GuidedResearch:Why Can't I Find the Record - Northwest Territories Births

This page will give you additional guidance and resources to find birth information for your ancestor. Use this page after first completing the birth section of the Northwest Territories Guided Research page.

Images Only (Browsable Images)
Currently, there are no browsable-only collections.

How to Request the Record When It's Not Online
Territory-wide registration for births started in 1925. To learn more about record limitations and restrictions, see the article Northwest Territories Vital Records.

To order birth records, contact:


 * Registrar General of Vital Statistics Health Services Administration Office Department of Health and Social Services Bag #9 Inuvik, NT X0E 0T0 Phone: 1-800-661-0830 Email: [mailto:hsa@gov.nt.ca hsa@gov.nt.ca] Website

NOTE: Birth records are confidential. Only the person named on the certificate, the listed parents, or a direct descendant may order a birth certificate. See Who can order a birth certificate? for more information.

Additional Records with Birth Information
Substitute records may contain information about more than one event and are used when records for an event are not available. Records that are used to substitute for birth events may not have been created at the time of the birth. The accuracy of the record is contingent upon when the information was recorded. Search for information in multiple substitute records to confirm the accuracy of these records.

Virtual Genealogy Consultations
Schedule a free online consultation with a research specialist:

Ask the Community
Select a community research group where you can ask questions and receive free genealogy help.

Tips for finding births
Successfully finding birth records in online databases depends on a few key points. Try the following search suggestions:
 * Spelling variations. Your ancestor's name may be misspelled. Search with spelling variations for the first and last name of your ancestor.
 * Search parents. Search for the parents, if known, as the child's first name may not be on the birth record.
 * Search given name. Search by given name (leave out the last name) with the approximate date of birth.
 * Add information. For common names, add more information to narrow the search such as approximate birth date or parent's names if known.
 * Date range. Expand the date range of the search by 5 years.
 * Search territory. Search using the territory name only instead of by smaller locality.

Known Record Gaps
Records Start
 * 1925 Civil registration for births began. Before 1925, births and baptisms may be found in church records.