What is donor conception?

Donor conception is the process of conceiving a child using donated sperm, eggs or embryos.

Typically, a parent(s) will utilise the services of an assisted reproductive treatment (ART) clinic to source donors and to assist them to conceive a child.

However, it is possible for parents to link with donors privately without the need to utilise the services of an ART clinic.

To learn more about donor conception you can access SA Health's DCR resource library (external site) maintained by the Department for Health and Wellbeing.

Donor Conception Register

On 26 February 2025, changes were introduced to the Assisted Reproductive Treatment Act 1988 and Assisted Reproductive Treatment Regulations 2024, to create a publicly accessible online Donor Conception Register (DCR).

The DCR is a central and secure online archive of South Australian donor conception treatment information collected from an assisted reproductive treatment (ART) clinic, or from a parent(s) who undertakes private donor conception arrangements.

To learn more about the DCR you can visit www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/donorconception (external site)

What impact does the creation of the Donor Conception Register have on Births, Deaths and Marriages?

The introduction of the Donor Conception Register (DCR) and the consequential changes to the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act (BDMR Act) 1996 which came into operation on 26 February 2025 will have the following impacts on Births, Deaths and Marriages and their clients.

The changes introduced will:

  • introduce an avenue for donor conceived people to add identifying information relating to their donor(s) to their birth registration;
  • make it possible for donor conceived people to have their donor conceived status and identifying information about their donors recorded on their birth certificate;
  • make it compulsory to note the donor conceived status on the birth certificate of any donor conceived person born in South Australia on or after 26 February 2025.

Adding donor details to a birth certificate

The introduction of the Donor Conception Register (DCR) will mean that many people who were donor conceived, but did not previously know the identity of their donor(s), may now be able to access the name and other identifying details of their donor(s).

Once a donor conceived person has accessed the DCR and learned the identity of their donor(s), they can choose to make an application to Birth, Deaths and Marriages (BDM) to correct the birth Register by adding donor details to the register. Once the donor details are added to the birth Register, BDM may be able to produce a birth certificate which lists the donor(s) on the reverse of the certificate.

To learn more about applying to correct the birth register to add donor information you can read this factsheet. (external site) (PDF)

You can start an on-line application to correct the birth register to add donor information at SA.GOV.AU - Corrections to certificates (external site), or you can apply in-person by attending our Customer Service Centre located at 4-6 Chesser Street, Adelaide.

Birth Certificate Options for donor conceived people

The Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1996 specifies what information can be included on a birth certificate for a donor conceived person.

The below certificate options may be available upon application.

  1. Standard birth certificate – which lists the legal parent(s) without identifying donor information; and/or
  2. Birth certificate – which lists the legal parent(s) and includes a notation on the reverse that the person is donor conceived (without identifying donor information); and/or
  3. Integrated birth certificate - which lists both the legal parent(s) and includes identifying donor information.

A donor conceived person who is over the age of 18 can access any one or all three certificate types.

However, certificates which include a donor conceived notation or identifying information about donors, where the donor conceived person is under the age of 18, may require an authority issued by the Department for Health and Wellbeing, or consent forms signed by the child’s parent(s) or guardian(s), and in some cases the donor(s).

To learn more about applying for a birth certificate you can read this factsheet (PDF).

You can start an on-line application for birth certificate at SA.GOV.AU - Apply for a birth certificate (www.sa.gov.au) (external site), or you can apply in-person by attending our Customer Service Centre located at 4-6 Chesser Street, Adelaide.

More information

To learn more about how Births, Deaths and Marriages can assist donor conceived people, their families and associates you can read this factsheet (external site) (PDF).