This is the document family with the strongest official evidence in Australia. Scamwatch has a standing alert about scam birth, death and marriage certificate websites, updated on 24 April 2026, and in February 2026 Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia each issued their own public warnings about commercial sites. Victoria and the ACT put a scam warning on the front of their registry pages. The pattern is documented by the people who run the registries, which makes it easier to write about than most.
Start here by situation
| Your situation | Read |
|---|---|
| I need a certificate and want the right site | Order a birth certificate by state |
| A site I used looks unofficial or charged a lot | Birth certificate websites: how the look-alikes work |
| I uploaded ID to a certificate site | Identity theft recovery |
| I need the certificate for a passport | Passport cost and timing |
| I want to report a site | How to report a scam |
The guides, in one line each
Birth certificate websites sets out the Scamwatch alert in full, the Queensland comparison of $56.20 against nearly $160, the South Australian and Western Australian warnings, and the signs of a look-alike.
Order a birth certificate by state is the directory: the registry for each of the eight jurisdictions, its address, what we opened and, where the registry publishes one, the price or time.
What these warnings have in common
Each registry says the same three things in different words. Only the registry can issue a legal certificate. Third-party sites may charge more, and they may collect identity documents and card details that you would otherwise give only to the government. And the sites are sometimes deliberately styled to look official: Western Australia says “some of these sites are deliberately styled to look official and people can unknowingly hand over identity documents”.
What we left out
We did not find an Australian source for forged birth or marriage certificates being sold, so there is no guide here on counterfeit certificates. If a seller offers a “registered” certificate that did not come from a registry, the Criminal Code ceilings on the fake ID law page are the federal starting point, and state law applies too.
Scamwatch’s rules of thumb
- Use only websites with a .gov.au address when applying for birth, death or marriage certificates.
- Check the web address thoroughly: most Australian government sites use .gov.au, never .org, .net or .com.
- Remember that official registries may charge a fee for certificates but will not charge for information and forms provided freely.
- Be alert to imitation sites that misuse logos, trust marks and seals of approval.
- Never enter personal, credit card or banking details until you have checked the site is authentic and secure.
The February 2026 cluster
South Australia warned on 5 February 2026, Queensland on 6 February and Western Australia on 16 February. Three separate governments reaching the same conclusion within two weeks suggests the same kind of site was being reported to all three. None of them named the site in the material we read, and nor do we.
What good looks like
The registries that publish a processing time give you a way to judge a site. The ACT says it processes a request within 15 business days of receiving all required documents, excluding delivery; Tasmania says approximately 2 weeks for a standard application. A website that promises a certificate in two days is promising what no registry says it does at the standard fee. A genuine faster service exists at some registries, as a priced priority option, and it is bought from the registry.
Frequently asked questions
Who issues birth, death and marriage certificates in Australia?
The registry of births, deaths and marriages in each state and territory. Scamwatch says certificates are only available through official government registries.
Is there a national registry?
No. Each state and territory runs its own, and Scamwatch advises using the relevant registry through its .gov.au address.
Which guide should I read first?
If you need a certificate, the by-state directory. If you have already used a site and it charged more than you expected, the look-alike guide.