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Overview
All births that occur in Alberta must be registered with the Alberta government by the baby’s parents. Register your baby as soon as is possible after the birth. If you do not register your baby’s birth within a year of the birth, the delayed registration process applies. A birth can only be registered once.
To register a baby's birth:
- the parent(s) must provide the baby’s birth information through the Online Birth Registry
- the hospital or registered midwife sends a confirmation of birth to Vital Statistics
Once all the information is received and all legislated requirements are met, the birth is registered.
On average, it takes about 3 weeks to register a birth. There may be delays if the registration requirements are not met.
A birth certificate cannot be issued until a birth is registered.
When the mother/person who gave birth to a baby cannot register the birth information online or the baby is in the care and custody of a person other than the parents, contact Vital Statistics for special instructions. For a full list of why the Online Birth Registry cannot be used, see Exceptions to using the Online Birth Registry below.
A person who becomes a parent as a result of a surrogacy order or an adoption order is recorded using a different process. Contact Vital Statistics for details if this applies to you.
Naming your baby
You have options when choosing a name for your baby; however, there are some restrictions respecting personal names.
Co-parent
A co-parent can be the:
- biological parent of a baby
- spouse/partner of the mother/person who gave birth to the baby
When a baby is conceived by assisted reproduction, the spouse/partner of the mother/person who gave birth is a co-parent when the:
- mother/person who gave birth and the co-parent were either married or in a conjugal relationship at the time of the assisted conception
- co-parent consented in advance of conception to being a co-parent of the resulting baby and did not withdraw that consent before the baby was conceived
For the full definition of who can be legally recorded as a co-parent, see sections 8 and 8.1 in the Family Law Act. A person helping you raise your baby or a guardian of the baby is not a co-parent on a Vital Statistics birth record.
The mother/person who gave birth to the baby and co-parent must both be present to certify the birth information when registering a baby’s birth online.
- A co-parent cannot be recorded on a baby’s birth record when they are not present when the birth is being registered online.
- A co-parent may be added to a baby’s birth record later with an amendment; fees apply after 90 days (from the baby’s date of birth). Contact Vital Statistics for details.
The only way to remove a co-parent after a birth is registered is with a court order.
Birth certificates
If you do not order a birth certificate for your baby using the Online Birth Registry or you need to get another certificate/document, order birth certificates or birth documents from an Alberta registry agent.
Register a birth online
After your baby is born, register your baby’s birth information using the Online Birth Registry – best results are with a laptop or desktop.
Never register your baby’s birth information with Vital Statistics more than once.
When you register your baby’s information online, you may also:
- apply for Canada Child Benefits for your baby
- apply for a Social Insurance Number for your baby
- order your baby’s birth certificate (the cost is $40 for each birth certificate)
Exceptions to using the Online Birth Registry
Do not register your baby’s birth information using the Online Birth Registry if:
- your baby is not born in Alberta
- your baby is one year old or older
- you already completed a paper Registration of Birth for your baby and sent it to Vital Statistics or left it with the medical facility/midwife
- you already submitted your baby’s birth information through this Online Birth Registry – if you made an error that you need to correct, contact Vital Statistics for instructions
- your baby is born with the aid of a surrogate mother
- you are registering the birth of a baby you are adopting
- you, the other parent or your baby have one name, called a mononym (for example, Jaspreet Singh) – a mononym is when a person’s culture does not distinguish between a given name (first and all middle names) and a last name
- you, the other parent or your baby have only one letter as your given names or last name
- you, or the other parent, have a total of more than 68 characters in your given names
- you, or the other parent, have a total of more than 68 characters in your last name
- your baby will have a total of more than 68 characters in their given names
- your baby will have a total of more than 40 characters in their last name
- your baby is being delivered outside a hospital – see unassisted birth below for the full details
If any of the above exceptions apply to you or you have questions about using special characters, do not register the birth using the Online Birth Registry; contact Vital Statistics for special instructions.
After you registered your baby’s information online and Vital Statistics receives notice from the medical professional that assisted with the birth (for example, physician, midwife), Vital Statistics will complete your baby's registration if all the requirements are met.
Register an unassisted birth
A special registration process is required when a physician, midwife, nurse or nurse practitioner did not assist with the birth.
To register an unassisted birth, supporting evidence is required. There are 2 kinds of evidence that can be provided depending on if the baby and mother/person who gave birth go to a medical facility within 48 hours of the baby's birth.
The following outlines the general process required to register an unassisted birth in Alberta.
It is a criminal offence to fraudulently register a birth.
Step 1. Complete the request form
Request for an Unassisted Birth Package
You can also call Vital Statistics and get the form sent to you.
Step 2. Send the request form
Send the Request for an Unassisted Birth Package form to Vital Statistics by email, fax or mail.
Email: [email protected]
Fax: 780-422-4225
Mail:
Vital Statistics
Box 2023
Edmonton, Alberta T5J 4W7
Attention: Birth Unit
Vital Statistics will then send you an Unassisted Birth Package including details about the required evidence needed to support the birth details.
Step 3. Gather the required supporting evidence
Evidence supporting your baby’s birth is required; use either Option A or Option B.
Option A: Medical letter
You will need a letter from a medical facility (for example, a hospital or medical clinic) visited within 48 hours after your baby’s birth.
The letter must be on medical facility letterhead and contain the following information:
- full name of the mother/person who gave birth
- baby’s full name (if known by the medical facility)
- baby’s sex (male/female)
- baby’s date of birth
- baby’s place of birth
- date the mother/person who gave birth and the baby were examined at the medical facility
- name and title of the person who examined the mother/person who gave birth and the baby (this must be a physician, midwife, nurse or nurse practitioner)
- confirm who gave birth to the baby
- name, title, contact information and signature of the person who wrote the letter (this must be the medical facility administrator or a physician, midwife, nurse or nurse practitioner)
Option B: Documentary evidence
You will need to provide the following:
- evidence the mother/person who gave birth to the baby was pregnant within the applicable time
- evidence the mother/person who gave birth to the baby was present in Alberta at the time of the birth
- evidence the baby was born alive
- evidence of the baby’s sex (male or female)
See the Unassisted birth proof guide for full details and examples for each of the above required pieces of evidence.
Step 4. Mail the evidence documents to Vital Statistics
Mail the evidence documents to Vital Statistics for review.
If sending affidavits, they must be originals – copies will be rejected.
Mail:
Vital Statistics
Box 2023
Edmonton, Alberta T5J 4W7
Attention: Birth Unit
After Vital Statistics examines the documents you send, they will determine if all the requirements are met. If met, Vital Statistics will send you a letter explaining the final steps and the required birth forms to complete the registration of your baby’s birth.
Step 5. Complete the birth forms Vital Statistics sends to you
Complete the Notice of a Live Birth form
- This is a paper form completed and signed by the person who helped with the delivery of your baby.
Complete the Registration of Birth form
- This is a paper form completed by the mother/person who gave birth and their spouse/partner.
- Birth certificates will be produced from the information on this document.
- Do not register your baby's birth through the Online Birth Registry.
Step 6. Mail the birth forms to Vital Statistics
Send the completed Notice of a Live Birth, Registration of Birth and any other applicable forms/documents to the Vital Statistics office for review and registration.
Mail:
Vital Statistics
Box 2023
Edmonton, Alberta T5J 4W7
Attention: Birth Unit
Vital Statistics will examine the documents and, if all requirements are met, register your baby's birth.
Once the baby’s birth is registered, you may order birth certificates or birth documents for your baby from an Alberta registry agent.
Delayed registration of birth
If a birth is not registered within one year from a baby’s date of birth, evidence, affidavits and additional fees apply to register the birth. For full details, contact Vital Statistics.
Additional resources
Canada Learning Bond/Canada Education Savings Grant
Learn more about early savings for your baby's post-secondary education, such as:
- Registered Education Savings Plans (RESP)
- Canada Learning Bond (CLB), which is available to eligible children from low income families
- Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG), which is available to all eligible children regardless of family income
Contact
Connect with the Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Contact Centre:
Hours: 8:15 am to 4:30 pm (open Monday to Friday, closed statutory holidays)
Phone: 780-427-7013 (Edmonton and area)
Toll free: 310-0000 before the phone number (in Alberta)
Fax: 780-422-4225
For the deaf or hard-of-hearing:
TTY: 711 (Edmonton and area)
Toll free TTY: 1-800-855-0511 (in Alberta)
Email: [email protected]
Mail:
Vital Statistics
Box 2023
Edmonton, Alberta T5J 4W7
Attention: Birth Unit
Courier:
Vital Statistics
Document Reception
John E. Brownlee Building
10365 97 Street
Edmonton, Alberta T5J 3W7
Attention: Birth Unit