Registering a birth in Tasmania: what to have ready before you start

When do you have to register a birth in Tasmania?

If you have given birth in Tasmania, you need to register your baby with Births, Deaths and Marriages (BDM) within 60 days of the birth, and there is no fee to register. Both parents are responsible for registering the birth, and both must consent to the information provided.

Registering and getting a birth certificate are separate steps: a certificate can only be issued once the registration is complete, and you pay for it. This page is the Tasmanian detail; the Australia-wide guide covers what every state has in common.

Registering online: get everything ready first

Tasmania's online form has two limits worth knowing before you open it. You can't save it and return later, and the application expires after 30 minutes of inactivity, after which you start again. BDM's advice is to have everything ready to upload and submit before you begin.

• Your baby's full name, including middle names, and the date and place of birth
• Full names (including middle names), place of birth, occupation and address of both parents
• Contact details, email and phone number, for each parent
• A clear, readable scan or photo of 3 pieces of ID for both parents, ready to verify through the Digital Verification Service; some ID needs the front and back
• The parents' marriage or relationship details
• Details of other children of the mother and the other parent, or of the mother alone
• Credit card details, if you are ordering a birth certificate

If you can't complete the form online, phone BDM on (03) 6165 3450 for a paper copy. For an interpreter, call TIS National on 131 450.

If only one parent can register

If the other parent is unknown, or is unable or unwilling to sign, contact BDM for advice before you start, on (03) 6165 3450 or at bdm@justice.tas.gov.au.

What does the doctor or midwife do?

If a doctor or midwife was present at the birth, including a home birth, they will have notified BDM that the birth occurred, and you just need to register it. That notification doesn't register your baby.

If you gave birth without a doctor or midwife, you still register the birth, and you also provide a letter on official letterhead from a health practitioner who saw you during pregnancy and examined your baby after the birth, plus a statutory declaration from another person who was present. If you can't get these, contact BDM: it still needs independent verification but will work with you to get the evidence.

What does it cost?

Fees as published by BDM Tasmania, checked 10 October 2026.

Getting the birth certificate

A birth certificate is an official, certified copy of the registration details. As your child's parent you can apply, online, by post or in person at a Service Tasmania service centre, but not over the phone. You can choose a certificate with or without gender shown. Avoid the Extract of Birth unless you only need a name, date and place of birth: it has no parents' details and isn't suitable for most identity purposes.

• Standard service: about 2 weeks, longer at peak times.
• Priority online: sent out the next business day by registered or express post.
• Priority at Service Tasmania: ready to collect at the same time the next business day in Hobart, Launceston, Burnie, Devonport, Huonville, Scottsdale and Sorell.

International post is currently taking 25 or more business days. If a certificate you ordered hasn't arrived after 2 weeks, check with your local post office first, then contact BDM.

What if the birth wasn't registered?

For a birth more than 12 months ago, start by applying for a birth certificate, which confirms whether a record exists. If you receive a Certificate of No Record, send BDM a Birth Registration Statement signed by both parents, documents verifying the child's full given names from as close to the birth as possible, the original Certificate of No Record, your postal address and a daytime phone number. BDM may ask for more.

Changing a name or adding a parent

If your child is under 6 months old, contact BDM for advice about correcting the original birth registration before applying for a change of name. Otherwise:

• Change of name registration costs $237.16, including a change of name certificate. You can't apply if you registered a change of name for your child in the past 12 months, and a child aged 12 or older must sign a consent form in front of a Justice of the Peace or a Commissioner for Declarations. If only one parent will consent, you need a Magistrates Court order first.
• Adding a father or other parent costs $237.16. Both parents apply, or one parent can apply with DNA evidence.
• Correcting an error costs $64.68, and is free if BDM made the mistake.

For ideas before you register, see the most popular baby names in Australia.

Where to get help

Births, Deaths and Marriages Tasmania is part of the Department of Justice: (03) 6165 3450 or bdm@justice.tas.gov.au. BDM warns that unofficial websites offering to process certificate applications are not affiliated with it and may charge extra. Once the birth is registered, enrol your baby in Medicare, and see your baby's first passport if you plan to travel. If your baby was stillborn or died, baby loss support in Australia lists where to get help.

Frequently asked questions

Do you get a birth certificate when you register a birth?

Not automatically. Registering a birth in Tasmania is free, but a birth certificate is a separate purchase, $60.76 for a standard certificate. You can order it while registering online by giving your credit card details, or apply later online, by post or at a Service Tasmania centre once the registration is complete.

How do I register my baby in Tasmania?

Use BDM Tasmania's online form within 60 days of the birth. It can't be saved and expires after 30 minutes of inactivity, so first gather both parents' details, contact information and 3 pieces of ID each. If you can't complete it online, phone (03) 6165 3450 for a paper form.

How long does a Tasmanian birth certificate take?

About 2 weeks on the standard service, and longer at peak times. Paying the $43.12 priority fee online means it is posted the next business day; at a Service Tasmania centre in Hobart, Launceston, Burnie, Devonport, Huonville, Scottsdale or Sorell, you collect it the next business day.