Birth & Death Registration

The Births and Deaths Registry established by the Act 301 of 1965, handles and develops the births and deaths registration system in Ghana.

Its purpose is to provide accurate and reliable information on all births and deaths occurring within Municipality for Socio-economic development through registration and certification.

Concerning the above Act 301, birth means live-birth which is the complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of conception, irrespective of the duration of pregnancy, which after such separation, breathes or shows any evidence of life, such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles whether or not the umbilical cord has been cut or the placenta is detached.

Registration of birth is categorized into two groups; these are INFANT REGISTRATION, LATE REGISTRATION and DECLARATION REGISTRATION. These groupings a based on a specified time periods after the birth of child or person.

Infants Registration is for a Birth or a Child of a day old to twelve (12) months. Issuance of certificate of registration is instant or within a day provided all information’s are accurate.

Late Registration is also for children or persons from a year old to the age of sixty (60). The immediate requirement for this registration is a sworn affidavit stating the reason for the late registration from the applicant and a High court declaration from a witness stating related cause for the registration. Issuance of certificate takes a maximum of two (2) weeks, provided data giving are valid.

This is for applicants above the age of sixty (60). Applicants at this stage are required to obtain a declaration from a High Court. The Court issues the required birth certificate, which is instant or in a day.

• The birth of every child is to be registered in the district where the birth occurred.
• There is no de jure or de-facto discrimination between mothers and fathers in the registration process. The father’s name is entered even if the parents are not married.
• It is the duty of the father or mother or both to report the birth of a child for registration. In the case of the death or the incapacity of the father and mother, one of the following persons is allowed by law to report the birth for registration.
  • The owner of the premises in which the child is born.
  • A person present at the birth
  • A person having charge of the child to furnish the prescribed particulars of registration.
• The informant will be required to produce evidence of birth, such as a clinical weighing card, (in the absence of this a baptismal certificate issued not more than 5 years after the birth of the child).
• A Registration Assistant administers a questionnaire, (the Birth Report Form ‘A’) to the informant. Information thereby collected is recorded in the Register of Births following which a Birth Certificate is issued.
• The birth should be registered, free of charge within 12 months of occurrence. Registration outside this period attracts a prescribed fee.
• The law establishing birth registration makes provision for late registration of births. It however, stipulates that the birth shall not be registered after the expiration of 12 months from the date of birth except with the written authority of the Registrar of births and Deaths and upon payment of the prescribed fee.
• The parent or child can apply for a certified copy of entry in the Register of births any time the need arises.
• Structural integrity report in case construction development has already commenced or is completed.

Please Note:

ONLY THE FULL NAME OF THE CHILD SHALL BE USED FOR THE PURPOSES OF BIRTH REGISTRATION. SHORT FORMS OF NAMES AND TITLES ARE NOT ACCEPTED.

The mother’s name shall always be THE FULL MAIDEN NAME of the mother.

• Informant reports birth at the nearest Registry Office in the locality where birth occurred.
• Registration Assistant interviews Informant and partially completes Form ‘A’ and the Declaration Form.
• Informant pays prescribed fee.
• Informant declares the partially completed documents before a Commissioner of Oaths, Court Registrar or Notary Public supported by any of the following:
  • Clinical Weighing/Notification of birth card.
  • Baptismal Certificate.
  • Extract from Family Records Book.
  • Affidavit from one of the parents.
• Registration Assistant attaches a covering letter to the declared documents to the Regional Registration Officer through the District Registration Office for approval and authority or otherwise.
• Regional Registration officer returns the approved documents with his authority to the Registration Assistant.
• Registration Assistant makes entry into the Register of Births and forwards the completed registration forms to the Central Registry Office through the District and Regional Registration offices for the finalization and authentication of the certificate.

According to the Registration of Births and Deaths Act of 1965(Act301) section 8 sub-section 3 it shall be the duty of the following persons (hereto referred as an informant) to furnish particulars (information) for birth registration.

• The father and the mother of the child.
• In case of deaths or incapacity of father and mother:-
  • The occupier of the premises in which the child is born, if he has knowledge of the birth.
  • A person present at birth.
  • A person having charge of the child to furnish the prescribed particulars for registration.

Please Note:

A child cannot report his or her birth irrespective of age.

NO BIRTH SHOULD BE REPORTED FOR REGISTRATION MORE THAN ONCE

• Every death which occurs in a district shall be registered by the Registrar of that district within twenty-four hours after the death and registration outside of this period shall only be made on payment of the prescribed fee.
• No death shall be registered after the expiration of twelve months from the date of death except with the written authority of the Registrar of Births and Deaths and upon payment of the prescribed fee and a note of such authority having been given shall be entered in the register.
• Where a dead body is found and no information as to the place of death is available, the death shall be registered by the Registrar for the district in which the body is found.

• Subject to subsection (2) of section 19 of the REGISTRATION OF BIRTHS AND DEATHS ACT – 1965 (ACT 301), upon the receipt of the prescribed particulars required under section 17 of this Act or the certificate, if any, under section 18 of this Act, the Registrar, if he is satisfied as to the particulars or the certificate, as the case may be, shall register the death.
• The Registrar shall as soon as a death is registered issue:-
  • burial permit free of charge in the prescribed form, and
  • a death certificate in the prescribed form on payment of the prescribed fee.
• Where the body of a deceased person has been removed into Ghana from some place outside of Ghana for disposal, and no order has been given by a coroner in respect thereof, the Registrar of the district in which it is intended to dispose of the body, if it appears that the death is not required by law to be registered in Ghana, shall upon application by the person procuring the disposal and upon payment of the prescribed fee issue a burial permit.