Birth certificates
We register all births that occur in Queensland. A birth must be registered before you can get a birth certificate.
If you were born outside Queensland, you will need to apply to the registering authority in the place where you were born.
A birth certificate provides legal evidence of your name, age, place of birth and parents’ details. A birth certificate is a primary identity document. You need a birth certificate to enrol a child in school, join a sporting club, to get a passport or driver’s licence, gain employment or government benefits and to get married.
Eligibility
To get a birth certificate, the following eligibility criteria apply:
- You can apply for a copy of your own birth certificate.
- You are also eligible to apply for a copy of a person’s birth certificate if you are any of the following to the person:
- parent
- spouse, child, grandparent or sibling (you must obtain written authorisation from the individual)
- legal custodian or guardian (you must show proof that you have custody or guardianship of the person)
- executor of will or estate (you must show proof of your executor status and give a reason for your application)
- solicitor, statutory body or government agency (you must show proof that your firm/agency represents the person, proof of your employment and give a reason for your application).
- Any person is eligible to receive a copy of a person’s birth certificate if the birth occurred more than 100 years ago. This type of birth certificate is known as a historical birth certificate.
View the full Certificate Access Policy (PDF File, 181.2 KB).
Applying for a birth certificate
To apply for a birth certificate, you must:
- meet the eligibility criteria
- complete the Birth certificate application (PDF File, 152.0 KB) form.
- provide proof of your identity (unless you are applying for a historical birth certificate)
- pay the scheduled fee (PDF File, 117.7 KB) for a standard certificate or commemorative certificate package (fee includes postage within Australia).
Preview the available certificates:
Commemorative birth packages include a standard birth certificate.
Priority processing
If you need your certificate urgently, you can pay the priority processing fee (PDF File, 117.7 KB).
By Mail
Priority requests for certificates will be processed within 48 hours of the receipt of a correct application.
In Person
Applications made at our Brisbane Registry will be available for pick up the next business day.
Lodging your form
You can lodge your form with us by post, in person at our Brisbane Registry, or in person at your local Queensland Magistrates Court or Queensland Government Agent Program (QGAP) office.
Applications can not be faxed or emailed.
Payment options
If you are lodging your form in person, you may pay by cash, cheque, credit card (Visa or MasterCard only) or money order.
If you are posting your form, you may pay by cheque, credit card (Visa or MasterCard only) or money order.
Make cheques or money orders payable to the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.
Proving your identity
Before a certificate, information or source document is released, an applicant’s entitlement to the document must be established and proof of identity produced in accordance with the eligibility criteria.
Photocopies must be certified by a qualified witness as being "a correct copy of the document".
Applicants are required to provide:
- One form of identification from each list (at least one containing a signature); or
- Two forms of identification from List 2 and one form of identification from List 3 (at least one containing a signature), if unable to provide identification from List 1.
| List 1: Linkage between identity and person | List 2: Evidence of identity operating in the community | List 3: Evidence of residential address |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Proof of identity documents are to be in the English language, otherwise these must be translated by an accredited translator. The official translation document is to accompany the original documents.
The Registrar-General's discretion in deciding acceptable proof of identity documents is not exhausted by the above lists. Decisions may be made by the Registrar-General on any unusual case that may fall outside the requirements of the above table.
Certification of photocopies of proof of identity documents
As part of establishing proof of identity, copies of documents submitted to the Registry in support of an application must be certified as a true and correct copy by a qualified witness.
The following persons are considered to be qualified witnesses and are able to certify photocopies of documents as being “a correct copy of the document”:
- Justice of the Peace
- Commissioner for Declarations
- Barrister/Solicitor
- Notary Public.
If you are submitting your application at the Brisbane Registry, a Magistrates Court or a Queensland Government Agent Program (QGAP) office, client service officers are able to sight original proof of identity documents submitted in support of your application. Contact us for further information on certification.
Search fees
Family history researchers can apply to have Births, Deaths and Marriages search the registers for a life event.
A search fee (PDF File, 117.7 KB) is payable for every period of five years (or part thereof).
Amending or correcting a certificate
In addition to correcting transcription errors, there may be times where you need to amend the details on a certificate. Amendments may include:
- adding information that was not known at the time of registration
- modifying information that was incorrectly supplied or omitted.
To make an amendment, we need you to supply:
- a covering letter detailing the required amendment
- the original certificate
- applicable supporting documents or evidence.
A fee may apply, depending on the nature of the error.
Contacting us about your application
If you need to contact us, please make sure you have:
- copies of any previous correspondence
- any file or reference numbers you have been given
- the date you forwarded your application to us
- how you paid (cheque, money order, credit card or cash).