Register a birth

You have to register the birth of your child with us (the hospital doesn’t do it for you). It’s free to do and you can order and pay for a certificate at the same time.

Register your baby before they’re 8 weeks old (that's within 60 days) if they were born in Queensland.

The birth must be registered before you can get a birth certificate. You may need your child's birth certificate to apply for:

  • access to healthcare and other government services
  • entry to childcare, kindy or school
  • an Australian passport.
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Parents have the right to choose the name of their child. However, when considering names, the Registrar-General must refuse to register a name that:

  • is obscene or offensive
  • is too long
  • includes symbols without phonetic significance—for example, brackets (), colons (:), question marks (?), quotation marks (“), numbers, at symbols (@), plus signs (+)
  • includes or resembles an official title or rank—for example Duchess, Sergeant, Doctor, MP (Member of Parliament)
  • is a statement—for example, Save Mother Earth
  • is a political slogan
  • is otherwise contrary to the public interest.

The prohibited name policy includes detailed advice about what kinds of names are prohibited.

How to apply

To register your baby's birth and buy a birth certificate (optional), choose whether you:

  • will do it online
  • can't do it online.

If you don't have access to a printer to print the birth registration and birth certificate application forms, contact us or visit us in person.

Do it online

To register online (which is free), simply fill in the online birth registration form. You may also choose to order and pay for a certificate at the same time. There are 2 submission options when you complete the online birth registration form:

  1. Electronic signature
  2. Paper submission

Make sure you only complete the registration form once. We will process the first registration application that you submit.

If you choose to order a birth certificate when you register your baby’s birth (you can do this online), we will post the certificate to you as soon as the registration has been processed.

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To sign the registration electronically, you will need your wallet or purse to help you verify your identity.

When you have completed the steps to verify your identity this is your electronic signature for the online submission of your child’s birth registration.

You will not need to download and print a paper form if you sign electronically.

If you do not order a certificate when you register your baby’s birth you will need to provide proof of ID in the future to get a birth certificate

If you can't verify your identity online (or don't want to), download the completed form. To complete the registration process, you will need to:

  • Print the completed registration form.
  • Have both parents complete and sign the declaration section of the form, and another adult (18 or older) witness your signatures.
  • Submit your registration form to us, either

You do not need to send us proof of ID.

When we receive an order for a birth certificate with a birth registration, we do not need your proof of ID.

If you do not order a certificate when you register your baby’s birth you will need to provide proof of ID in the future to get a birth certificate.

Register your baby's birth online

Unable to complete online

If you can't do it online, to register your baby’s birth, you need to:

  1. Download and print the birth registration application form.
  2. Complete the registration form.
  3. Have both parents sign the declaration section of the form, and another adult (18 or older) witness your signatures.
  4. Submit your registration form to us, either
    • by post
    • in person.

If you want to purchase a birth certificate at the same time, download and print the birth certificate application form.

We don't send a birth certificate unless you order and pay for one when you submit your baby’s birth registration.

If you are unable to print the form, email bdm-mail@justice.qld.gov.au with your postal address.

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If you didn't sign the birth registration with an electronic signature, post the registration and certificate application forms to:

Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages
PO Box 15188
CITY EAST  QLD  4002

If you didn't sign the birth registration with an electronic signature, take the completed and signed application forms to either:

If you applied for a certificate, it will be posted to you as soon as the birth registration has been processed.

Processing your baby’s registration form can take up to 10 business days. If you order a birth certificate when you register your baby’s birth, we will post the certificate to you as soon as the birth registration has been processed.

Urgent processing of a registration is not available when registering your baby. We do suggest secure certificate delivery services if you order a birth certificate.

Pay the fee

When ordering a certificate, the total cost is calculated when you fill in the application form online.
You can pay:

  • online
    • by credit card (Visa or MasterCard)
  • at the customer service centre
    • by EFTPOS or credit card
    • with a business account cheque
    • with a bank cheque
    • with a money order
  • through the mail
    • within Australia
      • by credit card
      • with a business account cheque
      • with a bank cheque
      • with a money order
    • from overseas
      • by credit card.

We will accept cash at the customer service centre but prefer contactless payments such as EFTPOS or credit card.

We do not accept personal cheques or cheques issued from outside Australia (in any currency).

Make Australian-drawn cheques and money orders payable to 'Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages'.

Application fees

ItemCost

Registering a birth before baby is 8 weeks (before 60 days)

Free

Commemorative birth certificate package (1 official birth certificate and standard postage included)

$70.70
Official birth certificate (standard postage included) $54.40

Need help in your language?

To help parents whose first language is not English our birth registration flyer has been translated into 6 languages:

  • Hindi
  • Swahili
  • Filipino/Tagalog
  • Vietnamese
  • simplified Chinese (Mandarin)
  • traditional Chinese (Cantonese).

Download our translated birth registration flyer.

Register your baby's birth online

Contact us

Online: our general enquiry form.

By phone: local call* 13 QGOV (13 74 68)

International +61 7 3022 6100 (+10 hours UTC)

(Phone lines are open Monday–Friday, 8.30am–4.30pm)

*Costs may be higher from mobile phones and interstate.

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