Birth, death and marriage certificates are produced from information contained in the Births, Deaths and Marriages Register.
Certficates can be corrected if the event was registered in South Australia, but this is limited to:
- spelling or grammar corrections
- inaccurate information - at time of registration.
Apply for a correction
A fee may be charged if incorrect information was supplied for the register.
What you'll need
You’ll need to provide information about the registered person such as:
- names of the person
- date of birth
- place of birth / marriage / death
- your relationship to the person.
Supporting documents
You'll need supporting evidence to prove a correction is needed.
Proof of identity
You will need to provide one of these combinations of documents:
- two documents from list 1
- one document from list 1 and one document from either list 2 or 3
- one document from list 2 and two documents from list 3
- three documents from list 3.
At least one document must show your name and address, and one document must show your signature.
Expired documents are not accepted.
Where a document from list 3 is pfrom list 3 is provided as evidence of your address, it must have been issued within the last three months.
You can upload scanned or photographed images of your ID documents.
If you're applying online, you must include a document from list 1, or your Medicare card, to be verified by the online Document Verification Service (DVS). If you live overseas, you can use your overseas driver’s licence or passport.
| List 1 | List 2 | List 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Australian passport | Government employee photo ID card | Bank statement |
Australian driver’s licence | Overseas driver’s licence | Council rates notice |
| Centrelink concession card | Tertiary student ID card | Utility account statement (electricity, gas, water) |
| Overseas passport | Proof of age card | |
| Aviation/maritime security ID card | Tenancy or lease agreement | |
| Medicare card | Motor vehicle registration papers | |
Australian firearms licence | Telephone or mobile account | |
| Security guard or crowd control licence | ATO notice of assessment | |
| Mortgage documents | ||
| Australian Electoral Commission enrolment | ||
Seniors card | ||
| Superannuation fund statement | ||
| Certified academic university transcript | ||
| Credit or debit card |
Other ways to apply
You can't apply for a certificate over the phone.
Complete the application for correction form (PDF 198KB)
Post the form, supporting documents and payment to:
Births, Deaths and Marriages
Consumer and Business Services
GPO Box 1351
Adelaide SA 5001
Contact Births, Deaths and Marriages
Phone: 131 882
International: +61 8 8204 8532
Post:
GPO Box 1351
Adelaide SA 5001
