dates. It is advisable to contact the library to check availability before making a special visit
• The index is also available at the Family History Centre (FHC) at Cutenhoe Road, Luton, tel: 01582 482 234. FHCs are run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  You can find other FHCs on the Familysearch web site. There is a useful guide to them on the Genuki web site. The centres are not open every day so intending visitors need to ring first to check opening times
• For details of other public libraries that have the index, see the Familia web site