Registration of Births and Deaths Amendment Act, 2026 Effective From October 01

Registration of Births and Deaths Amendment Act, 2026 Effective From October 01

New Delhi, September 17, 2026 [VoM News]: In a major development, Registrar General of India Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan said that the provisions of the Registration of Births and Deaths Amendment Act, 2026, will come into force from October 1.

The new rules now enforces the stricter procedures for delayed registration of births and deaths.

The legislation was passed by both Houses of Parliament and also got the President’s assent last month.

Under the amended law, applications submitted more than one year but within two years of a birth or death will require an order from a District Magistrate, Sub-Divisional Magistrate or an authorised Executive Magistrate.

The concerned official will have to verify the details before allowing registration, subject to payment of the prescribed fee.

For applications filed more than two years after the event, the law introduces greater judicial scrutiny.

Such cases will require an order from a Judicial Magistrate of the First Class before registration can be completed.

The government has said the changes are aimed at making delayed registration more stringent and encouraging people to report births and deaths within the prescribed period.

The Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, makes registration of these vital events mandatory and provides for the issuance of certificates that serve as legal records of birth or death.

The Act was previously amended in 2023, with those provisions coming into effect on October 1 that year.