Ordinance on Civil Status - Supervisory Authority

1. The Department of Interior and Security is the supervisory authority in civil status matters.

2. It is responsible for supervisory and disciplinary measures according to federal legal provisions, as well as for issuing fines for non-compliance with reporting obligations.

1. The Office for Civil Rights and Civil Status is subordinate to the Department of Internal Affairs and Security.

2. The Office exercises all powers that are not transferred to another authority by federal law, cantonal law, or agreements with other cantons.

2. Municipalities fulfill the tasks assigned to them in civil status matters at their own expense.

3. The annual operating and investment costs for the central Infostar database are charged to the civil registry offices in proportion to the population of each respective civil registry district.

1. The municipalities of a civil registry district shall elect at least one civil registrar for their civil registry office, appoint the head of the office, and arrange for a deputy. The specialist office must be informed in advance of any personnel changes.

2. ...

1. The Official Language is German.

1. The civil status office submits the records to the specialist department for review when a foreign person is entered into the civil register.

2. The specialist department may

a) Establish exceptions to the obligation to submit records;

b) Impose additional cases of submission obligations;

c) Exempt individual civil status officials, who possess the necessary expertise, wholly or partially from the obligation to submit records.

1. Inspection of the civil status registers as referred to in Art. 92b para. 4 ZStV shall take place in the State Archives.

1. The ordinary civil registry offices are responsible for the tasks pursuant to Art. 2 para. 2 of the Civil Status Act (ZStV).

2. Foreign decisions and documents concerning civil status based on orders from the supervisory authority shall be documented as follows

a) * in the cases of Art. 23 para. 1 and para. 2 subpara. a ZStV, by the civil registry office at the domicile of the concerned individual;

b) * in the cases of Art. 23 para. 2 subpara. b ZStV, by the civil registry office at the place of residence of the concerned individual, or the place where a subsequent official action is to be carried out;

c) * in the cases of Art. 23 para. 2 subpara. c ZStV, by the civil registry office at the birthplace of the concerned individual.

3. Administrative orders from the federal government as well as naturalizations, renunciations, and confirmations of citizenship are documented by the civil registry office at the domicile of the concerned individual.

4. Judgments from the cantonal courts are documented by the civil registry office at the seat of the court. Judgments of the Federal Supreme Court are documented by the civil registry office at the seat of the first instance.

5. Name changes, adoptions, and the testamentary acknowledgment of a child are documented by the civil registry office at the seat of the deciding administrative authority.

6. The courts and administrative authorities address their communications concerning the decisions to the civil registry office responsible for documentation.

1. Anyone who is present at the death of an unknown person or who finds the body of such a person must notify the cantonal police without delay.

2. The cantonal police shall report in writing to the civil registry office responsible at the place of death.

1. If a person passes away in their municipality of residence, the death can be reported orally to that municipality. Each municipality designates an office.

2. Upon reporting the death, the medical death certificate and the documents required for the registration of the death must be submitted.

3. The office of the municipality of residence that receives the report must immediately notify the competent civil registry office in writing of the death. The documents in accordance with paragraph 2 should be attached.

1. The civil registry offices shall certify each report of a death or discovery of a body to the authority responsible for the burial or issuance of a burial permit.

2. The Department of Health and Social Affairs grants permission for the burial or issuance of a burial permit if the report of the death or discovery of a body has not yet been made to the civil registry office.

3. The jurisdiction for issuing burial permits is governed by the ordinance related to federal legislation on the issuance of identification for Swiss nationals.

1. Anyone who finds a child of unknown parentage must immediately notify the municipal council of the location where the child was found. The council will promptly initiate police investigations and inform the Department of Internal Affairs and Security.

2. If there are no clues regarding the child's parentage, the Department of Internal Affairs and Security will forward the files to the Child and Adult Protection Authority, which assigns a family name and first name to the child, appoints a guardianship, and reports to the civil registry office in writing.

1. Insofar as federal law and cantonal law do not provide comprehensive regulation, the directives of the supervisory authority or the competent agency are binding.

1. Decisions by the civil registry offices as well as the specialized agency can be appealed to the Department of Internal Affairs and Security within 20 days.

2. Decisions and appeal rulings by the Department of Internal Affairs and Security can be challenged before the High Court within 30 days.

1. The registers of birth, death, and marriage certificates received from outside (B-Register) pursuant to Article 12 of the Ordinance of December 7, 1987, on Civil Status Matters shall continue to be maintained until December 31, 2004.

1. The Ordinance on Civil Status Matters is repealed.

2. This Ordinance enters into force on July 1, 2003. It requires the approval of the Confederation.