# Registering Your Child's Birth: How the JPN Process and Birth Certificate Actually Work

> A descriptive explanation of the process for registering a child's birth with the National Registration Department (JPN) — the free 60-day window, what happens after that, the documents required, and how to reapply for a lost or damaged birth certificate.

- Category: settling-in
- Language: en
- Status: published
- Updated: 2026-07-24
- Canonical: https://negaraku.md/en/settling-in/registering-a-birth

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Many new parents treat registering their child's birth as free paperwork
that can be put off until there's time to spare. It genuinely is free —
but only for the **first 60 days**. After that window, JPN classifies the
application as a late registration, a RM50 fee applies, and the list of
documents that must be brought grows longer. Here is how this process
actually works, according to the official portal of the National
Registration Department (JPN).

## The 60-day window: free, but firm

Every birth that occurs in Malaysia (Peninsular) must be registered
within **60 days of the date of birth**. As long as the application is
made within this period, JPN does not charge any fee.

This limit is not a loose guideline — it determines whether the
application is treated as "ordinary registration" or "late registration",
two pathways with entirely different sets of documents and fees.

## Who can be the informant

JPN allows several categories of people to act as the birth informant
(the person who reports and registers the birth):

- The child's biological mother or father
- The child's legal guardian
- Anyone who witnessed or has knowledge of the birth occurring
- Both parents together (specifically for registering the birth of an
  illegitimate child)

The informant is required to **appear in person** at the nearest JPN
office — ordinary registration cannot be completed entirely online.

## Documents required

Core documents for ordinary birth registration:

| Document | Notes |
| --- | --- |
| Form JPN.LM01 (completed) | Official birth registration form, original copy |
| Hospital confirmation of birth, or a doctor's/midwife's confirmation letter | For a birth at home |
| Police report | Specifically for a birth at home |
| Prenatal/pregnant mother's record card | Original and copy |
| Parents' identity cards | Original and copy |
| Informant's identity card, if not the mother/father | Original and copy |
| Death certificate of the mother or father, if relevant | Original and copy |
| Parents' marriage or divorce documents | Original and copy, if relevant |
| Statutory Declaration Form AM80 | If no maternal health care record is available |
| Utility bill (water/electricity/telephone) | If the residential address differs from the identity card |

No fee is charged for ordinary registration within the 60-day window.

## After 60 days: late registration

As soon as the 60-day window has passed, the application is treated as a
**late registration**. Two major changes take effect:

- **An application fee of RM50** is charged.
- Additional supporting documents are required — among them the JPN
  search result, a photograph of the child, the child's health/
  immunisation card, school records or a letter of acknowledgment (if
  relevant), and a sibling's birth certificate as supporting evidence.

Late registration applications can still be made at any JPN office
throughout Peninsular Malaysia, bringing the required documents.

## Sabah and Sarawak: a different window

Sabah and Sarawak do not follow the same 60-day limit as Peninsular
Malaysia. In Sabah, an application is treated as **late registration when
made between the 15th and 42nd day** after birth, with a **RM5**
processing fee. Parents or guardians in Sabah and Sarawak are encouraged
to check the period that applies at their respective state JPN office
before planning a registration date, as limits and fees can differ from
Peninsular Malaysia.

## Getting a birth certificate reissued (extract/copy)

A birth certificate is issued as soon as registration is completed. If
the certificate is later lost, damaged, or an additional copy is needed
(for example for a passport or school application), JPN offers a
**birth register search/extract** service using form **JPN.LM12**
(Peninsular).

Fees charged:

| Service | Fee |
| --- | --- |
| Application fee (birth register search result) | RM10.00 |
| Birth register extract | RM5.00 |

This application is also made in person at the nearest JPN office,
bringing an original identity card or identification document plus a
copy. Lawyers and government agencies applying on behalf of others
require additional documents according to their respective eligibility.

## Common mistakes

- **Waiting "until there's time" before registering.** The 60-day window
  passes faster than expected, especially after returning from hospital
  and managing a newborn.
- **Not bringing the mother's maternity documents (prenatal card).** Many
  informants bring only identity cards and the form, then have to make
  repeat trips to JPN because the mother's health card is also required.
- **Assuming late registration can be done online.** Both ordinary and
  late registration require the informant's physical presence at a JPN
  counter.
- **Confusing the Sabah/Sarawak window with the Peninsular window.** The
  60-day limit is specific to Peninsular Malaysia; do not assume the same
  window applies in Sabah or Sarawak.
- **Not keeping the original birth certificate safe.** A lost certificate
  requires a separate extract application, with its own search and
  extract fees.

## What's next

Once a child's birth certificate is obtained, this document becomes the
basis for other registrations — including a [MyKad](/en/glossary/mykad)
application once the child reaches the eligible age. To understand the
full scope of services handled by this department — from births, deaths,
to residency status — see the [National Registration Department
(JPN)](/en/government/jpn) page.

## Sources

- Pendaftaran Kelahiran Biasa (Semenanjung) — https://www.jpn.gov.my/perkhidmatan/kelahiran/pendaftaran-kelahiran-biasa-semenanjung/ (Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara (JPN))
- Late Registration of Birth (Peninsular) — https://www.jpn.gov.my/en/services/birth/late-registration-of-birth-peninsular/ (Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara (JPN))
- Carian/Cabutan Daftar Kelahiran (Semenanjung) — https://www.jpn.gov.my/perkhidmatan/kelahiran/carian-cabutan-daftar-kelahiran-semenanjung/ (Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara (JPN))
- Pendaftaran Kelahiran Lambat (Sabah) — https://www.jpn.gov.my/perkhidmatan/kelahiran/pendaftaran-kelahiran-lambat-sabah/ (Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara (JPN))
- Portal JPN - Kelahiran — https://www.jpn.gov.my/my/perkhidmatan/kelahiran (Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara (JPN))

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Source of truth: https://github.com/negaraku-md/NegaraKu.md
License: CC BY-SA 4.0