Registering a birth in the ACT: the 6-month rule

How long do you have to register a birth in the ACT?

In the ACT you must register the birth within 6 months of the day your baby is born. That makes the ACT the exception: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory all set 60 days. The parents are responsible for registering the birth.

The 6 months is in the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1997, section 10. Not lodging in time is technically an offence (a maximum of 5 penalty units), but the Act also says the registrar-general must not refuse a birth registration statement only because it arrives after 6 months. In practice, register as soon as you can: a birth certificate, which Access Canberra calls one of the most important identity documents for school, licences and government support, waits on it. The Australia-wide guide covers what every state has in common.

Can you register through myGov? The Newborn Enrolment Trial

The ACT is part of the Services Australia Newborn Enrolment Trial. If you're in it, your baby is enrolled with Medicare and Centrelink, and you can register the birth through your myGov account. To take part you must:

• have your baby at the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children or the North Canberra Hospital; and
• complete a consent form at the hospital when your baby is born.

If you didn't complete the consent form, you can still register through Access Canberra in the usual way.

How do you register through Access Canberra?

Register online, or complete the Birth Registration Statement form and either email it to bdm@act.gov.au or hand it in at an Access Canberra Service Centre. These forms are only for births that happened in the ACT; for a baby born interstate, register with that state or territory, for example registering a birth in NSW.

Access Canberra lists the fee for the Birth Registration Statement as nil. You pay only if you order a certificate, which you can do when you register or later.

Who signs the statement?

Under the Act, you register by signing and lodging a birth registration statement. The registrar-general may accept a statement signed by only one parent if satisfied it isn't practicable to get the other parent's signature, or one with missing details if they can't practicably be obtained.

What does the hospital do?

The hospital tells the registrar-general that the birth happened. If your baby was born in hospital or brought to hospital within 24 hours, the hospital's chief executive must give written notice within 7 days of a live birth; otherwise the doctor or midwife responsible for the birth does it. Access Canberra has a separate, free notification form for a birth that didn't happen in a hospital. None of this registers your baby: the statement is still yours to lodge.

Birth certificates: cost and timing

Access Canberra lists these as its 2026–27 fees; checked 10 October 2026. Registration and issuing a birth certificate usually take 15 business days, not counting Australia Post delivery. To order a certificate you prove your identity with 3 forms of ID: at least one primary document and one or two secondary documents. Including sex on an ACT birth certificate is now optional. If you are in financial hardship and need a certificate to get immediate services, you may be eligible for a fee waiver.

Changing details after registration, mostly for free

Once the birth is registered you can still change the record, and most changes cost nothing unless you want an updated certificate:

• Corrections, for a mistake such as a misspelt place of birth. If two parents are on the registration, both must apply.
• Adding a parent, meaning anyone presumed to be a parent under the Parentage Act 2004. This does not change your child's registered name.
• Adding relationship details, such as your marriage or civil partnership.
• Altering parent details, such as a parent's registered change of name or the descriptor used: Mother, Father, Birth Parent or Parent.

Each needs 3 forms of proof of identity, including at least one primary document.

Changing your child's name

A change of name costs $152. Both parents must apply unless only one is named on the birth certificate, only one is alive, one has parental responsibility for decisions about the child's name, or a court has allowed one parent to change it. A child aged 14 or older must consent by signing the form. Send the child's original birth certificate, and you can request a new certificate as part of the form. If you are still choosing, see the most popular baby names in Australia.

Where to get help

Access Canberra handles ACT births, deaths and marriages: phone 13 22 81, email bdm@act.gov.au, or visit a Service Centre. Once the birth is registered, and unless the trial has already done it, enrol your baby in Medicare. Check Parental Leave Pay if you are claiming it, and see your baby's first passport if you plan to travel.

Frequently asked questions

How long do you have to register a birth in the ACT?

Six months from the day of the birth, under section 10 of the ACT's Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1997 and as Access Canberra states. Every other state and territory sets 60 days. The registrar-general must still accept a statement that arrives late, but register promptly so your baby's certificate isn't held up.

Is there a fee to register a birth in the ACT?

No. Access Canberra lists the fee for the Birth Registration Statement as nil. You pay only for a certificate: $53 for a standard birth certificate, $66 for a commemorative certificate on its own, or $91 for both. Corrections and adding a parent are also free unless you order an updated certificate.

Can I register my baby's birth through myGov?

Yes, if you are in the Services Australia Newborn Enrolment Trial. You must give birth at the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children or the North Canberra Hospital and sign a consent form there. Your baby is then enrolled with Medicare and Centrelink too. Otherwise, register through Access Canberra.