MP birth death registration rule confusion has been cleared for cases where the registration is delayed by more than two years.
The Directorate of Economics and Statistics has clarified that, until further orders, such cases will continue to be registered under the existing procedure.
The Chief Registrar (Births and Deaths) and Commissioner of Economics and Statistics have issued letters to collectors and additional chief registrars regarding the process.
MP Birth Death Registration Rule Remains Unchanged
Complaints were being received from several districts that administrative magistrates, including tehsildars, were not accepting applications for permission to register birth and death cases that were more than two years old.
Officials were reportedly referring to the August 6, 2026 gazette notification related to the Births and Deaths Amendment Bill. Similar complaints were also reported from public service centres.
The situation was creating difficulties for people who needed birth certificates and other related documents. Complaints regarding the issue were also increasing on the CM Helpline.
The Chief Registrar has now clarified that no new order or direction has been issued by the Registrar General’s Office in New Delhi. Therefore, registration of cases older than two years should not be stopped on the basis of the August 6 gazette notification.
Old Procedure Under Section 13(3) Will Continue
According to the instructions issued by the state authorities, the delayed registration process under Section 13(3) of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, will continue as before.
This means applications for registering births or deaths after more than two years will continue to be processed under the existing procedure until further orders are issued.
Collectors and concerned officers have been instructed to communicate the clarification to subordinate officials. The aim is to ensure that applications are not kept pending unnecessarily.
What Will Change After the Amendment Takes Effect
The 2026 amendment proposes a stricter process for delayed registration. For cases reported more than one year but within two years, registration will require an order from the District Magistrate, SDM or an authorised Executive Magistrate.
The concerned officer will also be required to verify the authenticity of the birth or death and charge the prescribed fee.
For cases that are more than two years old, the proposed process requires an order from a Judicial Magistrate First Class, or JMFC. The Judicial Magistrate will verify the authenticity of the incident before granting permission, along with the prescribed fee.
Difference Between the Old and New Process
Under the earlier system, delayed birth and death registrations beyond one year required an order from the District Magistrate, SDM or authorised Executive Magistrate.
The 2026 amendment shifts the authority for cases older than two years from the Executive Magistrate level to the Judicial Magistrate First Class level. This would make registrations after two years subject to a more detailed verification process once the amended provisions come into effect.
At present, however, the old process continues in Madhya Pradesh because the required new notification from the central government has not yet been issued to bring the amended provision into effect.
What Changed in the 2023 Amendment
The 2023 amendment brought several changes to the birth and death registration system. These included provisions for a national database of registered births and deaths and a unified database for states.
The amendment also provided for the inclusion of Aadhaar numbers of parents and informants, where available. Information relating to adopted children, children born through surrogacy and children born to single or unmarried mothers was also covered.
Birth certificates were also given greater importance as proof of a person’s date and place of birth. They can be used for purposes such as educational admissions, voter list-related requirements and government employment.
The amendment also provided for electronic issuance of birth and death certificates, supporting a more digital registration system.
