Registering a birth in Canada, province by province

Birth registration is provincial, not federal

There is no national birth registry in Canada. You register your baby with the vital statistics office of the province or territory where the birth took place, and the deadline, the fee and the process all differ. Register in the province of birth, not the province you live in.

Registration is usually a two-part process. The hospital, physician or registered midwife submits a medical notice of live birth. Separately, the parents submit the birth registration or statement of live birth. Nothing is registered until the parents' part arrives. The hospital does not do this for you.

Registering the birth and getting a birth certificate are also two different things. Registration creates the legal record. The certificate is the document you can hold, and in most provinces it is ordered as part of the same online application.

The bundled applications are worth using

Most provinces now let you register the birth and apply for everything else your baby needs in a single online form. This is the fastest route by a wide margin, and it is free.

Ontario — the 5-in-1 newborn bundle

A birth in Ontario must be registered within 30 days. The online 5-in-1 newborn bundle lets you, in one application:

• register your child's birth
• apply for a birth certificate
• apply for a Social Insurance Number
• apply for Canada child benefits, including Ontario-specific child benefits
• request an Education Savings Referral

Registering is free within 12 months of the birth date. After 12 months the process is longer and costs $50. All parents must be present when registering online in order to certify the birth. You will need the baby's date of birth, weight and the length of the pregnancy in weeks. The paper route — a Statement of Live Birth by mail — works, but you then have to apply for each of the child's documents separately.

Quebec — the Directeur de l'état civil

Quebec runs its own civil status register. You have 30 days after the birth to send the declaration of birth to the Directeur de l'état civil, and the deadline is the same whether you use the paper Declaration of Birth or the Electronic Declaration of Birth online service. A declaration transmitted after that deadline attracts fees. The registrar uses your declaration plus the attestation of birth from the facility to enter the birth in the register and draw up the child's act of birth.

British Columbia

The Vital Statistics Agency's online birth registration is the simplest route and bundles the birth certificate, enrolment in the Medical Services Plan for BC residents, Canada child benefits, and a Social Insurance Number into one application. Once the birth is completely registered, your child's SIN is delivered within five business days. If you register on paper, you then have to contact Health Insurance BC for MSP, the Canada Revenue Agency for child benefits, and Service Canada for the SIN separately.

Alberta

All births in Alberta must be registered with the Alberta government by the parents. Register as soon as possible after the birth: parents provide the baby's information through the Online Birth Registry, and the hospital or registered midwife sends a confirmation of birth to Vital Statistics. If you have not registered within one year, the delayed registration process applies. A birth can only be registered once. Unassisted births need supporting evidence — typically a letter from a medical facility visited within 48 hours of the birth.

Why the deadline matters more than it looks

Birth registration is the gateway document. Until it is done you cannot get:

• a birth certificate, which is the primary identity document for a passport, school enrolment and most government services
• a Social Insurance Number, needed to open an RESP and to receive the Canada Learning Bond
• your child's provincial health card — MSP in BC, OHIP in Ontario, RAMQ in Quebec
• the Canada Child Benefit, which for most families is the largest single payment attached to a new baby

Because the bundled applications apply for the CCB at the same time as the registration, missing the registration window delays the money too.

If you miss the deadline or the situation is complicated

Late registration is always possible — it just gets slower and, in some provinces, more expensive. Ontario stays free for 12 months, then charges $50 and takes longer. Quebec charges late fees immediately after 30 days, and the registrar conducts a summary investigation before drawing up the act. Alberta switches to a delayed registration process after a year.

Some situations need extra steps:

• Unassisted or home birth without a registered practitioner: Alberta requires either a letter from a medical facility visited within 48 hours of the birth, or alternative evidence. Other provinces have equivalent processes.
• Indigenous language characters in a name: BC's Vital Statistics Agency has a specific process; call 1-888-876-1633 before you file.
• Moving house: Ontario asks you to use your new mailing address if you are moving within two months, and to call ServiceOntario if you move unexpectedly after applying.

Where to get help

Go to the vital statistics office of the province of birth: ServiceOntario (1-800-461-2156, or 416-325-8305 in the GTA and internationally), the Directeur de l'état civil in Quebec, Alberta's Online Birth Registry or an Alberta registry agent, and the BC Vital Statistics Agency (1-888-876-1633). Your hospital's admitting or midwifery team will normally hand you the registration information before discharge — keep it, because it usually contains the reference number you need to file online.