Ancestry research help and support
Find out what you can search, about the search results, how to order certificates, paid search services and who to contact for support.
Free online search
Use our free online search to learn about your family history and identity. If you're new to searching for family records, read on to find detailed information about the search results.
Search results
What you can search
- Birth records more than 100 years ago
- Death records more than 30 years ago
- Marriage records more than 50 years ago
What the results will show
- Name
- Place
- Year of event
- Registration
Order certificates online
When you find the records you're looking for using our online search, you can buy the certificates you need.
When you search online, the records you find will include a registration number.
Save when you buy birth, marriage and death certificates by including the registration number on your application.
The fees are:
- $35 for each certificate with a registration number
- $48 for each certificate without a registration number.
Certificates are delivered by registered post. The processing time does not include delivery, please see Australia Post website for current delivery times within Australia or International.
- Times shown are estimated and may vary slightly.
- Australia Post advises customers to anticipate delays with International post.
Family history certificate | Standard service |
Online application email delivery | up to 2 weeks |
| Online application postal delivery | up to 2 weeks |
Submitted by post | up to 6 weeks |
Registry agent (Service NSW) | up to 4 weeks |
| Church Register records (Volume records) | up to 3 weeks |
Search services and technical support
To get help with your family research and using our online search tool, take a look at our family history research guide.
For a fee, research can be done for you by the Registry or by a family history transcription agent.
Enquiries and technical support
Email our family history team for questions about our family history records.
Email our technical support team for technical or system issues.
You can pay a family history transcription agent to search for you. They provide:
- either full or partial details of our records (transcriptions) or
- confirm details of the records we hold.
This option might suit you if you only need the facts, and not full certified copies of certificates.
For information about their service and fees, contact a transcription agent.
Marilyn Rowan
- Phone: (02) 4658 1206
- Send an email
- Website
Joy Murrin
- Phone: (02) 9585 1187
- Send an email
- Website
Laurie Turtle
- Phone: (02) 4573 1559
- Send an email
- Website
To apply for the Registry to search your family history records:
- download and complete the family history search application (PDF 727.1KB).
- include all the details of the person you are researching such as full name, date and place of birth, death or marriage and
- complete the payment section.
Email your completed form to Births Deaths & Marriages or visit your nearest Service NSW centre.
Searching a date range
If you’re not certain of the date of a birth, marriage or death, try searching a 10-year period.
You can ask us to search a longer period than 10 years at an extra cost:
- $48 for an initial search of up to 10 years (birth, death or marriage certificate)
- add $45 for each additional search of up to 10 years.