Changes to the law

Timing of changes

The Attorney General has announced the new Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 2023 will start on 24 June 2024.

Go to the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages home.

Changes that have been made

Some of the most significant changes include new rules allowing:

• a person to alter their sex on legal documents to align with their gender identity, including non-binary gender identities
• parents to choose how they identify in their parenting role on their child’s birth certificate (mother, father, parent)
• someone with court-ordered parental responsibility for a child to make applications on the child’s behalf
• all siblings (including half-siblings) to be shown on a child’s birth certificate instead of only full siblings
• de facto partners of the person who passed away to be shown on death certificates.

These changes were informed by thorough and extensive consultation. They are designed to update our services to better recognise trans and gender diverse people and modern families.

Correcting certificates

The new Act may, in some situations, let you apply to correct a current certificate.

For example, a lesbian couple who were required under the current law to register as their child’s mother and parent—will be able to apply to correct their child’s birth certificate to show themselves as the child’s mothers.

We are working on a new policy that will provide information about what details can be corrected this way, and how you can apply.