Register your baby

Only the parent(s) of the child can register the birth.

If you are not the parent and need to register the birth, please call us on 13 77 88. 

Giving your baby a name is an important decision.

We keep a record of popular names that might help you choose a name for your baby.

Most names can be registered but not all. We cannot register a name that:

• is offensive
• is too long
• includes numbers and symbols such as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, Jnr, Snr
• could be confused with a title or rank such as colonel, judge, saint, queen, prince.

Learn more about the rules for choosing a name.

If you change your mind about your baby's name after you register the birth, you'll need to pay a fee to change the baby's name.

To complete the registration form you'll need information and documents about the parents, baby and birth.

If you are registering online, you can make a start and save your application so you can finish it when you're ready.

About the baby

• Baby's full name.
• Date, time and place of baby's birth.
• Baby's birth weight in grams.

About the parents

• Full name, address and contact details.
  • One parent must be the applicant to register the birth and provide an email address.
  • For both parents to appear on the certificate, both parents must be informants on the application.
  • You only need one informant if one parent's name will appear on the certificate.
• Place of birth.
• Their jobs.
• Address during most of the pregnancy.
• If married, date and place of marriage.
• If the parents have children born before this baby, provide full names, date, and place of birth of the children.
• For both parents, the surname of their mother at the time of her own birth.
• Copies of documents for proof of identity to upload during the registration process.

Parents listed on the online birth registration form must supply at least 3 forms of current identity, one of each from Categories 1, 2 and 3.

• If you cannot provide proof of identity from Categories 1 and 2, you must still provide at least 3 forms of identity. At least 2 of these must be from Category 3.
• If cannot meet these requirements, please contact us for further advice.

You can scan or take a clear photo of each document and save as PDF, JPG or TIF files.

• The maximum file size is 20MB.

• Filenames must use only letters and numbers (no spaces, dashes, or underscores). Examples: mypassport19.jpg, licence19.tiff, jocard19.pdf.

When you are completing the registration form, you will be asked to confirm you have read and understood the following statement on privacy and disclosure of birth data.

Our role

We are responsible for the administration of the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1995 (NSW) in compliance with the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998.

We use the information you provide to us to:

• determine your eligibility to register a birth
• register the birth
• issue the information as a certificate and
• prevent fraud.

The information you provide

Your identity information and documents must be accurate and confirm your correct identity.

When you complete the birth registration form you provide your consent for us to confirm the information, documents or other evidence you have provided with relevant agencies. This includes:

• other registries of births, deaths and marriages
• law enforcement agencies
• relevant government departments
• motor vehicle or driver licensing authorities.

We retain your personal information and proof of identity documents indefinitely for record keeping and to confirm your identity.

For more information read our Privacy Collection Notice.

The birth register

The birth register is a permanent historical record and part of the civil records of NSW.

Only the person named on the certificate and their parents can apply for a copy of a birth certificate. They can also authorise another person to apply for them. 

Information held in the register can be used for:

• statistical analysis
• medical research
• community planning
• law enforcement and
• other uses provided for by law.

Birth records are available to the public after 100 years.

If you are unable to register the birth online: 

1. Call 13 77 88 and request a paper Birth Registration Statement be sent to you.
2. Once received, complete this form and gather the required identification documents.
3. Visit a Service NSW Centre and lodge the information in person, or post to:  
   Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages 
   GPO Box 30 
   Sydney NSW 2001 

If you made a mistake when you registered the birth or if you notice an error on the birth certificate you can apply to correct an entry.

We have separate processes for changing a child's name or adding a parent's details.

If you have not registered your baby within 60 days of birth, we may ask for additional details to confirm the identity of the parent(s) and the child. This process can take longer to complete.

Child's proof of identity

You must prove your child's identity with one of the following.

Medical records

• your child's name on a Medicare card
• immunisation history statement (printed copy)
• Medical certificate from doctor showing child's full name and date of birth
• for non-permanent residents, an Australian private health insurance card

Day care or school records

• pre-school or school report
• school identification card
• letter from preschool or day-care centre showing child's full name and date of birth

Other identity records

• letter from Centrelink showing the child's full name
• certificate of Aboriginality
• a court order stating who has "parental responsibility" for the child.

Two women who are married or in a de facto relationship may be recognised on their child's birth certificate. For more information see the Miscellaneous Acts Amendment (Same Sex Relationships) Act 2008 (NSW).

There is a non-compulsory question on the birth registration form that asks whether the child was conceived through assisted reproduction using donated sperm or ovum.

If you answer 'Yes' to this question and your child obtains a birth certificate after the age of 18, they will be notified that there may be further information available from the relevant authority. To learn more, see the Assisted Reproductive Technology Act 2007 (NSW).

If you registered a birth that occurred on or after 4 May 2016, you can amend it with assisted reproduction information by completing the Correct an entry application (PDF 1.05MB).

If your baby was delivered at home, when you register the baby you'll also need to provide confirmation of the birth from:

• the hospital where the mother and baby were admitted within 24 hours of the birth or
• a doctor or registered midwife who attended the birth or
• an independent witness who saw the birth.

If the baby was born at home or in a place other than a hospital and the baby is taken to a hospital within 24 hours, the hospital should provide us with confirmation of the birth. Include the name of the hospital when you complete the online registration form.  

You will need to provide additional information if the baby was:

• born in a place other than a hospital and
• born without a registered doctor or midwife at the birth and
• not taken to a hospital within 24 hours of the birth.

Call us on 13 77 88 and provide your name, home address, and the names and addresses of at least 2 people who were at the birth and are not the parents.

• We will send you a form, known as a Section 44, with questions about the birth for you and the witnesses to complete.
• You must complete and return the Section 44 to us by the due date.

If you live in Albury and your baby was born in Wodonga, you can choose to register your child’s birth in NSW rather than in Victoria. 

A birth can’t be registered in both states, and once the registration is complete in one state, it can’t be changed. 

When you register your baby you can register your child in NSW only if you live in:

• Postcode 2640: Albury, North Albury, East Albury, South Albury, West Albury,  Corrys Wood, Ettamoga, Glenroy, Lake Hume Village, Mungabareena, St Hilaire, Splitters Creek, Table Top, Thurgoona, Wirlinga
• Postcode 2641: Hamilton Valley, Springdale Heights, Norris Park, Lavington.