Overhaul of the Civil Registry: digital model and new offices

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

1. A unique, unchangeable personal code will be assigned to each individual registry record, generated by the Civil Registry itself rather than directly using the national ID number (DNI).
2. Electronic signatures are regulated: Registry heads will sign entries with qualified certificates, and certifications can be sealed automatically by the system. People will also be able to identify themselves electronically before the Registry.
3. The Civil Registry is organized into a Central Office, General Offices (one in each judicial district capital) and Consular Offices. Requests can be filed at any office or electronically.
4. Head positions will be filled by court clerks (letrados de la Administración de Justicia), and office jobs can only be held by Administration of Justice staff.
5. Name or identity changes are streamlined for victims of gender violencegender violence Violence a woman suffers from a current or former partner because she is a woman. and their descendants, without meeting the general requirements, and can even be granted for urgent or security reasons.
6. Once the reform takes effect, Family Books will no longer be issued, although those already issued will keep their legal effects.

Who it affects

• The general public, who will handle registry entries and certifications electronically or at any office.: new office model and online access
• Victims of gender violence and their descendants.: faster name or identity changes
• Court clerks and civil service staff of the Administration of Justice.: they take on the duties of registry head and registry work
• Judges heading exclusive Civil Registries and the Central Civil Registry.: they may keep their duties or be placed at the disposal of the Higher Court of Justice
• Town councils and peace courts (juzgados de paz).: they act as collaborating offices of the Civil Registry

Words worth knowing

Registro Civil (Civil Registry)

Public office where key life events are recorded: birth, marriage, death, etc.

Encargado del Registro Civil

The person in charge of running a Civil Registry office and authorizing its entries.

Letrado de la Administración de Justicia

A public legal official who works in the courts and supports the judge with legal tasks.

Partido judicial

A territorial district grouping several municipalities for court organization.

Libro de Familia (Family Book)

An official booklet that recorded family data from the Civil Registry; it will no longer be issued.

gender violence

Violence a woman suffers from a current or former partner because she is a woman.

It summarizes the law as published in the BOE. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries