NSW Digital Birth Certificate
The NSW Digital Birth Certificate (DBC) is now available through the Service NSW app to people born or adopted in NSW who are aged 16 to 21 years old and have a NSW Photo Card or NSW Driver Licence.
In 2022, legislation was passed that ensures that electronic or digital birth certificates hold the same legal validity as physical, paper-based certificates produced by the Registry. While the digital version will not replace the paper birth certificate, it has the same legal standing under Section 20 of the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Regulation 2025.
What are the benefits of the DBC?
- A digital version of a birth certificate will give people easy access to this important document, in a secure way.
- Greater convenience by providing a digital alternative to carrying a paper document.
- Enhanced security through robust checks via the Digital Verification System (DVS).
- Reduces the replacement cost of paper documents and the risk of loss, theft or damage.
Before you get started
- Read the resource materials to ensure you and your staff know how to visually check a Digital Birth Certificate.
- You may want to hold a briefing session with your staff to go through the checking process.
How to check the Digital Birth Certificate
All birth certificate checkers need to know how to identify a Digital Birth Certificate before starting to accept it.
Holders can choose to display their Digital Birth Certificate in light mode or dark mode. Dark mode is commonly used at night or in low-light environments to reduce eye strain and make it easier to view a screen.
As a birth certificate checker, you can ask the customer to swipe down to refresh their Digital Birth Certificate to confirm that it’s authentic and current.
If you need extra reassurance beyond a visual check, the Digital Birth Certificate can also be verified by document verification services, in the same way as a physical paper certificate.
A Document Verification Service (DVS) check is a process that verifies whether the biographic information on an identity document matches the original record held by the issuing agency.
The Digital Birth Certificate has multiple features which confirm it is authentic and current.
- Animated NSW Government logo.
- Last refreshed date and time.
- The Waratah hologram moves when the phone is tilted.
- View all details will show all the same fields as a physical birth certificate (Registration and Certificate numbers will not match a physical as it is a separate certificate, not a duplicate).
Checkers have two options to verify a Digital Birth Certificate after a visual check:
- Ask the customer to swipe down the Digital Birth Certificate to update the last refreshed date and time.
- Check the document details with document verification services.
Important to know
- Don’t handle a customer’s phone. If you have difficulty viewing, ask the customer to adjust the phone to make checking easier.
- If you're having an issue verifying the authenticity of the Digital Birth Certificate, follow your organisation's procedures.
Copying a Digital Birth Certificate
If you need a copy of a customer’s birth certificate, follow your existing process using the paper birth certificate. Do not take a screenshot of the Digital Birth Certificate.
Resources
Guides
Holders can choose to display their Digital Birth Certificate in light or dark mode. To ensure you are viewing the most current information, ask the customer to swipe down to refresh their Digital Birth Certificate.
Dark mode is commonly used at night or in low-light environments to reduce eye strain and make it easier to view a screen. This option ensures checkers can quickly and safely conduct visual checks on NSW digital credentials.
More information