President Assents To Registration Of Births & Deaths (Amendment) Act, 2026
The President has granted assent to the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act, 2026, introducing a significant change to the procedure for delayed registration of births and deaths by reducing the need for judicial intervention in cases where the delay is up to two years.
The Act (Act No. 12 of 2026), passed by both Houses of Parliament last week, amends Section 13 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969. The Act will come into force on a date to be notified by the Central Government.
District Magistrate to Handle Registrations Delayed Up to Two Years
Under the amended law, where information regarding a birth or death is furnished after one year but within two years of its occurrence, registration can be carried out only upon an order issued by a District Magistrate, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, or an Executive Magistrate authorised by the District Magistrate having jurisdiction over the area where the event occurred.
The designated authority must verify the correctness of the birth or death before directing registration, and the applicant must pay the prescribed fee.
The amendment also clarifies that the expression "Executive Magistrate" refers to an Executive Magistrate appointed under Section 14(1) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023
Judicial Magistrate Approval Needed Beyond Two Years
The amendment retains judicial scrutiny for cases involving longer delays.
Where delayed information is furnished after two years of the occurrence of the birth or death, registration will continue to require an order from a Judicial Magistrate of the First Class having territorial jurisdiction. The Judicial Magistrate must verify the correctness of the birth or death before directing registration, subject to payment of the prescribed fee.
Prior to the amendment, all registrations sought after one year of the occurrence required an order from a Judicial Magistrate of the First Class.
The amendment therefore transfers authority over registrations delayed by more than one year but not exceeding two years from the judiciary to the executive, while preserving the requirement of judicial approval for delays exceeding two years.