2 Zivilrecht, Strafrecht, Administration of Justice » 21 Civil Law » 211 Personal and Family Law

Civil Registry Districts

1 The civil registry system is a matter for the municipalities. For this purpose, they are grouped into two civil registry districts.

2 The two districts comprise the territory of the following municipalities

a) Civil Registry District Innerschwyz

Alpthal, Arth, Gersau, Illgau, Ingenbohl, Küssnacht, Lauerz, Morschach, Muotathal, Oberiberg, Riemenstalden, Rothenthurm, Sattel, Schwyz, Steinen, Steinerberg, Unteriberg,

with service centre (civil registry office) Schwyz;

b) Civil Registry District Ausserschwyz

Altendorf, Einsiedeln, Feusisberg, Freienbach, Galgenen, Innerthal, Lachen, Reichenburg, Schübelbach, Tuggen, Vorderthal, Wangen, Wollerau,

with service centre (civil registry office) Freienbach.

3 The municipalities designated as service centres fulfil for the civil registry district the tasks of the ordinary civil registry office as well as the special civil registry office according to federal and cantonal law.

Supervisory Authority

1 The cantonal supervisory authority for civil status matters is the Department of

Home Affairs.

2 The cantonal supervisory authority is responsible for civil status matters insofar as

federal and cantonal law assign duties to it or for matters for which

no other instance is competent.

3 The Government Council may, through a service agreement, transfer the duties of

the cantonal supervisory authority wholly or partially to the supervisory authority of

another canton. The agreement must regulate at least the following

a) the transferred duties;

b) remuneration for services;

c) data protection;

d) controlling and reporting;

e) liability;

f) the right of termination.

Registrars

1 The service center shall appoint at least one registrar and one deputy for the

civil registry office and shall immediately notify the cantonal supervisory authority

of this.

2 The employment requirements are based in particular on the provisions of federal

law.

3 Persons working in the civil status system are subject to the professional supervision

of the cantonal supervisory authority and to the service supervision of the appointing

authority.

II. Management of the Civil Registry Offices

Cooperation Agreement

1 The municipal councils of the municipalities that are grouped together in a civil registry district shall conclude an agreement for the management of the common civil registry office.

2 In it, they shall determine the official seat and regulate at least cooperation, accounting, the allocation of costs, and the right of termination.

3 The agreements require the approval of the Government Council to be legally binding. If an agreement is not concluded, the Government Council shall definitively determine the minimum provisions according to paragraph 2.

### Office Premises

1 The Service Centre provides suitable premises for carrying out civil status duties.

2 Each municipality within the civil registration district may provide a wedding venue. The financial implications are to be regulated in the cooperation agreement.

3 The Service Centre ensures the secure storage of civil status registers and documents in accordance with federal and cantonal legal provisions and the directives of the supervisory authority.

Third-Party Costs

1 The civil status districts must proportionally cover the costs that the Confederation and canton incur for the electronic management of the civil status register (Infostar).

2 The costs will be invoiced to the service centers, which will then charge the municipalities of their civil status district in accordance with the cooperation agreement.

III. Further Provisions

Official Language

The official language is German.

### Foundling

Whoever finds a child of unknown parentage must immediately notify the child protection authority of the place where the child was found.

Notification of Deaths

1 Deaths must be reported to the civil registry office.

2 Municipalities without a civil registry office shall designate an official body where private individuals subject to the reporting obligation can report deaths in writing or in person.

3 The competent official body must promptly notify the civil registry office of its civil registration district in writing of the death. The medical death certificate and deposited documents must be enclosed with the notification.

Civil Status Events with Foreign Elements

1 If a foreign person is affected by a civil status event to be recorded in Switzerland

and is to be registered in the civil status register, the files must be submitted

to the cantonal supervisory authority for review.

2 The cantonal supervisory authority may provide for exceptions to the

submission requirement.

Domestic Court Judgments, Administrative Rulings, and Naturalizations

1 For the registration of court judgments, administrative rulings, and naturalizations issued in the canton, the civil registry offices are responsible in the following order

1. the civil registry office at the domicile in Schwyz of one of the involved persons;

2. the civil registry office at the place of origin in Schwyz of one of the involved persons;

3. the civil registry office at the seat of the authority that rendered the decision in the first instance.

2 Reserved are the regulated competencies according to the Federal Civil Status Ordinance.

3 The notification must be sent directly to the civil registry office responsible for the registration.

Foreign Decisions or Documents

For the registration of foreign decisions and documents concerning civil status, the following are responsible upon order of the cantonal supervisory authority

a) the civil status office of the Swiss place of origin, if the persons concerned hold Swiss citizenship;

b) the civil status office according to federal law, if the persons concerned do not hold Swiss citizenship.

IV. Procedural and Penal Provisions

Proceedings and Legal Protection

1. Unless federal law explicitly provides otherwise, the proceedings are governed by the Administrative Justice Act.

2. The Government Council decides on complaints against official acts of the civil registrars and the cantonal supervisory authority.

Instructions

1 The cantonal supervisory authority may issue instructions insofar as federal law and cantonal law do not provide for an exhaustive regulation.

2 These are binding for the civil registry offices.

Criminal Proceedings

The prosecution of violations of the provisions of the Federal Civil Status Ordinance is governed by the provisions of the Swiss Code of Criminal Procedure.

**V. Transitional and Final Provisions**

Re-recording Infostar

By December 31, 2010, the civil registry offices must record all living persons from the family register in Infostar.

Repeal and Amendment of Enactments

1 With the entry into force of this Ordinance, the Cantonal Ordinance on Civil

Status of December 15, 1987, is repealed.

2 The following enactments are amended as follows

a) Ordinance on the Issuance of Identity Documents of November 2,

1959

§ 1 para. 1

1 The certificate of origin (Heimatschein) is issued and signed by the civil

status officer responsible for the municipality of origin.

b) Ordinance on Funeral and Cemetery Services of January 16,

1990

§ 21 para. 2

2 The permit is issued by the office designated by the municipality and

requires a medical death certificate.

Publication and Entry into Force

1 This Ordinance shall be published in the Official Gazette and, after its entry into force,

it shall be included in the Collection of Laws.

2 It shall enter into force on January 1, 2004, subject to approval by the Confederation24.

1 GS 20-434 with amendments of December 19, 2006 (implementation of the Partnership Act, GS 21-

111a), of March 23, 2010 (GS 22-106), of December 7, 2010 (adaptation of the Code of Criminal Procedure and JV, GS

22-131j), of December 18, 2012 (Ordinance on Child and Adult Protection Law, GS 23-63f), of

December 17, 2013 (Government Council Decision adapting to the new Cantonal Constitution, GS 23-97), of August 20,

2019 (GS 25-59) and of November 25, 2025 (GS 27-82).

2 SR 210.

3 SR 210.

4 SR 211.112.2.

5 SRSZ 210.100.

6 Version of March 23, 2010.

7 Paras. 1 and 2 in the version of, para. 3 newly inserted on August 20, 2019.

8 Heading, paras. 1 and 3 in the version of August 20, 2019.

9 Paras. 2 and 3 (new) in the version of March 23, 2010.

10 Version of December 18, 2012.

11 Para. 2 in the version of August 20, 2019.

12 Para. 1 in the version of and para. 2 newly inserted on August 20, 2019.

13 Para. 1 in the version of, paras. 2 and 3 newly inserted on November 25, 2025.

14 Sub-paras. a and b in the version of March 23, 2010; introductory sentence in the version of August 20,

2019.

15 Para. 1 in the version of December 17, 2013; para. 2 in the version of August 20, 2019.

16 SRSZ 234.110.

17 Para. 1 in the version of August 20, 2019.

18 Version of December 7, 2010.

19 SR 211.112.2.

20 Version of March 23, 2010.

21 GS 17-725.

22 SRSZ 113.111.

23 SRSZ 575.111.

24 Approved by the Federal Department of Justice and Police on December 8, 2003, and

amendment of March 23, 2010, on May 17, 2010.

25 Abl 2003 1838; amendments of December 19, 2006, entered into force on January 1, 2007 (Abl 2007

51), of March 23, 2010, on January 1, 2010 (Abl 2010 1267), of December 7, 2010, on January 1,

2011 (Abl 2010 2714), of December 18, 2012, on January 1, 2013 (Abl 2012 2958),

of December 17, 2013, on January 1, 2014 (Abl 2013 2974), of August 20, 2019, on August 31,

2019 (Sec. 2 para. 3, Abl 2019 2021) and/or January 1, 2020 (Sec. 2 paras. 1 and 2, Sec. 3 heading,

paras. 1 and 3, Sec. 9 para. 2, Sec. 10 paras. 1 and 2, Sec. 12 introductory sentence, Sec. 13 para. 2 and Sec. 14

para. 1, Abl 2019 2021) and of November 25, 2025, on January 1, 2026 (Abl 2025 3026).