Registrar General’s Department (RGD) was opened in Jamaica in 1879 with its core mandate to register, store and maintain safe and accurate records of all life events occuring in Jamaica and its waters. The birth certificate is the main prerequisite for obtaining a passport, an NIS number, a tax registration number (TRN), a visa, a green card, as well as, it permits entry into primary education, it will also be the prerequisite for enrolment into the national identification system (NIDS)