• ​The New FreeBMD – A Step into the Future, With Respect for the Past

    For over two decades, FreeBMD has helped millions of people trace their family histories via free access to our transcription of the General Register Office indexes of births, marriages, and deaths in England and Wales. The site has become a trusted companion for researchers around the world and we’re proud of that legacy.

    However, the way people search for information online has changed. Today’s users expect fast results, a clean and accessible design, and a site that works seamlessly on phones and tablets. We also know that our users value the simplicity and reliability that FreeBMD has always offered.

    That’s why we’ve created the new FreeBMD: not just a fresh coat of paint, but a forward-looking website designed for the needs of researchers in 2025 and beyond.

    What’s New?

    The new FreeBMD brings an improved, more intuitive search experience, alongside a range of new features:

    • Smarter searches – Autosuggest for names, counties and districts, ability to search all of England & all of Wales, form fields that adapt depending on the record type, default date ranges, clear “Revise Search” and “New Search” buttons, and sorting options on the results page.
    • Better tools CSV, GEDCOM, and TSV downloads, clickable district names, and citation tools, and an improved print layout etc.
    • A fresh design Accessible colours and language, mobile- and tablet-friendly, and part of the visual family of our sister sites FreeCEN and FreeREG.

    Find out more about what's new.

    We’re working to meet the WCAG AA accessibility standard so that the new FreeBMD is usable by everyone, regardless of ability.

    Still a Work in Progress

    Your feedback is vital to making it the best it can be. The original FreeBMD is still available, and we won’t be retiring it until we’re confident the new site matches — and surpasses — the features you rely on.

    We invite you to:

    • Explore the new site with fresh eyes
    • Try out the new search tools and layouts
    • Tell us what works — and what doesn’t

    Every comment helps us improve, and every improvement brings us closer to a better FreeBMD for everyone.

    New FreeBMD – a step into the future, with respect for the past.

    Try the new FreeBMD now and let us know what you think.