Obtain Death Certificate: Karnataka

Concerned Authorities

The Chief Registrar of Births and Deaths and the Director of Economics and Statistics.

In Rural areas,

Registrar (rural) - Village Accountant.

In Urban areas

the following are the registrars

In case of City corporations: Health officer.

In case of City Municipal councils: Health officer/Health inspector.

In case of Town Municipal councils: Health inspector.

In case of Notified areas/ Project areas/Cantonment - Health inspector.

Persons required to register the birth/deaths :

Persons required to register births and deaths within the prescribed period of 21 (twenty one ) days from the date of birth/ still birth or death as the case may be, are as shown below.

·         In respect of births and deaths in a house, the head of the house/ household, and if he is not present at any time during the period within which the birth/ death has to be reported, then the nearest relative present in the house or the oldest adult male person present in the house during the said period;

·         In respect of births/ deaths in a hospital or health center or a maternity or nursing home or other like institutions, the medical officer in charge or any person authorized by him on his behalf;

·         In respect of births and deaths in a jail, the jailor in charge;

·         In respect of births/ deaths in a choultry, chattram, hostel, dharamshala, boarding-house, lodging-house, tavern, barrack, toddy shop or place of public resort, the person in charge there of;

·         In respect of any new-born child or dead body found deserted in a public place, the headman or the corresponding officer of the village in the case of a village, the officer in charge of the local police station elsewhere;

·         In any other place, such a person as may be prescribed.

Extracts of birth/death registration :

The extracts of the particulars from the register relating to births or deaths are to be given to an informant as noted above within thirty days from the date of its reporting. If the informant fails to collect the extracts of the registration of birth/ death, then the registrar would transmit the same to the concerned family by post within fifteen days of the expiry of the thirty-day period.

Authority for delayed registration and fee payable thereof

·         Any birth/ death of which information is given to the Registrar after the expiry of 21 days from the date of occurrence but within 30 days of the same, shall be registered on payment of a late fee of Rs.2/- ( Rupees Two only).

·         Any birth/ death of which information is given to the Registrar after thirty days but within one year of its occurrence, shall be registered only with the written permission of the Tahsildar or Commissioner/ Chief officer as the case may be, and on payment of a late fee of Rs.5/- (Rupees Five only).

·         Any birth or death which has not been registered within one year of its occurrence, shall be registered only on an order of a Magistrate of the first class or a Presidency Magistrate and on payment of late fees of Rs.10/- (Rupees Ten only).

Registration of births/deaths of Indian citizens outside India.

Indian Consulates register the births and deaths of Indian citizens occurring outside India, as per the provisions made in the Citizens Rules 1956, under the Citizenship Act 1955, and issue birth and death certificates. The certificate issued by the Indian Consulates is valid and holds good for all purposes. Also, Indian citizens have been allowed to register the births of their children at the place of their usual residence, within 60 days after their return to India, if they return with a view to settling here.

Registration of Deaths of missing persons

For registration of deaths, information on the date and place of death of a person is required. However, in case of a missing person, her/his death is presumptive where the actual date of death and place of death cannot be ascertained. Ordinarily, a person unheard of for the statutory period shall be presumed to be dead on the expiry of 7 years and not earlier. The presumption of death and its date and place of occurrence is a matter of burden of proof. The date and place of the death of a person who is missing for more than 7 years, is determined by the competent court/ authority on the basis of oral and documentary evidence produced before him in this regard. Since the Registration of Birth and Death Act and Rules is silent on the question of determination of the date and place of death of a missing person, the date and place determined by the court in a declaratory suit as may be filed for this purpose can be relied upon.

Corrections and Cancellations

The Registrar can correct or cancel any entry in the register which is erroneous in form, or subject to the provisions of these rules. The errors may be of different types like

1. Clerical or formal error : In this case, the Registrar must inquire into the matter and satisfy herself/ himself that such an error has been made and send an extract of the copy of the correction to the Tahsildar/ Commissioner/ Chief Officer as the case may be.
2. Error in substance : In this case, the Registrar can correct the entry upon production of a declaration setting forth the nature of the error and the true facts of the case made by two credible persons having knowledge of the facts of the case. All the corrections should be reported along with the necessary details to the Tahsildar or Commissioner/ Chief officer, as the case may be.
3. Fraudulent or improper entry : This is an offense punishable under the Act. Therefore, the Registrar must report to the Additional District Registrar, who is the prosecuting officer, and take necessary action on hearing from him.

Issue of Certificates:

Under the RBD Act, a person can obtain an extract from the register relating to a birth or death on payment of a fee of Rs.5/-. Such extracts are to be issued in Form 5 in the case of birth and Form 6 in case of death. In the extract of death, the particulars regarding the cause of death are not to be disclosed. Under Section 12 of the RBD Act, the Registrar should, "as soon as the registration of birth and death has been completed, give an extract of the registration free of charge to the person who gives the information". The Registrar should not only issue the first copy of the birth or death certificate free of charge but also should do so as soon as the registration is completed.

Fee

The fees payable for a search to be made, an extract or a non-availablility certificate to be issued shall be as follows:

Any such extract with regard to birth or death shall be issued by the Registrar or the Tahsildar or Commissioner/Chief officer of the Municipal corporation/ Municipal council as the case may be, in appropriate forms.

If any particular event of birth or death is not found registered, the Registrar shall issue a non-availability certificate in the appropriate form.

Any such extract or non-availability certificate may be furnished to the person asking for it or may be sent to him by post on payment of the postal charges there of.