Identity & Civil Registration#020

Understanding Birth Certificate registration

At a glance

Jurisdiction

All of India (administered by Municipal Corporation / Gram Panchayat under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969)

Who applies

Parent, head of household, or nearest relative of the newborn; hospital/nursing home administrator if birth occurred in institution

Typical time

Same day to 3 days if reported within 21 days. 30–60 days if reported after 21 days (requires late registration approval). Up to 3 months or more for births older than 1 year (requires magistrate/court order in some states).

Fee

Free if registered within 21 days. Late fee varies by state: typically ₹2–₹25 for registration within 30 days–1 year. After 1 year: ₹10–₹50 plus affidavit and magistrate order costs.

Who should use this process

✓Every birth occurring in India must be registered irrespective of the nationality or religion of the parents under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969
✓The informant (person responsible for registering) is the parent, nearest relative, head of household, or the medical officer in charge of the institution where the birth occurred
✓Registration within 21 days of birth is mandatory; beyond 21 days requires approval of the Registrar; beyond 30 days requires approval of District Registrar with a late fee

Who does NOT need to apply

✕Births of foreign nationals that occur in India are required to be registered under Indian law but may also require registration with the relevant foreign embassy
✕Stillbirths follow a separate registration procedure under the same Act and are not covered by birth certificate rules

Documents required

#	Document	Type needed	Purpose
1	Hospital / Nursing Home discharge summary or birth report (Form 1 issued by hospital)	Original	Primary documentary proof of the birth event, date, time, and place of birth issued by the delivering institution
2	Parent's marriage certificate or marriage proof(optional)Required by most states; may be waived for unmarried mothers with a declaration	Self-attested Copy	Establishes legitimacy of birth and parents' details for the register entry
3	Parent's Aadhaar card / Voter ID / Passport (any one for each parent)	Self-attested Copy	Establishes identity and address of the parents for the registration record
4	Affidavit on stamp paper (for late registration beyond 21 days)(optional)Required only for late registration beyond 21 days	Original	Sworn statement from the informant stating the reason for delay and confirming the birth details
5	Non-Availability Certificate (NABC) or no-objection from hospital (for home births)(optional)Required only for non-institutional (home) births	Original	Confirms there is no institutional record; enables registration of birth that occurred at home or in transit

Original documents: Carry originals only for in-person visits — do not hand them over permanently unless explicitly required.

Step-by-step guide

1
Obtain Form 1 (birth report) from the hospital
Offline
For institutional births, the hospital or nursing home is required by law to submit Form 1 (birth reporting form) to the local Registrar within 21 days. Collect a copy from the hospital's records/certificate desk before discharge. For home births, the head of the household must directly approach the local registrar.
Before or at dischargeHospital Medical Officer / Administrator
2
Submit birth information to the local Registrar
Both
Visit the Municipal Corporation office, Town Panchayat, or Gram Panchayat that has jurisdiction over the place of birth. Submit the information (online or offline) with the prescribed form and documents. Several states allow online submission via their State CRS portal. The registrar will verify that the birth has not been previously registered.
Sub-Registrar (Birth and Deaths) / Municipal Registrarhttps://crsorgi.gov.in
3
Verification and entry in the Birth Register
Offline
The Registrar verifies the documents and cross-checks with the hospital's Form 1 data. On satisfaction, the birth is entered in the prescribed Birth Register with a unique Registration Number. If there are discrepancies (e.g., name not given), the registrar may issue a certificate with 'Name not given' and allow an amendment later.
1–3 working daysSub-Registrar (Birth and Deaths)
4
Payment of applicable fee (if late registration)
Both
If the birth is being registered beyond 21 days, pay the prescribed late fee at the municipal counter or online payment gateway. Obtain the fee receipt. For registration beyond 1 year, additional steps including magistrate/court order apply.
Same day
5
Download or collect Birth Certificate
Both
After registration, collect the Birth Certificate extract from the Registrar's office or download it from the State CRS portal. The certificate carries the registration number, date, place of birth, name of child, and parents' names. It is issued on state government security paper with a seal.
Same day to 3 dayshttps://crsorgi.gov.in

Government officers involved

Sub-Registrar (Birth and Deaths) / Municipal Registrar

Municipal Corporation / Town Panchayat / Gram Panchayat

Steps 2–5

Receives the birth report, verifies documents, makes the entry in the Birth Register, and issues the birth certificate

District Registrar (Chief Registrar of Births and Deaths)

District Revenue / Health Department

Step 2 (for late registrations beyond 30 days)

Approves late registrations beyond 30 days and up to 1 year after date of birth

Executive Magistrate / First Class Judicial Magistrate

District Court / District Magistrate Office

Step 2 (for registrations older than 1 year in some states)

Issues order permitting registration of births that occurred more than one year ago

Government portals

Civil Registration System (CRS) — ORGI

https://crsorgi.gov.in

Online birth registration (for states integrated with CRS), application tracking, and certificate download

Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India

https://censusindia.gov.in

Policy and guidelines for civil registration; NABC search for old records

Things to watch out for

21-day deadline is strict — hospitals often do not inform parents

While hospitals are legally obligated to submit Form 1 to the Registrar within 21 days, they frequently do not inform parents. Parents must proactively follow up with the hospital's certificate desk and then the municipal office within 21 days to avoid late fees and additional procedural hurdles.

Child's name can be added or corrected later but requires a separate process

Hospitals often register the birth before the child is named. The certificate may say 'Name not given'. A name can be added within 15 years of birth by submitting a prescribed application with supporting documents. After 15 years, a court order may be needed in some states.

Only one certified extract is issued free — extras are paid

Most municipalities issue one free certified extract at the time of registration. Subsequent copies (needed for passport, school admission, etc.) cost a small fee per copy and must be applied for at the same registrar's office where the original registration was done.

Non-Availability Certificate (NABC) required if old records are missing

For births registered many years ago, if the original records are not traceable (e.g., due to floods, fire, or poor record-keeping), a Non-Availability of Birth Certificate (NABC) must be obtained from the Registrar before obtaining an affidavit-based certificate or court order.

State CRS integration is uneven — offline process still prevalent in rural areas

While the CRS portal is operational in most urban areas, many gram panchayats in rural areas still follow fully offline processes. In such areas, visit the Panchayat office in person; do not rely solely on the CRS portal for registration.