Punjab extends birth, death registration deadline to 4 years

According to official notification No. SOR(LG)8-3/2025, issued by the Local Government and Community Development Department on August 28,

LAHORE: The Punjab government has extended the permissible period for late registration of births and deaths from one year to four years, offering significant relief to citizens who were unable to complete the registration process within the prescribed timeframe.

According to official notification No. SOR(LG)8-3/2025, issued by the Local Government and Community Development Department on August 28, 2026, and published in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary) on September 2, the provincial government has amended the Punjab Local Government (Registration of Births and Deaths) Rules, 2025.

Under the amendment to Rule 21, Sub-rule (1), Note, the period previously referred to as “one year” has been replaced with “four years from commencement of the rules.” The change effectively provides citizens with a longer window to complete the registration of births and deaths that were not recorded within the earlier deadline.

The notification was issued under the authority of the Local Government and Community Development Department and subsequently published by the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Department.

The move is being described by sources as a major citizen-facilitation measure, particularly for families who have faced difficulties in obtaining birth or death certificates because of delayed registration. The extended timeframe is expected to help people regularise their official records while reducing the procedural and financial difficulties associated with late registration.

Sources said the measure represents a significant development in the province’s civil registration system and would facilitate citizens who had missed the previous one-year period. They described it as an important step towards ensuring that more people have access to essential legal documentation.

Citizens from different sections of society have welcomed the amendment, saying that delayed registration can create complications in accessing education, identity documentation, inheritance matters and other government services. They said the extended period would make the registration process more accessible for families who had previously been unable to complete it on time.

The Punjab government has stated that the amended provision will take effect immediately, bringing the revised registration period into force across the province.