If you think that public access to your records would put you or your family in danger, you can apply for a non-disclosure direction.
A non-disclosure direction means that the only people who can access your records are:
you
authorised government departments doing their regular work
your parent or guardian if you’re under 18
your power of attorney if you have one.
Anyone else who tries to request your records will be advised that the information exists but cannot be given to them.
A non-disclosure direction lasts for 5 years.
Details about current non-disclosure directions may be shared with authorised government departments so they can add extra safeguards to your information. See: Approved information sharing agreements.
Get a non-disclosure direction
You need to complete a Request, reinstate or withdraw a non-disclosure form.
You must also provide the original or a certified true copy of at least one of:
a current protection order
a current restraining order
a police report
a statutory declaration or letter from a police officer, lawyer, medical doctor, Justice of the Peace, or your employer, and/or
any other evidence you have to show that access to your records could be dangerous to you or your family.
If you’re applying for:
someone under 18 who’s in your care, you need to provide evidence that you’re that child’s parent or legal guardian
someone over 18 as their power of attorney or representative, you need to provide a certified copy of the power of attorney document, or a written authority that shows you’re their authorised representative.
Renew a non-disclosure direction
After 5 years, your non-disclosure direction will expire unless you renew it. You will not be contacted to say when it’s going to expire.
To reinstate it for another 5 years, you need to provide evidence that your safety is still at risk.
Cancel a non-disclosure direction
You can withdraw a non-disclosure direction anytime.
You need to complete a Request, reinstate or withdraw a non-disclosure form.
If you have a non-disclosure direction and you make any part of your information publicly available, anyone can then ask Births, Deaths and Marriages to verify whether that information matches your registered information.
