Register a birth

Introduction

If you've recently given birth in NSW, you'll need to register your newborn with the Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages. All births must be registered within 60 days of the child being born.

If you meet the eligibility requirements, you can register your newborn online.

Note: If you are not the parent and need to register the birth, please call 13 77 88 for assistance.

Eligibility

You're not eligible to register online if:

• you're not the parent of the child (call 13 77 88 for assistance)
• the birth was at home without a doctor or midwife present, and you didn't go to hospital or seek medical attention within 24 hours of the birth. In this instance, in addition to the 3 forms of identification for each parent, you'll need a Section 44 Notice:
  • obtainable from the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages on 13 77 88
  • completed by 2 independent witnesses who saw the birth (not the parents of the child), or 2 people that can confirm the particulars of the birth.

What you need

• email address of the parent registering the baby
• 3 forms of identification for each parent who'll be listed on the birth registration:
  • your ID documents need to be saved on your computer as JPEG, PDF or TIFF files, and each file must be less than 20MB in size.
  • File names must include letters and numbers, but no spaces, dashes, or underscores. Examples are: 
    mypassport19.jpg
    licence19.tiff
    lisacard19.pdf
• details of the parent(s) including:
  • full name(s) and place(s) of birth
  • contact details
  • occupation(s)
  • address(es) during most of the pregnancy
  • date and place of marriage (if applicable)
  • full names, dates and places of birth of older children from the relationship or a different relationship (if applicable)
  • their own mothers' maiden name (their own mothers' original surname at the time of her birth).
• baby's details including:
  • full name
  • date, time and place of birth
  • birth weight in grams.

How to register

1. Check the eligibility requirements.
2. Select the 'Register online' button.
3. Enter the required information.
4. Upload your documentation.

If you cannot register the birth online:

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

More information

• It's free to register a birth.
• Registering your baby ensures you can apply for a birth certificate and certain government benefits.
• The Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages keeps a permanent record of the registration so parents or children can obtain a birth certificate at any time.