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CHAPTER V
Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969
[18 OF 1969]1
An Act to provide for the regulation of registration of births and deaths and for matters connected therewith.
BE it enacted by Parliament in the Twentieth Year of the Republic of India as follows:—
CHAPTER I PRELIMINARY
Short title, extent and commencement.
1. (1) This Act may be called the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969.
(2)It extends to the whole of India.
(3) It shall come into force in a State on such date2 as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint:
Provided that different dates may be appointed for different parts of a State.
1.Dated 31-5-1969.
2.(i) In State of Jammu and Kashmir* in area comprised within the jurisdiction of the Police Station of Ramnagar in Udhampur district area comprised within the jurisdiction of the Police Station of Kupwara in Baramulla district; area comprised within the limits of the Municipalities of Jammu and Srinagar; and the area comprised within the limits of Town Area Committees of Anantnag, Kathua and Leh. [Vide Notification No. G.S.R. 1718, dated 22-11-1970]
(ii) In the Union territory of Mizoram+, w.e.f.1-5-1974. [Vide Notification No. G.S.R. 379, dated 22-3-1974]
(iii) In the Union territory of Goa, Daman and Diu, w.e.f.1-1-1971. [Vide Notification No G.S.R. 1927, dated 21-11-1970]
(
iv)In Union territory of Manipur+, w.e.f. 1-1-1971. [Vide Notification No. G.S.R. 2027, dated 24-11-1970]
(v)In the Union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, w.e.f.1-4-1974. [Vide Notification No. G.S.R. 106, dated 16-1-1971]
(vi)In whole of State of Nagaland, w.e.f.1-10-1971. [Vide Notification No. G.S.R. 1324, dated 30-8-1971]
(vii) In the Union territory of Arunachal Pradesh+, w.e.f. 1-7-1972. [Vide Notification No. G.S.R. 552, dated 11-4-1972]
(viii)In State of Tripura, w.e.f.1-4-1972. [Vide Notification No. G.S.R. 202(E), dated 17-3-1972] (Contd. on page 2)
Definitions
and interpretation.
2. (1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—
3[(a) “Aadhaar number” shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (a) of section 2 of the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016 (18 of 2016);
(aa) “adoption” shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (2) of section 2 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (2 of 2016);]
4[(ab)] “birth” means live-birth or still-birth;
3[(b) “database” means the organised collection of data, generally stored and accessed in electronic form from a computer network;]
5[(ba)] “death” means the permanent disappearance of all evidence of life at any time after live-birth has taken place;
(
c) “foetal death” means absence of all evidence of life prior to the complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of conception irrespective of the duration of pregnancy;
(
d) “live-birth” means the complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of conception, irrespective of the duration of pregnancy,
(Contd. from page 1)
(ix) In area comprised within limits of cantonments of Barrackpore, Labong and Jalapahar in the State of West Bengal, w.e.f. 1-12-1972. [Vide Notification No. G.S.R. 463(E), dated 21-11-1972]
(
x) Extended to the Union territory of Delhi, w.e.f. 1-7-1970. [Vide Notification No. G.S.R. 973, dated 26-6-1972]
(xi) W.e.f. 1-4-1970, in the areas of the State of Assam except:—
(A) the district of United Khasi & Jaintia Hills excluding the areas comprised within the limits of:
(a) Municipality of Shillong
(b) Cantonment of Shillong
(B) the entire district of Garo Hills
(C) the entire district of United Mikir and North Cachar Hills
(D) the entire district of Mizo Hills.
In the State of West Bengal except:
(A) The area comprised within the limits of Corporation of Calcutta;
(B) The area comprised within the limits of Howrah Municipality;
(C) Fort Villiam; and (iv) the area comprised, within the limits of cantonments of Barrackpore, Labong and Jalapahar. [Vide Notification No. G.S.R. 514, dated 21-3-1970]
(xii) in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Mysore (Now Karnataka), Bihar, Orissa, Gujrat, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, and Union territories of Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Himachal Pradesh+, Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindivi Islands, w.e.f. 1-4-1970 1970. [Vide Notification No. G.S.R. 461, dated 7-3-1970]
* Now Union Territory.
+ Now State.
3. Inserted by the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act, 2023, w.e.f. 1-10-2023.
4. Clause (a) re-numbered as clause (ab), ibid
5. Clause (b) re-numbered as clause (ba), ibid.
which, after such expulsion or extraction, breathes or show any other evidence of life, and each product of such birth is considered live-born;
(e) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
(f) “State Government”, in relation to a Union territory, means the Administrator thereof;
(g) “still-birth” means foetal death where a product of conception has attained at least the prescribed period of gestation.
(2) Any reference in this Act to any law which is not in force in any area shall, in relation to that area, be construed as a reference to the corresponding law, if any, in force in that area.
CHAPTER II
REGISTRATION ESTABLISHMENT
6[Registrar General of India.]
3. (1) The Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint a person to be known as the 6[Registrar General of India], India.
(2) The Central Government may also appoint such other officers with such designations as it thinks fit for the purpose of discharging under the superintendence and direction of the 7[Registrar General of India], such functions of the 7[Registrar General of India] under this Act as he may, from time to time, authorise them to discharge.
(3) The 7[Registrar General of India] may issue general directions regarding registration of births and deaths in the territories to which this Act extends, and shall take steps to co-ordinate and unify the activities of Chief Registrars in the matter of registration of births and deaths 8[and the database of registered births and deaths and submit] to the Central Government an annual report on the working of this Act in the said territories.
9[(4) The Registrar General of India shall maintain the database of registered births and deaths at the National level and it shall be obligatory upon the Chief Registrars and the Registrars to share the data of registered births and deaths to such database.
(5) Subject to the proviso to sub-section (1) of section 17 and with the prior approval of the Central Government, the database of registered births and deaths maintained under sub-section (4) may, on request, be made available to the authorities dealing with the preparation or maintenance of database relating to—
(a) population register;
(b) electoral rolls;
(
c) Aadhaar number;
6. Substituted for “Registrar-General, India” by the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act, 2023, w.e.f. 1-10-2023.
7. Substituted for “Registrar-General”, ibid.
8. Substituted for “and submit”, ibid.
9. Inserted, ibid
(d) ration card;
(
e) passport;
(
f) driving licence;
(
g) property registration; and
(h) such other databases at the National level as may be notified, and the authority shall inform the action taken, within such period as may be notified from time to time, to the Central Government:
Provided that the preparation or maintenance of database relating to electoral rolls in clause (b) shall be without prejudice to the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 (43 of 1950).]
Chief Registrar.
4. (1) The State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint a Chief Registrar for the State.
(2) The State Government may also appoint such other officers with such designations as it thinks fit for the purpose of discharging, under the superintendence and direction of the Chief Registrar, such of his functions as he may, from time to time, authorise them to discharge.
(3) The Chief Registrar shall be the chief executive authority in the State for carrying into execution the provisions of this Act and the rules and orders made thereunder subject to the directions, if any, given by the State Government.
(4) The Chief Registrar shall take steps, by the issue of suitable instructions or otherwise, to co-ordinate, unity and supervise the work of registration in the State for securing an efficient system of registration and shall prepare and submit to the State Government, in such manner and at such intervals as may be prescribed, a report on the working of this Act in the State along with the statistical report to in sub-section (2) of section 19.
10[(5) The Chief Registrar shall take steps to register births or deaths and maintain a unified database of registered births and deaths at the State level by using the portal as approved by the Registrar General of India and it shall be obligatory upon the Registrars to share the data of registered births and deaths to such database.
(6) Subject to the proviso to sub-section (1) of section 17 and with the prior approval of the State Government, the database of registered births and deaths maintained under sub-section (5) at the State level may, on request, be made available to the authority dealing with other databases at the State level and the authority shall inform action taken, within such period as may be notified from time to time, to the State Government:
Provided that the preparation or maintenance of database relating to electoral rolls shall be without prejudice to the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 (43 of 1950).]
10. Inserted by the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act, 2023, w.e.f. 1-10-2023.
Registration of Births and Deaths Act 1969 – Bare Act with Section Notes
AUTHOR : Taxmann’s
Editorial Board
PUBLISHER : Taxmann
DATE OF PUBLICATION : December 2025
EDITION : 2026 Edition
ISBN NO : 9789371267298
No. of Pages : 32
BINDING TYPE : Paperback
Rs. 85
DESCRIPTION
Registration of Births and Deaths Act 1969 [Bare Act with Section Notes] by Taxmann is an authoritative and updated statutory compendium governing the registration of vital events, births and deaths, across India. This 2026 Edition presents the complete and amended text of the Act, incorporating all legislative changes and notifications issued up to date, including the significant amendments introduced by the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act 2023. The publication supplements the statutory text with concise section notes, judicial references, and procedural clarifications, making it a reliable reference for understanding compulsory registration, delayed registration, correction and cancellation of entries, evidentiary value of certificates, penalties, appeals, and the growing role of digital databases in civil registration. This book is intended for the following audience:
• Legal Professionals & Consultants
• Judges & Judicial Officers
• Government Officials & Administrators
• Registrar General, Chief Registrars, District Registrars & Local Registrars
• Academicians, Researchers & Students
• Citizens, NGOs & Documentation Professionals
The Present Publication is the 2026 Edition, covering the amended and updated text of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act [Act No. 18 of 1969], with the following noteworthy features:
• [Latest Statutory Text] Complete and amended text of the Act incorporating all changes notified up to date
• [Coverage of Amendment Act] Incorporation of amendments relating to digital registers, national and state-level databases, Aadhaar linkage, adoption and surrogacy provisions, enhanced penalties, and expanded evidentiary use of certificates
• [Enforcement Across Jurisdictions] Integrated provisions and notifications applicable across States and Union Territories
• [Pre-amendment Footnotes] Earlier versions of provisions are reproduced in footnotes to explain transitional and historical legal positions
• [Section-wise Notes] Clear and concise explanatory notes under each section outlining statutory intent and procedural application
• [Judicial Interpretation] Select case law references explaining key issues such as delayed registration, corrections, jurisdiction, and evidentiary value
• [Procedural Clarity] Statutory guidance on delayed registration, correction or cancellation of entries, issuance of certificates, appeals, penalties, and compounding of offences
• [Digital & Evidentiary Relevance] Highlights the statutory use of birth and death certificates for education, employment, Aadhaar, passports, voter lists, marriage registration, and other official purposes
• [User-friendly Reference] Supported by a detailed table of contents and a comprehensive subject index