Chennai Corporation Birth Certificate – Application, Download, Correction, and More

The process for birth registration in Chennai differs based on where the child is born – at a hospital or your residence. Given below are the details for registering the birth and applying for a corporation of Chennai birth certificate:

1. If the child is born in a hospital (Institutional birth registration in Chennai)

Institutional births – births that happen at government and private hospitals or other healthcare facilities – cannot be reported by the child’s father, mother, or family. As per the Registration of Births and Deaths (RBD) Act, 1969, the hospital where the baby is born should register the birth.

After the baby is born, the hospital will ask you to fill in an application form with details like the mother’s name, father’s name, identity proof, address, etc. The medical officer-in-charge at the hospital will share these details with the concerned authorities at the Greater Chennai Corporation.

Your child’s birth certificate in Chennai will be generated using these details in a few days. It is then made available on the official website of the GCC. You can download the Chennai online birth certificate by clicking here and entering the required details.

If you have not named the child at the time of birth registration, you can include the name online later. The Chennai birth certificate name inclusion option available on the GCC website will allow you to add the child’s name online in some simple and easy steps.

2. If the child is born at your residence (home birth registration)

In the case of domiciliary births (if the birth took place at your residence), you must report it to concerned authorities and complete the birth registration within 21 days. Here are the details of domiciliary birth registration or home birth registration in Chennai:

When to register the birth – Within 21 days of its occurrence

Who should report the birth – The person responsible for reporting and registering a home birth is:
1. The head of the household should report and register home births.
2. In the absence of the head of the household during the period of registration (21 days), it is
the duty of the nearest relative of the head of the house present in the house.
3. If there is no such person present, the oldest adult male present in the said duration can
register the birth.
4. You can also report the birth through prescribed notifiers, such as ASHA workers, Anganwadi
workers, and others.

Where to register – The birth should be reported to the area sanitary inspector.

Documents required – Typically, the following documents are required for registering a home birth in Chennai. Please check with your zonal office or the concerned authorities for more details:
1. Declaration by parents in the prescribed format
2. Address/ID proof of parents
3. Medical certificate/letter from the doctor who attended the birth
4. Application form (Form 1)
5. Any other forms/documents as required by the authorities

If your child is born in a hospital, the birth is registered by the concerned medical officer at the hospital within 21 days. Typically, you will need to submit the following documents to register the birth of your child and obtain the corporation of Chennai birth certificate: 

1. Application form (it will be given to you at the hospital)
2. ID/Address proof of the parents
3. Any other documents are required by the hospital authorities

Was your child born at your residence? Check the previous question for the list of documents required for birth registration and birth certificate application.

The hospital where your child is born will register the birth within 21 days of its occurrence. You can download your child’s Chennai corporation birth certificate online within one or two weeks after the registration. Major government hospitals in the city also provide birth certificates at the time of discharge.

Given below is the process on how to apply for and obtain your newborn child’s birth certificate in Chennai corporation:

Step 1: The first step for getting the birth certificate in Chennai corporation is to register the birth of your child with the municipal corporation of Chennai. Please note that if the baby is born in a hospital, the registration is done by the medical in-charge at the hospital. You don’t have to go to the municipal corporation office or zonal office to apply for the birth certificate.

Step 2: The concerned authorities at the hospital will give you an application form for birth registration > Fill in the form with all required details > Submit your identity proof and any other documents and details required (Aadhaar card, address proof, etc.).

Step 3: The hospital will submit the details to the concerned registrars at the city municipal corporation. This is done within 21 days of your child’s birth.

Step 4: The municipal corporation will generate your child’s birth certificate using the details provided by the hospital. The certificate will be available for download within one or two weeks of registration.

Step 5: You can download your child’s birth certificate online in Chennai for free by clicking here. (Check the next question for a detailed guide on the process of Chennai corporation birth certificate download).

Step 6: If you have not named your child at the time of registration, the online Chennai birth certificate will not have your child’s name > You can include the name online by clicking here.

The Greater Chennai Corporation has digitized and uploaded all birth certificates from 1910 to date online. You can search for your birth certificate or your child’s birth certificate by entering the required details. In the case of a newborn child, the certificate will be made available on the website within one or two weeks of registering the birth.

Here’s how to search for and download your child’s Chennai birth certificate online:

Step 1: Go to the Chennai corporation birth certificate download page > Choose your child’s date of birth > Select Gender > Enter the verification number as shown on the page > Submit.

Step 1 (b): If you want to search by the registration number, name of the child, mother or father, name of the hospital, etc., opt for the Advanced Search option for Chennai corporation birth certificate. (You must mandatorily enter the date of birth and the gender of the child. The rest are optional.)

Step 2: The results of your search for Chennai corporation birth certificate will appear on the screen > Look for your child’s certificate using the father’s name > Click on the Print button.

Step 3: The Chennai corporation birth certificate of your child will open as a PDF document in a new window > You can save or print the certificate.
Given below is a sample birth certificate in Chennai.

Step 4: Here’s how to verify the e-signature on the Chennai corporation birth certificate: Open the certificate using Adobe reader > Right-click on the e-signature > Validate signature > Signature Properties > Show Signature Certificate > Trust > Add to Trusted Certificates > OK > Certificate Documents > Check all three boxes > OK > Validate Certificate > You can now see a green tick mark. The signature is now validated.

You don’t have to visit the concerned zonal office to include your child’s name on the birth certificate in Chennai. You can do it online for free by entering the details uploading the required documents.

Given below is a step-by-step guide on adding the child’s name on the birth certificate for Chennai residents:

Step 1: Go to the Chennai birth certificate name inclusion page.
Step 2: Enter your mobile number > Click on Send OTP > You will receive an OPT on the number > Enter the OTP > Click on Verify OTP.

Step 3: Enter the birth registration number (which you can find on your child’s birth certificate) > Click on the Submit button.

Step 4: You can now see the birth details of the child and the option to include your child’s name on the Chennai birth certificate online.

Step 5: Enter the child’s name in the field given. Make sure that you enter the right spelling because once added, you cannot change the name.

Step 6:  Upload scanned copies of the following documents:
1.  Signed photo ID proof of the parents
2.  Signed and duly filled Declaration Form from the parents. You can download the declaration
form for Chennai birth certificate name inclusion online. For the English version of the form,
click here. To download the form in Tamil, click here.
3.  Date of birth proof certificate
4.  Any other proof
Step 7: Click on the Save button.
Step 8: Your application for Chennai birth certificate name inclusion is now submitted. You will get an acknowledgment number on the screen.
Step 9: The municipal corporation will update your child’s name on the birth certificate after verifying the documents.  
Step 10: Click here to search for and download the updated birth certificate, corporation of Chennai.

Please note that once entered, you cannot change the name on the birth certificate in Chennai or anywhere else in the country. There’s no legal provision for changing the name on the birth certificate.

However, you can change your/your child’s name through gazette publication and use the gazette booklet for changing the name on the passport, Aadhaar card, ration card, school documents, and other records and identity cards.

Also, whenever you have to submit the birth certificate, submit it along with the copy of the gazette as proof of your name change.

As per the Registration of Births and Deaths (RBD) Act, 1969, the birth of a newborn should be registered along with the application form for the birth certificate within 21 days of the child’s birth. This timeline applies to all states and cities in the country, including Chennai.

There’s no application fee if the birth is registered with the municipality within 21 days of its occurrence. However, any delay in registration will result in late penalty fees.
The Chennai corporation birth certification application fees are as follows:

1. If registered within 21 days: No fee
2. Within 30 days: INR 100
3. After 30 days to 1 year: INR 200
4. After 1 year: INR 500

Things to remember:

1.  The fees mentioned above apply to hospitals/medical institutions as the births of
newborns are reported and registered by the hospital authorities.
2.  Individuals have to pay the late fees only in cases of home births. If you are an adult whose
birth was not registered at the time of its occurrence, you can register it now by paying the
fees applicable to birth registration after one year – i.e., INR 500.
3. Due to the pandemic, the CM of Tamil Nadu has waived the penalty of delayed birth
registration in Chennai and other parts of the state. The waiver applies to births that
occurred after January 1, 2020.

Are you an adult who doesn’t have your birth certificate in Chennai corporation? There could be two possible scenarios:
1. Your birth was registered in the municipal corporation records, but you don’t have a birth
certificate. 
2.  Your birth was not registered at the time of its occurrence and you don’t have a certificate
either.
The good news is you can get your Chennai birth certificate even after 20 or 30 or 40 years. Here’s how to apply for and obtain their Chennai corporation birth certificate in these two scenarios.

1.      How to get your birth certificate in Chennai if your birth is registered
If your birth is already registered and your birth details are in the records of the municipal corporation, follow the process mention below to get your Corporation of Chennai birth certificate.

Step 1: Certificates and records of registered births from 1910 are now available on the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) website. So, as the first step, search and see if your birth certificate is available on the GCC birth certificate database.

Step 2: If you cannot find your Chennai birth certificate online, go to the municipal corporation office and meet the Registrar of Births and Deaths.

Step 3: If your birth has been registered in the records, the registrar will be able to find the entry. To find your birth entry in the records, you will have to give details such as the date of birth, mother’s name, father’s name, and the name of the hospital (if you were born in a hospital).  You will also need to pay a search fee to find your birth registration details.

Step 4: Once you have found your birth registration records, apply for your Chennai birth certificate. You must attach some documents and identity proof, such as your secondary school leaving certificate, Aadhaar card, etc., and pay a nominal fee.

Step 5: Once the application is submitted and verified, the municipal corporation will issue your birth certificate in a few days.

1. Fee for searching a single entry for a single year: INR 100
2. Fee for searching the entry (additional years): INR 100 per additional year
3. Fee for issuing the birth certificate extract: INR 200 per copy 

Note: Please check with the registrar/municipal office regarding the documents required and the process of applying for your Chennai corporation birth certificate – they will be able to give you the exact details.  

2.  How to get your Chennai birth certificate if your birth is not registered

To get a birth certificate in Chennai or anywhere else in the country, your birth should be registered first. If your birth has not been registered, you can register it by obtaining a court order. You can go through the process yourself or hire a lawyer or reputed agency to do it for you.

Given below is the process for registering your birth and getting a birth certificate from Chennai corporation:

Step 1: First, go to the Chennai municipal corporation office and request a Non-Availability of Birth Certificate (NABC).
Step 2: The registrar/concerned authorities will tell you about the process of obtaining the NABC. Typically, you will need to fill in an application form and submit it along with documents such as:
1.  Address proof
2.  ID proof
3.  School records (Secondary School Leaving Certificate or equivalent)
4.  Affidavit
5. Birth proof such as hospital records

Note: Please check with the municipal corporation authorities to find out the exact documents to be submitted.

Step 3: Once you have received the Non-Availability of Birth Certificate, the next step is to get an order from the magistrate. In Chennai, an Executive Magistrate not below the rank of an RDO (Revenue Divisional Officer) can issue the order for granting the birth certificate.

Step 4: Once you have received the order from the magistrate, visit the registrar at the Chennai corporation for birth certificate issuance. Submit a request to register your birth and issue the birth certificate: 

The charges involved in this process are as follows:

1. Fee for Non-Availability of Birth Certificate: INR 100
2. Fee for delayed birth registration: INR 500
3. Fee for birth certificate extracts: INR 200 per copy

Are you a parent who wants to correct a mistake in your child’s birth certificate in Chennai, such as a spelling mistake or an error in the date of birth? Or, are you an adult who wants to make corrections or updates on your birth certificate?

Please note that currently there is no option for doing the Chennai corporation birth certificate correction online. You must visit the concerned zonal office or the municipal office of Chennai corporation for birth certificate corrections, depending on whether the birth is registered before 1990 or after 1990.

Here’s how to do Chennai birth certificate correction, whether it is your child’s birth certificate or your birth certificate.
Special Note: The process given below is only for correcting the details on your Chennai corporation birth certificate. For instance, you can correct the name from Vidhya to Vidya. You cannot change the name altogether– for, instance, from Vidya to Vijaya. If you want to change the name on your Chennai birth certificate altogether, check the next question.

1.  Chennai corporation birth certificate correction (Births registered before 1990)

Where to go – Visit the Chennai municipal corporation office (Public Relation Centre, Ripon Buildings) during any working day, from 10:00 am to 5.30 pm.

Who can apply – The parent of the child/ the individual who wants to correct her/his birth certificate can apply.

Documents required – The following documents are required for correcting the birth certificate at Chennai corporation’s office:
1.  Application form (you will get it at the counter)
2.  Request letter from the parents/individual
3.  Notarized affidavit
4. Proof documents – Driving license, Aadhaar card, the first and last pages of the passport, SSLC mark sheet/school documents, PAN, ration card, marriage certificate, etc. of the parents or individual.

Note: Depending on what you want to correct/update, additional documents might be required. The authorities at the registrar’s office will instruct you on the same.

Timeline of sanction – Once you submit the application and all required documents, the Registrar of Births will make the required corrections on your Chennai birth certificate. Typically, it takes about 7 working days.

Contact number – 044-25619251.
Correction Fee: As applicable

2.  Chennai corporation birth certificate correction (Births registered after 1990 till date)

Where to go: Visit the concerned zonal office. The name and the number of the zone can be found on the birth certificate.

Who can apply for the correction: The parent (in the case of a child) or the individual (in the case of adults)

Documents required:
The documents required for corporation of Chennai birth certificate correction for births registered after 1990 to date are as follows:
1.  Application form for name correction (you can obtain the form at the office counter)
2.  Request letter from parents (for children) or the individual
3.  Affidavit
4. Documents depending on whether you want to correct the name, parents’ name, initials, surname, date of birth, or other details – Aadhaar card, driving license, the first and last pages of the passport, PAN, ration card, marriage certificate, SSLC mark sheet/school documents, and other ID proof documents of the parents or individual.

Correction Fee: As applicable

Note: Please note that you might be asked to produce additional documents, such as hospital records if required. Kindly check with the zonal office for more details.

Timeline of sanction: After the successful submission and verification of the application and documents, corrections to your Chennai birth certificate will be made typically within 7 working days.

Contact numbers: Given below are the Chennai zonal office contact numbers for birth certificate correction: