HOW TO REGISTER YOUR BABY'S BIRTH.

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You've brought a beautiful bundle of joy into the world and you've come up with the perfect name for him or her. As parents of your new-born child, you are legally required to register the birth. You need to register your baby’s birth in order to obtain a birth certificate and give him/her an official identity. So what exactly do you have to do to register the birth of your baby in Trinidad and Tobago?

When do I have to register the birth of my baby?

The registration should be done within three (3) months of the child’s birth. If done during this three month period, the registration is free. If a birth is registered after the three-month period, a request for a late registration has to be made to the Registrar General at the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs – for which there is a cost.

Where do I go to register a birth?

The registration must be done at the District Registrar nearest to where the child was born. District Registrars are located throughout Trinidad and Tobago. District Registrars are also located at the following public hospitals:

• Port of Spain General Hospital
  
  
• San Fernando General Hospital
  
  
• Mt. Hope Maternity Hospital and
  
  
• Sangre Grande County Hospital

 
What do I need to register a birth?

You will need to provide the following documents to the District Registrar:-

• Valid government ID.
  
  
• Letter/hospital record/card from Hospital.
  
  
• Birth certificate of the parent(s) of the child.
  
  
• Marriage certificate of the parents of the child (if married).

The District Registrar will also ask you to include the baby’s given names, these are the first and middle names of the child.  Only a first name is required at the time of registration.

A person present at the birth can also register the birth. In this instance, the National ID Card of the informant, along with the above mentioned documents are required.

How do you include the Father’s Name in the registration?

If you are married, either spouse can go to the District Registrar to register the birth, but you must present your original marriage certificate along with the other required documents.

If you are not married, you together with the father of the child must visit the District Registrar to register the birth, each with your originals and copies of valid forms of ID.

If the father’s name is not recorded at the time of registration, both parents must appear together at any of the Registrar General’s Department office (Arima, San Fernando, Port of Spain or Tobago) to have the father’s name inserted on the child’s birth certificate.

The Name Insertions Unit will then process the application and the birth certificate will be updated to include this information. Insertion of the father’s name can also be done by a paternity order issued by a court.

The minimum cost/fee per child to insert the father's name on the birth certificate is $75.00TTD and this cost includes the replacement birth certificate.

Can I still do a registration after 3 months of my child’s birth?

Yes you can but it would be considered to be a late registration. 

​If you are doing the registration after three (3) months of the birth but before one (1) year, you will be required to submit the following documents to the District Registrar:

• ID of informant.
  
  
• Letter/hospital record/card from hospital.
  
  
• Birth certificate of parents.
  
  
• If parents are married, marriage certificate should be presented.
  
  
• Immunization card.
  
  
• You would also need current affidavits in support to register the birth.

There is also a cost for late registration: $20.00TTD for the District Registrar and $50.00TTD to the Warden’s Office.

If you are doing the registration after one (1) year of the birth you will be required to submit the following documents to the District Registrar:

IF BIRTH WAS AT THE HOSPITAL:

1. The immunization card of the child.
   
   
2. If parents were married, the marriage certificate of the parents;
   
   
3. The birth certificates of all siblings born before and after the child;
   
   
4. The identification card of the mother or father of the child, where possible, the identification cards of both;
   
   
5. A letter from the school attended by the child stating date of birth given at time of entry to school;
   
   
6. A baptismal certificate, if any, of the child;
   
   
7. An affidavit from the mother or father or the child, stating the particulars of birth and reason for the non-registration of the birth of the child; and
   
   
8. A letter from the hospital stating the date of birth of the child;
   
   

IF BIRTH WAS AT HOME:

1. The immunization card of the child.
   
   
2. If parents were married, the marriage certificate of the parents;
   
   
3. The birth certificates of all siblings born before and after the child;
   
   
4. The identification card of the mother or father of the child, where possible, the identification cards of both;
   
   
5. A letter from the school attended by the child stating date of birth given at time of entry to school;
   
   
6. A baptismal certificate, if any, of the child;
   
   
7. An affidavit from the mother or father or the child or person having charge of the child, stating the reason for the non-registration of the birth of the child; and
   
   
8. An affidavit from a person present at birth, e.g. aunt, grandmother, midwife
   
   
9. An affidavit from prominent person in the area where the child was born, e.g. doctor, lawyer, teacher, priest, pundit, police officer.
   
   

There is also a cost for late registration after one year of birth: $25.00TTD to the District Registrar and $75.00TTD to the Warden’s Office.

Important Notice: This post does not constitute or provide legal advice. Always consult with a suitably qualified attorney-at-law on any legal problem or issue.

Law For All is managed by the Aurora Chambers Legal Practice.

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