Birth

Under the Civil Code of Québec, every birth that takes place in Québec must be declared to the Directeur de l'état civil.

The birthing physician or the midwife is responsible for completing the Attestation of Birth, which is attached to the Declaration of Live Birth.

The child's parents are responsible for declaring their child's birth to the Directeur de l'état civil by completing the Declaration of Birth within 30 days of the birth.

Since June 17, 2022, it specifies the declarant's relationship with the child. The declarant is designated as the father, mother or parent according to the sex designation on their act of birth or, at their choice, as the parent of the child.

As of June 8, 2023, the maximum number of given names that can be given to a child is set to four. This number includes the usual given name.

The information collected by means of the Attestation of Birth and the Declaration of Birth will allow us to enter the birth in the Québec Register of Civil Status.

Once the birth is registered, it is possible to establish the child's identity and filiation (family relationships) and obtain a certificate or a copy of an act of birth as proof of the child's birth.

Important

It is important to mention that, for a civil status document to be issued pertaining to a birth, a marriage, a civil union or a death, this event first must be registered in the Québec Register of Civil Status. It is only once the event is registered that it is possible to process an application for a certificate or copy of an act or attestation concerning this event. To learn more, go to the section Entering of events in the register of civil status.

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Reviewed: 2024-05-07


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© Gouvernement du Québec, 2022

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