Registering the birth is the responsibility of:

• the mother of the child, the father of the child or both
• where the father is unacknowledged, or either parent is incapable, the other parent
• where both parents are incapable, the person standing in the place of the parents.

To register a birth:

• The mother, the father or both must complete and sign the Registration of Live Birth form. If neither parent is capable of completingand signing the birth registration, the person standing in place of the parents or any person who has knowledge of the birth of the child, must complete and sign the statutory decloration contained in the registration form and the declaration must be witnessed by a Notary Public, Justice of the Peace or Commissioner for Oaths.
• The child's name must be written entirely in characters of the Roman alphabet. If identifiers such as Junior, Jr., II or III are included in either the given name(s) or surname of the child, it will become part of their legal name. A child's surname can contain no more than two names hyphenated or combined. A child's surname can be any name chosen by the parent(s) and does not have to be the same name as that of either parent.
• The rules for choosing a surname must be followed.
• If the birth occurs in a hospital, the hospital requires the completion of the Registration of Live Birth form before the mother is discharged. If the birth does not occur in a hospital, the mother and/or father must contact the Vital Statistics office to obtain a Registration of Live Birth form for completion.
• The hospital forwards the Registration of Live Birth to a division registrar (municipal clerk). The division registrar registers the birth by signing and dating the form and then forwards it to Vital Statistics.
• Once Vital Statistics receives the Registration of Live Birth, the information is checked and verified. Any missing or incorrect information is followed up with the appropriate parties (i.e. mother, father and hospital) for correction. The completed registration is entered into a computer database and the hardcopy registration is permanently filed.
• Vital Statistics does not send notification of its receipt of the Registration of Live Birth.
• There is no fee to register a birth within one year of the date of birth.
• The information collected on the Registration of Live Birth form is collected under the authority of The Vital Statistics Act, 1995. The information provided is necessary to register the birth, produce certificates and provide statistical and demographic information. If you have any questions about the collection and use of this information, contact Vital Statistics at 1-866-275-4721.