NSW to introduce digital birth certificates for people aged 16 to 21
Australians in NSW will soon have access for the first time to a digital birth certificate on their mobile phone.
People aged 16 to 21 will be able to apply for an online certificate from March 2026 under the first stage of the rollout.
NSW Digital and Customer Services Minister Jihad Dib said the rollout would make it safer and easier for people to confirm their identity.
Sign up to The Nightly's newsletters.
Get the first look at the digital newspaper, curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox.
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“Not only will it help you prove your identity, it will safeguard your information and give you more control of your personal data through better consent and privacy measures,” Mr Dib said.
“The digital birth certificate means you will have access to this important document anytime, wherever you are, and removes the issue of where to safely keep a paper copy.”
The digital certificate is optional and will be limited to residents born in NSW and who hold a photo card or NSW drivers licence.
It will initially only be available for use at Service NSW centres to apply for certain NSW government transactions, including for an Responsible Service of Alcohol and Responsible Conduct of Gambling competency card.
Service NSW and the NSW Registry said they were engaging with industry leaders to ensure the document will be widely accepted in future by government, businesses, schools, clubs and sporting organisations.
The NSW government piloted a digital birth certificate in 2024 for select early childhood education centres and Vision Australia clients.
More than 1400 signed up for the stand-alone app, with the certificate primarily serving young people.
Digital driver’s licenses were introduced in NSW statewide in October 2019, only the second state to do so after South Australia.
Originally published as NSW to introduce digital birth certificates for people aged 16 to 21
