Part of Pillar 1 — RTI for Daily Life Problems. See also RTI for death certificate for the companion procedure.

A birth certificate is needed for school admission, Aadhaar, passport, inheritance, government scheme enrolment, and driving-licence age proof. Delays and errors come from several sources:

• Late registration — after 21 days, the registrar requires additional procedure (affidavit + DM approval after 30 days from birth; court order if beyond 1 year).
• Hospital non-transmission — the hospital failed to file Form 1 with the Registrar.
• Spelling errors — child's name, parent's name, or address.
• Incorrect DOB entry — manual transcription errors.
• Caste / religion field — some forms omit or mis-capture.
• Linked Aadhaar enrolment — updated records take a separate cycle.

The Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 + state-specific rules govern the process. Timelines depend on when the registration was initiated, not when you apply for the certificate. RTI helps identify where in the chain your case sits.

• Certificate not issued 30 days after you submitted Form 1.
• Hospital said it filed the registration but the certificate shows “not found”.
• Online portal shows “under process” beyond 45 days.
• Correction (name / DOB / parent name) application stuck beyond 30 days.
• Delayed registration (>1 year after birth) stuck at DM approval.
• Registrar refused to accept the application.

• Current status of your birth-registration record in the CRS / state portal.
• Date on which Form 1 was received by the Registrar.
• Name, designation, and contact of the Registrar / Deputy Registrar handling the case.
• If the hospital was supposed to file, the hospital's code and the status of its transmission.
• If correction is pending, the exact field awaiting approval.
• Delayed-registration procedure applicable to your case + approving officer.
• Statistical turnaround at the office for similar cases in the last 6 months.

1. Find your state's RTI portal (see directory).
2. Select Department of Urban Development (for city) or Panchayati Raj (for rural).
3. Paste the application. Pay Rs. 10.
4. Save docket number.

• Address: Public Information Officer, Office of the [Registrar of Births & Deaths / Deputy Registrar], [Municipal Corporation / Gram Panchayat name], [City/District].
• Attach IPO for Rs. 10.
• Send by Speed Post.

• Drop at the Registrar's counter with Rs. 10 cash against a challan. Fastest in Tier-2/3 cities.

To,
The Public Information Officer,
Office of the Registrar of Births & Deaths,
[Municipal Corporation / Panchayat name],
[City / District], [State]

Subject: Information under Section 6(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005, regarding my / my child's birth registration.

Sir/Madam,

I, [Full Name], S/o / D/o / W/o / Parent of [Person whose birth is to be registered], resident of [Full Address with PIN], submit this request for information under the RTI Act, 2005.

Child's name (if known): ________
Date of birth: ________
Place of birth (hospital / home): ________
Hospital name and address (if applicable): ________
Parents' names: ________
Application reference / registration number (if any): ________
Date of application or Form 1 submission: ________

Please provide:

1. Current status of the birth-registration record — registered, pending, rejected, or not found — in the CRS / state portal.

2. If Form 1 was filed by the hospital, date of hospital's transmission and the transmission reference.

3. If registration is pending, the specific step awaited and the officer handling it.

4. Name, designation, and contact of the Registrar / Deputy Registrar currently responsible for this case.

5. If the application has been rejected, the exact ground with the specific rule of the state Registration of Births & Deaths Rules or RBD Act, 1969.

6. For delayed registration (beyond 30 days from birth), the procedure applicable and the approving officer, with current status.

7. For correction of errors, the specific field flagged and the required supporting document.

8. Estimated date of issuance of the certificate.

9. Grievance officer and First Appellate Authority contact.

10. Average turnaround for similar cases at this office during the past 6 months.

I enclose Indian Postal Order No. __________ dated __________ for Rs. 10.

I declare that I am an Indian citizen.

Yours faithfully,

[Full Name]
[Signature]
[Date] [Place]

1. CRS / portal status.
2. Hospital's Form 1 transmission record.
3. Current pending step + officer.
4. Registrar name + contact.
5. Ground of rejection with rule reference.
6. Delayed-registration path + approver.
7. Correction-field details.
8. ETA of issuance.
9. First Appellate Authority contact.
10. Office turnaround statistics.

• Day 0. RTI filed.
• Day 5–15. Registrar's office pulls the file; in many cases the registration is processed during this window to avoid recording a delay reason.
• Day 30. Written reply.
• Day 31–60. First Appeal if reply is evasive.
• Day 60+. Second Appeal to SIC.

• Filing at the DM office for what is a Registrar's function — adds 10 days.
• Not quoting the hospital's code when birth was hospital-assisted.
• Asking “why my certificate is not issued” without asking for the record.
• Paying excess fee — Rs. 10 statutory; certified copies Rs. 2/page.
• Missing the one-year mark — after one year, a court order may be required for delayed registration.

• Obtain the hospital's “discharge summary” which usually contains the Form 1 transmission reference.
• For non-hospital (home) births, the Anganwadi worker or ASHA's home-visit register often has the source entry — useful to attach.
• For name-addition after issuance (common when child's name was not decided within 21 days), the procedure is a separate Form 5 — ask about it in the RTI.
• For re-registration after orphan / adoption, ask specifically about the Registrar's power under Section 13 of the RBD Act.

Q1. What if the birth happened more than 1 year ago and is still not registered?
Delayed-registration beyond 1 year requires a Magistrate's order (First Class Magistrate or equivalent). RTI helps trace the records required for the Magistrate's application.

Q2. Can I get a birth certificate for a birth that happened before the CRS was digitised?
Yes. Physical registers exist at the Registrar's office. The RTI should ask for a search in both digital and physical records.

Q3. My name is missing from the certificate — only my parents' names are there.
This is common where the name was not decided at registration. Use Form 5 under the RBD Rules to add the name; the RTI can confirm the procedure applicable to your state.

Q4. How much does the certified copy cost?
Rs. 2 per page under the RTI fee schedule. A single-page birth certificate is Rs. 2 + Rs. 10 application fee.

Q5. Can RTI be filed by a parent for the child's certificate?
Yes. The parent is an Indian citizen and can file. No separate authorisation needed.

A birth certificate is a foundational document. Delays are rarely substantive — usually they trace to a missed transmission, a stuck correction, or a pending approval. RTI surfaces the exact point of friction and brings it to the Registrar's attention.

• Pillar 1 — RTI for Daily Life Problems
• RTI for death certificate
• RTI for caste certificate
• File RTI online — 12-step guide
• RTI Act §6

• Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969
• Civil Registration System (CRS) — Registrar General of India
• State-specific Registration of Births and Deaths Rules

Last reviewed: 21 April 2026.