JPN (Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara), the National Registration Department, is a department under the Ministry of Home Affairs that registers births, deaths, adoptions, marriages and divorces, handles citizenship status matters under the Federal Constitution, and issues identity cards — MyKad, MyKid, MyPR and MyKAS. It has existed since the Peraturan-Peraturan Darurat (Kawasan-Kawasan Pendaftaran) 1948 and operates mainly under the Akta Pendaftaran Negara 1959 (Akta 78) and the Akta Pendaftaran Kelahiran dan Kematian 1957 (Akta 299).
- A department under the Ministry of Home Affairs; began with the Peraturan-Peraturan Darurat (Kawasan-Kawasan Pendaftaran) 1948, which made an identity card compulsory at age 12
- Core statutes: the Akta Pendaftaran Negara 1959 (Akta 78) and the Akta Pendaftaran Kelahiran dan Kematian 1957 (Akta 299)
- A birth in Malaysia must be registered within 60 days; ordinary registration carries no fee
- A citizen child must register for a MyKad on reaching age 12 — within 30 days, failing which a processing fee is charged
- JPN's civil marriage registration is for non-Muslims only, under the Akta Membaharui Undang-Undang (Perkahwinan dan Perceraian) 1976 (Akta 164)
- Birth and death procedures are listed separately for Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak — the forms and sections are not the same
Who this applies to: Anyone who needs to identify which agency issues or corrects a Malaysian identity document, and under which law and region that procedure sits.
On this page
Every Malaysian citizen has a file at JPN that is opened before they can speak and closed after they die. Birth certificate, MyKad, marriage certificate, death certificate — all of them come out of the same department.
At a glance
| Full name | Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara / National Registration Department |
| Type | Federal department |
| Origin | Peraturan-Peraturan Darurat (Kawasan-Kawasan Pendaftaran) 1948, an Emergency-era security measure |
| Reports to | Ministry of Home Affairs |
| Headquarters | Precinct 2, Federal Government Administrative Centre, Putrajaya (since December 2004) |
| Website | jpn.gov.my |
It was the 1948 Regulations that first required every resident to register and hold an identity card on reaching age 12 — an obligation that remains in place today. The department was later given the additional function of registering all vital events: births, deaths, adoptions, marriages, divorces and citizenship.
Core statutes
| Statute | Subject matter |
|---|---|
| Akta Pendaftaran Negara 1959 (Akta 78) | Registration of persons and identity cards |
| Peraturan-Peraturan Pendaftaran Negara 1990 | Age of registration and card conditions |
| Akta Pendaftaran Kelahiran dan Kematian 1957 (Akta 299) | Register of births and deaths |
| Akta Membaharui Undang-Undang (Perkahwinan dan Perceraian) 1976 (Akta 164) | Non-Muslim marriage and divorce |
| Federal Constitution, Part III | Citizenship status |
Akta 78 came into force on different dates by region: 1 August 1960 in Peninsular Malaysia, 30 March 1966 in Sarawak, 1 June 1972 in Sabah and 16 April 1984 in the Federal Territory of Labuan. That is why the birth and death application categories on the JPN portal are listed separately for the three regions.
The five registers it administers
- Birth — ordinary and late registration; birth certificates and register extracts; re-registration for certificates that are lost or destroyed (Seksyen 4A).
- Death — death registration and register extracts, including correction of death particulars.
- Marriage and divorce — registration of non-Muslim civil marriage with or without a licence, and re-registration of marriages solemnised abroad.
- Adoption — registration of adoption.
- Citizenship — applications for status, confirmation of status, registration of births outside the Federation, correction of particulars, and renunciation and deprivation of citizenship under the Federal Constitution (including registration of special circumstances under Article 15A).
The identity cards it issues
| Document | For whom |
|---|---|
| MyKad | Citizens aged 12 and above |
| MyKid | Citizen children before they become eligible for a MyKad |
| MyPR | Permanent residents — required to convert to MyPR from 1 June 2006 |
| MyKAS | Temporary residents |
The three deadlines most often missed
60 days for a birth. Ordinary registration is registration made within 60 days of the date of birth, with no fee. After that it becomes a late registration with stricter review.
30 days for a first MyKad. Peraturan 3, Peraturan-Peraturan Pendaftaran Negara 1990 (Pindaan 2007) requires a citizen child who reaches age 12 to register for an identity card. The application must be made within 30 days of the date of turning 12; after that a processing fee is charged. The fee amount is not listed here — check JPN’s official fee schedule on the date of your transaction.
6 months for a marriage abroad. A citizen who marries under a foreign law needs to re-register that marriage under Seksyen 31 Akta 164 — attending a JPN counter or a Malaysian representative office within 6 months of the date the marriage was registered abroad. Failure to do so can lead to action under Seksyen 35 of the same Act.
What people most often get wrong
Muslim marriage is not JPN’s business. JPN’s marriage service is stated for non-Muslim applicants only, under Akta 164, which came into force on 1 March 1982. Registration of Muslim marriages (nikah) falls under the jurisdiction of the state Islamic religious department.
Procedure is not uniform across Malaysia. The form and application category must be taken according to the region where the event is being registered — Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah or Sarawak — not where the applicant currently lives.
Service channels
- e-Services JPN — online applications for birth registration,
certificate extracts, identity card applications and civil marriage at
jpn.gov.my. - ezJPN — JPN’s official mobile application that brings together digital services for the public, government agencies, statutory bodies and law firms, covering user registration, applications, payment and document submission.
- MEKAR — a mobile outreach service that brings the JPN counter to vulnerable groups: Mekar Ihsan (senior citizens, persons with disabilities (OKU), bedridden patients), Mekar Komuniti (agencies, NGOs and resident associations), Mekar Pahlawan (military and police personnel) and Mekar Identiti (detainees, care centres and individuals with citizenship status issues).
Where other context lives
| Topic | Article |
|---|---|
| Citizenship provisions (Part III) | Federal Constitution |
| Entry Permit and permanent resident matters | Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia |
| Tax numbers and taxpayer registration | LHDN |
| Business entity registration | SSM |
What’s next
Confirm the form and document checklist at jpn.gov.my according to
region before going to the counter, because the requirements for
Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak differ. For citizenship matters,
start with the relevant Part III provision of the Federal
Constitution before choosing an
application form.
How long is the window for registering a birth in Malaysia?
Ordinary registration is registration made within 60 days of the date of a child's birth in Malaysia. It can be done at a JPN counter and no fee is charged. After that period, the application becomes a late registration, with different conditions and review.
Does JPN register Muslim marriages?
No. JPN's marriage and divorce registration service is stated specifically for non-Muslim applicants under the Akta Membaharui Undang-Undang (Perkahwinan dan Perceraian) 1976 (Akta 164), which came into force on 1 March 1982. Muslim marriages are registered through the state Islamic religious department, not JPN.
What is the difference between MyKad, MyKid, MyPR and MyKAS?
MyKad is the identity card for citizens aged 12 and above. MyKid is the identity document for citizen children before they become eligible for a MyKad. MyPR is the identity card for permanent residents — all holders of permanent resident status were required to convert their identity card to MyPR from 1 June 2006. MyKAS, in turn, is the identity card for temporary residents.
Are JPN procedures the same in Sabah and Sarawak?
Not entirely. The JPN portal lists birth and death services separately for Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, with different application categories and legal references. The Akta Pendaftaran Negara 1959 itself came into force on a different date in each region. Confirm the form according to the region where the event is being registered.
Sources
- Sejarah — Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara — Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara
- Pendaftaran Kelahiran Biasa (Semenanjung) — Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara
- Permohonan MyKad Bagi Kanak-Kanak 12 Tahun — Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara
- Pendaftaran Perkahwinan Bagi Pemohon Bukan Beragama Islam — Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara
- MyPR — Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara
- MEKAR — Perkhidmatan Bergerak JPN — Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara
- Akta 78 — Akta Pendaftaran Negara 1959 — Pejabat Penggubal Undang-Undang, Jabatan Peguam Negara
- Akta 299 — Akta Pendaftaran Kelahiran dan Kematian 1957 — Pejabat Penggubal Undang-Undang, Jabatan Peguam Negara
Change history
| Version | Date | Change | By |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01.00 | 24 Jul 2026 | Approved and published. | — |