• Can I still get a birth certificate from the RGD, even though I lost the old one?
• How do I go about applying for a copy of my birth certificate?
• What is the birth entry number?
• My child is almost two years old and is not registered how do I go about registering him? My child’s father ‘s name is not on her birth certificate, how do I go about adding it?
• My name is spelt incorrectly on my birth certificate, how can I correct it?
• How do I go about registering a death?

• What is a No-Impediment?

• What do I do when in response to my application I receive the certificate and I suspect that the information on it is “incorrect?”
  

Can I still get a birth certificate from the RGD, even though I lost the old one?
Yes as long as you were born and registered in Jamaica you can obtain a birth certificate by simply applying to the RGD for copies of the document.

How do I go about applying for a copy of my birth certificate?
In applying for a birth certificate you must submit the following information:

Name of child, Age of the child, Sex-whether male or female, Date of Birth, Place of Birth-name of hospital or address of home), Parish of birth, Birth entry number, Parent’s name and  Place of registration District of birth 

What is the birth entry number?
The birth entry number referred to as the  “entry number” is the Birth Registration number and is an index of the birth. It is usually found on the top right hand corner of the birth certificate or the certificate of registry referred to as the “pink slip” For Entry Number EA 103 the E means that the birth took place in the parish of St. Catherine, the A indicates that the birth occurred in the main town of Spanish Town and the figure 103 is a sequence of the births registered in the year to date for that district.

My child’s father name is not on her birth certificate, how do I go about adding it?
If parents are not married to each other you can add the father’s name by a process known as status, however if both parents got married to each other after the birth of the child the father’s name is added to the child’s record by a process known as Re-Registration. A Re-Registration requires that you produce a copy of the marriage certificate as proof of the marriage and a list of all children born to mother. 

My child is almost two years old and is not registered how do I go about registering him?
If your child was not registered within the specified one year after birth you need to do a process known as Late Registration. This process involves completing an application form which requires:

• First primary or prep school record
• Baptismal record
• Three Statutory Declarations
• List of all children born to mother
• Certificate of naming

My five-year-old child’s birth has been registered, however I could not decide on a name at the time of birth so how can I enter a name on his records?
If your child’s birth was registered but no name is on the record within the specified one year after birth you need to do a process known as Late Entry of Name. For this process you will need to complete a form from the RGD, you will also need to bring in documentary evidence such as a passport, drivers license, school record and a joint statutory declaration as to the name the child is known as since birth.

My name is spelt incorrectly on my birth certificate, how can I correct it?
You can correct the error by a process known as a Correction of Error. Correction of Error corrects errors of fact such as age, place of birth and name.

How do I go about registering a death?
In the case of a death from natural causes the death must registered five days after the person has died. However you may send the Local District Registrar a written notice that the person has died along with the medical certificate of the cause of death received from the attending doctor within fourteen days after the death.

In the case of sudden and/or violent death contact the nearest police station if the person was not under a doctor’s care or if foul play is suspected. A post mortem or autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death .The police will issue an order burial (pink paper) this not a registration!!

Deaths are registered from:

• Medical Certificate of the Cause of Death
• Post Mortem Examination Report
• Coroners Certificate of finding of Jury
• Certificate of Coroner

What is a No-Impediment?

A No-Impediment Certificate commonly referred to in North America as a “single status affidavit” is an official document indicating that an individual has never been married.  In Jamaica No-Impediment Certificates are issued on security paper by the Registrar General’s Department. It is the document that can be used as evidence that an individual has never entered into a union of marriage in the island of Jamaica. If a marriage is located with records of the RGD; the applicant is advised via a no-impediment letter.

1. You should return all the certificates that were printed and delivered to you.
   
2. A receipt will be issued to validate that you have returned all copies.
   
3. Internal checks will be done at our offices to determine whether or not the error was on the Agency’s part.
   
4. If the error was a fault of the Agency your certificates will be corrected, reprinted and delivered within 10 days at no cost to you.
   
5. If not, you will be required to do a Correction of Error. This corrects errors of fact such as place of birth, name and parents’ particulars.
   

Some of the reasons that may warrant a Correction of Error to be done include:

• Parent using their pet name when registering their child/children
  
• Giving the Incorrect Place of Birth for mother/father
  
• Giving the incorrect spelling of father’s name

RGD Error

• Mis-interpretation of Registrar’s handwriting. Eg. An “O” for an “A”