> Births deaths & marriages  > Apply online

On this page

• Who can apply online
• Online payment & delivery
• Online processing time
• Browser requirements
• Site security

Please be aware that BDM are currently experiencing delays in processing certificate applications, resulting in delays of up to 10 to 15 working days.

Please note: Pre-adoption and Change of Name certificates are not available online - contact our office for more information.

If you knowingly make a false or misleading representation in your application, you may be guilty of an offence under section 51 of the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1996.

Who can apply online

Applications for certificates are subject to the Registrar's Access and Proof of Identity policies. Please ensure that you meet the requirements of the policies before submitting your application online. For example, you may not be able to apply for your brother/sister and/or grandchild's birth certificate in some situations.

Records held at the Registry contain sensitive and personal information about you and your family. Therefore, as a safe guard against identity fraud and to protect your personal information, records are restricted. However, once records become historical, access is open to anyone for family history/research purposes.

Please note that the event must have occurred in South Australia in order for a certificate to be issued from our office. If the registered event occurred in another state or territorythen you must apply to the Registry Office in that state or territory for a certificate.

Online payment & delivery

You may apply for a certificate online either priority service (24 hours) or normal service (within 5 working days).

If you apply for priority service, you must be able to collect the certificate from the Grenfell Street registration office. Priority certificates cannot be sent by registered post. If you apply for a certificate online and require priority service, you will be charged the standard certificate fee plus an additional 32 AUD for priority service. Priority certificates will be processed within 24 hours of application.

Please note that priority service is not available for commemorative certificate applications.

If you apply for a certificate online and want normal service, you have the option to have the certificate to be sent registered post, or to come into the Grenfell Street office to collect the certificate. If you choose to collect the certificate, you will be charged the standard certificate fee only and the postage fee is waived. If you request the certificate to be posted, you will be charged the standard certificate fee plus an additional 9.15 AUD for registered person-to-person postage within Australia, or 13.10 AUD for registered post international.

If you apply for a commemorative certificate online you will be charged the commemorative certificate fee plus an additional 12.25 AUD for registered person-to-person postage within Australia, or 24.70 AUD for registered post international. If you choose to collect the certificate, you will be charged the commemorative certificate fee only and the postage fee is waived.

Certificates will be addressed to the ‘Applicant' who will be required to produce identification and/or sign for the certificate upon delivery by Australia Post (or equivalent international postal agency).

Please note, historical certificates do not attract the postage fee and will be sent via normal post.

Payments can be made using Visa, or MasterCard. Please ensure your credit card is current and that there are sufficient funds in the account before submitting your application.

Online processing time

Priority applications submitted online are processed within 24 hours. If selected, an SMS will be sent to the mobile number provided to notify the applicant that the certificate is ready to collect.

Applications submitted online are normally processed within five (5) working days from receipt, providing all requirements are met (ie access, proof of identity and payment). Commemorative certificates take up to three weeks to process.However, due to high demand, we may sometimes be unable to meet our service charter standards for the provision of marriage, death and family history certificates that are not held on computer.

Please note - our processing time does not include postage. Please allow sufficient time for postage when submitting your application.

Refunds
We generally do not provide refunds for cancellations of application or change of mind. However, if there is a genuine reason and sufficient notice is given, we may consider refunding the application fee. Where an administrative error was made in processing the application, a refund may be provided, or a replacement certificate issued at no cost. When a refund is approved, a refund cheque will be issued within 3-4 weeks.

Browser requirements

The online certificate application facility uses technology such as JavaScript and is best-viewed using Microsoft Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari and Chrome. All other browsers (unless they support the Microsoft Document Object Model) are not supported by this facility.

Our facility also requires the use of ‘cookies'. If your Internet Security settings do not allow the use of cookies, or you have this option switched off, you may encounter difficulties with information appearing on screens.

Please consult your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and/or your browser's documentation for details and to ensure that your browser is compatible with the above features before contacting us.

If you believe you should be able to access secure encrypted sites and are using a browser that supports JavaScript etc, but are still having problems, please e-mail us, so we can investigate further.

Alternatively, application forms can be downloaded from our website and submitted by post or in person.

Site security

When you enter the online application facility, a secure server is used. This is evident by the secure padlock icon in the bottom right corner of your screen and the ‘s' in ‘https' in the web address at the top of your screen. The site and all information you supply (including credit card details) is 128-bit encrypted using the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol.

Resources

Contact us about births, deaths and marriages

Forms for births, deaths & marriages

Fees for births, deaths and marriages

Legislation for births, deaths and marriages

Links for births, deaths and marriages

Publications for births, deaths & marriages

• Home

• Media releases

• Popular pages
  • Business advice
  • Consumers advice
  • Youth advice
  • Online services

• Languages

• A-Z Search

• Help