Find your ancestors in New Zealand birth index

What can these records tell me?

Transcripts will include the following information:

Full name
Birth year
Stillbirth indicator – Such information began to be recorded in 1912, however some were recorded earlier.
Mother’s first name(s)
Father’s first name(s)
Registration number

By ordering a printout or certificate from the New Zealand Births, Deaths & Marriages website, you can learn additional information such as birthplace and date of birth, as well as parents’ ages and birthplaces. See the section below titled Order printouts and certificates online for more information.

Discover more about these records

Since 1848, births have been recorded in New Zealand. There are a small number of records held that pre-date this. It has been compulsory to register a birth since 1858.

Maori births were registered from 1913-1961, separate from the General register. However, some Maori events were recorded in the General system. Since registration was difficult to enforce, many Maori births were never registered.

The records are from the combined indexes of both the General and Maori registers.

It is important to note the first four digits of the registration refer to the year the event was registered rather than the year of event.

Post-1876 registrations will provide more information because more was required after the Registration of Births and Deaths Act 1875 came into effect.

Order printouts and certificates online

In New Zealand, the Registrar-General is responsible for registering all births, deaths, marriages, civil unions and name changes. The issuing of printouts and certificates provides access to this information.

Birth, death, marriage, civil union and name change printouts and certificates can be ordered by several means: fully online, by phone, face-to-face, or by post.

New Zealand registered historic birth, death and marriage data is available to search online at https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz, where associated printouts and certificates can be ordered for the following:

Births that occurred at least 100 years ago
Stillbirths that occurred at least 50 years ago
Marriages that occurred at least 80 years ago
Deaths that occurred at least 50 years ago or the deceased's date of birth was at least 80 years ago.

Non-historic printouts and certificates can be ordered online subject to using a Realme account (online evidence of identity). https://www.bdmonline.dia.govt.nz/NonHistoricRecords

For more information visit www.govt.nz

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Find your ancestors in New Zealand birth index

Life Events (BDMs)

What can these records tell me?