Cantonal Civil Status Ordinance (CSO) (ZVO)

1 Establishment of Civil Registry Districts

1 The Cantonal Council, after consulting the municipalities, determines the establishment of civil registry districts.

2 The municipalities that form a civil registry district shall agree on

a. the seat and designation of the civil registry district,

b. to whom the rights and obligations assigned by law to the municipality or a municipal body shall accrue.

3 The municipal councils 20 are responsible for concluding the agreements. The agreements require approval by the Municipal Office.11

10 The canton maintains a special civil registry office. It is managed by the special municipal office. It is based in Zurich.

B. Operations

30 1 The municipality where the civil registry office is located shall provide suitable office premises for the performance of civil registry activities.

2 The municipality where the civil registry office is located shall provide at least one venue free of charge for marriages and ceremonial conversions of registered partnerships into marriages. In addition, it may designate other venues and provide for their use against payment.

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231.1

Cantonal Civil Status Ordinance (ZVO)

3 Venues for marriages and ceremonial conversions of registered partnerships into marriages must be

a. be befitting the occasion,

b. be usable by all couples under the same conditions,

c. be accessible to the public free of charge,

d. be suitable for persons with disabilities.

4 The municipality where the civil registry office is located shall notify the municipal office of the venues for marriages and ceremonial conversions of registered partnerships into marriages before they are used.

Opening Hours § 3.30 1 The civil registry office shall, in agreement with the municipal executive board, determine the opening hours of the civil registry office and the times during which marriages and ceremonial conversions of registered partnerships into marriages are performed. The civil registry office shall announce these times.

Civil Status Forms

Data Backup

2 No marriages or ceremonial conversions of registered partnerships into marriages shall be performed on Sundays and general public holidays, nor on local holidays of the municipality where the civil registry office is located. This excludes emergency marriages pursuant to Art. 62 para. 3 of the Federal Civil Status Ordinance of 28 April 2004 (ZStV)4.

1 The legally prescribed civil status forms shall be supplied to the civil status offices by the State at the expense of the municipality.

2 Forms for reporting civil status events shall be made available to those obliged to report by the competent civil status office free of charge.

11 The municipality shall ensure the secure storage of registers, vouchers, microfilms, and electronic data carriers.

25

Document-

personnel without

professional license

C. Personnel

Persons who obtain the federal professional certificate only after their appointment as civil registrar (Art. 4 para. 4 ZStV) shall be authorized to electronically complete a notarial act in accordance with Art. 28 ZStV only if they have been active in a civil registry office for at least three months. The head of the civil registry office may extend this period to six months.

2

Cantonal Civil Status Ordinance (ZVO)

231.1

1 With the consent of the municipal executive council20 of another civil status district, a civil registrar of that office may be appointed as a deputy.

2 If the civil registrars of a civil status office, as well as their deputies, are prevented from performing their duties for compelling reasons for an extended period, the municipal office11, after consulting the municipal executive council20, shall designate an extraordinary deputy.

Change in the person of a civil registrar or a notification

civil registrar, their deputy or a clerk

or a case officer of the civil registry office must be reported immediately to the

Municipal Office11.

The municipality provides the administrative staff necessary for the performance of official duties. Before filling a position, it consults the Head of Human Resources or the Head of the Civil Registry Office.

The Municipal Office11 can declare training and further education courses to be mandatory.

Training

and Further Education

D. Supervisory Authorities

board20

1. The municipal executive body20 is the supervisory and appellate municipal authority insofar as the organization of the civil registry office is concerned.

2.12

11 1 The municipal office (Gemeindeamt) is the cantonal supervisory authority.

2 The municipal office is responsible for the tasks assigned to the cantonal

supervisory authority under federal law, and for the following additional tasks

a. Inspection of the civil registry offices,

b. professional support for the civil registry offices,

c. user administration for Infostar and assignment of user rights,

d. periodic review of the measures taken by the municipalities for data

security,

e. notifications in accordance with Art. 1 para. 4 ZStV and Art. 1a para. 2 ZStV.

3 The municipal office makes decisions in its own name.

4 § 12a remains reserved.

Cantonal Supervisory

Authorities

a. Municipal Office

10 1 The Directorate of Justice and Home Affairs (Directorate) is the cantonal supervisory authority for the Special Civil Registry Office.

b. Directorate of

Justice and Home Affairs

2 The Directorate is the appeal authority in accordance with Art. 90 para. 1 OCSRA.

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231.1

E. Financing

Costs29

1 The municipalities bear all costs of their civil registry office, including the costs of mandatory declared initial and continuing training.

2 The canton charges the civil registry districts the costs incurred by it for the central database, proportionate to the population size of the civil registry districts.

29 No fee shall be levied for receiving a declaration regarding the

conversion of a registered partnership into marriage.

Exemption from

fees

Court and

administrative

decisions

a. Competence

for authentication

in general

b. Special

competencies

F. Official acts

1 For civil status events to be recorded in the Canton of Zurich, the civil registry offices are responsible in the following order

1. the civil registry office at the Zurich domicile of one of the persons involved,

2. the civil registry office at the Zurich place of origin of one of the persons involved,

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

2 12

10 1 The Special Civil Status Office registers

a. adoptions and their revocation,

b. releases from Swiss citizenship,

c. changes of gender,

d. changes of name,

e. testamentary acknowledgements of children,

f. declarations of absence and their revocation.

2 The Civil Status Office at the place of origin of one of the persons

concerned registers administrative decisions of the Confederation in

accordance with Art. 22 para. 2 OCSO and foreign decisions or

documents in accordance with Art. 23 para. 1 OCSO. The

competence according to para. 1 remains reserved.

3 The Civil Status Office at the seat of the releasing authority registers

releases from municipal citizenship or cantonal citizenship.

4

Cantonal Civil Status Ordinance (CCSO)

Cantonal Civil Status Ordinance (CCSO)

231.1

11 1 Courts, administrative authorities and other organs shall communicate their decisions to the civil status office responsible according to §§ 14 and 14a.

2 Courts shall communicate judgments concerning the entry, correction and deletion of personal data to the municipal office.

11 1 If a foreign person is to be entered into the civil status register in accordance with Art. 15a para. 2 ZStV with the cooperation of the cantonal supervisory authority, the files must be submitted to the municipal office for review.

2 The municipal office may wholly or partially exempt from the obligation to submit.

17 1 The transfer of the management of a civil registry office takes place by the cantonal supervisory authority according to § 12 in the presence of the new and the previous management.

2 A protocol shall be drawn up, which shall particularly inform about the completeness of the registers, the continuousness of the supporting documents, the status of the register keeping, and the service materials transferred.

3 The protocol shall be signed by those present and sent to the competent municipal executive council20. Those present shall receive a copy.

11 1 Whoever finds an abandoned child of unknown or uncertain origin

must immediately report it to the police of the place where the child was found.

2 The police immediately notify the civil registry office and the municipal

council20 of the place where the child was found, and the latter notifies the child and

adult protection authority14.

3 The municipal council20 gives the child a family name and a given name,

determines its date of birth, and grants it municipal citizenship.

4 The decision of the municipal council20 must be communicated to the civil registry office

of the place where the child was found.

§§ 18-20.18

G. Legal Protection10

10 Appeals against decisions of the Cantonal Supervisory Authority regarding challenging

(§ 12a para. 2) in accordance with Art. 90 para. 2 ORegSt can be challenged by

decisions

appeal to the Administrative Court.

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231.1

H. Final Provisions11

Cantonal Civil Status Ordinance (CSO)

Amendment of the

Annex

Repeal of previous

law

Transitional

provision

Entry into force

11 The Directorate shall update the information in the Annex to this

Ordinance if the municipalities combined into a civil status district change

the name or the seat of the civil status district.

aufgehoben.

1** The re-registration involves the systematic re-registration and transfer of personal data into the central Infostar database.

**2** The systematic re-registration must be completed by December 31, 2012, for all living persons.11

**3** As a primary priority, personal data will be transferred into the new system based on a civil status event or a re-registration request from another civil status district.

**4** The civil status offices report annually to the Municipal Office on the status of re-registration within their civil status district.11

Bund enters into force on 1 January 2005.

2 Section 15 enters into force with Articles 22 and 43 paras. 1–3 of the ZStV.

Transitional Provision on the Amendment of 24 November 2010

(OS 65, 1008)

1 Civil status proceedings pending at first instance at the time of entry into force of the

amendment to the Ordinance shall be decided by the previously competent civil

status office.

2 Appeal proceedings against decisions of the municipal office that are pending at the time of entry into force of the

amendment to the Ordinance shall be decided by the Directorate.

3 All appeal decisions issued before the entry into force of the

amendment to the Ordinance may be challenged by appeal to the

Directorate, regardless of the date of their pronouncement or the expiry of the appeal period.

6

Cantonal Civil Status Ordinance (ZVO)

Transitional Provision on the Amendment of 1 March 2023

(OS 78, 306)

231.1

Fees paid since 1 July 2022 for the declaration of the

conversion of a registered partnership into marriage in accordance with Annex 1 No. 7 of the Ordinance of 27 October 1999 on Fees

in Civil Status Matters³ may be reclaimed from the

collecting civil status office within five years of payment.

1 OS 59, 388.

2 LS 230.

3 SR 172.042.110.

4 SR 211.112.2.

5 Approved by the Federal Council on 22 December 2004.

6 Version according to Executive Council Resolution of 29 November 2006 (OS 61, 485; ABI 2006, 1696).

In force since 1 January 2007.

7 Inserted by Executive Council Resolution of 29 November 2006 (OS 61, 485; ABI 2006, 1696).

In force since 1 January 2008.

8 Inserted by Executive Council Resolution of 17 December 2008 (OS 64, 220; ABI 2009, 661).

In force since 1 January 2009.

9 Version according to Executive Council Resolution of 17 December 2008 (OS 64, 220; ABI 2009, 661). In

force since 1 January 2009.

10 Inserted by Executive Council Resolution of 24 November 2010 (OS 65, 1008; ABI 2010, 2666).

In force since 1 January 2011.

11 Version according to Executive Council Resolution of 24 November 2010 (OS 65, 1008; ABI 2010, 2666).

In force since 1 January 2011.

12 Repealed by Executive Council Resolution of 24 November 2010 (OS 65, 1008; ABI 2010,

2666). In force since 1 January 2011.

13 Version according to Executive Council Resolution of 7 December 2010 (OS 65, 1014; ABI 2010, 2965).

In force since 1 January 2011.

14 Version according to Executive Council Resolution of 7 November 2012 (OS 67, 601; ABI 2012-11-16).

In force since 1 January 2013.

15 The municipality of Bertschikon was removed from the list after the merger with the

municipality of Wiesendangen on 1 January 2014.

16 The municipality of Sternenberg was removed from the list after the merger with the

municipality of Bauma on 1 January 2015.

17 Inserted by Executive Council Resolution of 20 May 2015 (OS 70, 402; ABI2015-06-05). In force

since 1 January 2016.

18 Repealed by Executive Council Resolution of 20 May 2015 (OS 70, 402; AB1 2015-06-05). In

force since 1 January 2016.

19 The municipality of Kyburg was removed from the list after the merger with the municipality

of Illnau-Effretikon on 1 January 2016.

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231.1

Cantonal Civil Status Ordinance (ZVO)

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20 Designation according to Executive Council Resolution of 29 June 2016 (OS 72, 324; ABI 2016-07-15). In

force since 1 January 2018.

21 The municipality of Hofstetten was removed from the list after the merger with the

municipality of Elgg on 1 January 2018.

22 The municipality of Hirzel was removed from the list after the merger with the municipality

of Horgen on 1 January 2018.

23 The municipalities of Oberstammheim, Unterstammheim and Waltalingen were

removed from the list after the merger into the new municipality of Stammheim on 1 January

2019.

24 The municipalities of Schönenberg and Hütten were removed from the list after the merger

with the municipality of Wädenswil on 1 January 2019.

25 Repealed by Executive Council Resolution of 19 December 2018 (OS 74, 186; AB12019-02-01).

In force since 1 July 2019.

26 The municipalities of Humlikon and Adlikon were removed from the list after the merger

with the municipality of Andelfingen on 1 January 2023.

27 Version according to Executive Council Resolution of 19 April 2023 (OS 78, 217; ABI 2023-04-28). In force

since 1 July 2023.

28 Repealed by Executive Council Resolution of 19 April 2023 (OS 78, 217; ABI 2023-04-28). In

force since 1 July 2023.

29 Inserted by Executive Council Resolution of 1 March 2023 (OS 78, 306; AB1 2023-03-10). In force

since 1 July 2022.

30 Version according to Executive Council Resolution of 1 March 2023 (OS 78, 306; ABI 2023-03-10). In force

since 1 July 2022.

31 Version according to Executive Council Resolution of 11 December 2024 (OS 79, 476; ABI 2024-12-20).

In force since 1 January 2025.

32 Repealed by Executive Council Resolution of 11 December 2024 (OS 79, 476; ABI 2024-12-20).

In force since 1 January 2025.

Cantonal Civil Status Ordinance (ZVO)

Appendix 13

(§§ 1 and 21)

Civil Status Districts in the Canton of Zurich

Name

Seat

Participating Municipalities

231.1

Affoltern28

Bauma32

District

Andelfingen23, 26

Bülach

Dielsdorf

Dietikon

Dübendorf

Dübendorf

Furttal

Regensdorf

Horgen 22

Horgen

Illnau-Effretikon19

Illnau-Effretikon

Kleinandelfingen Andelfingen, Benken, Berg a. I.,

Bülach

Dielsdorf

Dietikon

Buch a. I., Dachsen, Dorf, Feuerthalen,

Flaach, Flurlingen, Henggart,

Kleinandelfingen, Laufen-Uhwiesen,

Marthalen, Ossingen, Rheinau,

Stammheim, Thalheim a. d. Th., Trüllikon,

Truttikon and Volken

Bachenbülach, Bülach, Eglisau, Embrach,

Freienstein-Teufen, Glattfelden,

Hochfelden, Höri, Hüntwangen, Lufingen,

Oberembrach, Rafz, Rorbas, Waster-

kingen, Wil, Winkel, Stadel and Weiach

Bachs, Dielsdorf, Neerach, Niederglatt,

Niederhasli, Niederweningen, Oberglatt,

Oberweningen, Regensberg, Schleinikon,

Schöfflisdorf and Steinmaur

Aesch, Bergdietikon (AG), Birmensdorf,

Dietikon, Geroldswil, Oberengstringen,

Oetwil a. d. L., Schlieren, Uitikon,

Unterengstringen, Urdorf and Weiningen

Dübendorf, Fällanden, Maur, Wallisellen

and Wangen-Brüttisellen

Boppelsen, Buchs, Dällikon, Dänikon,

Hüttikon, Otelfingen and Regensdorf

Horgen and Oberrieden

Illnau-Effretikon, Lindau and Weisslingen

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231.1

Name

Cantonal Civil Status Ordinance (ZVO)

Seat

Participating Municipalities

Kloten

Kloten

Bassersdorf, Dietlikon, Kloten, Nürensdorf,

Opfikon and Rümlang

Küsnacht

Küsnacht

Erlenbach, Herrliberg, Küsnacht and

Zumikon

Männedorf

Männedorf

Hombrechtikon, Männedorf, Meilen,

Oetwil a. S., Stäfa and Uetikon a. S.

Pfäffikon 31

Pfäffikon

Bauma, Fehraltorf, Hittnau, Pfäffikon,

Russikon, Wila and Wildberg

Rüti

Rüti

Bubikon, Dürnten, Rüti and Wald

Sihltal-Albis27

Adliswil

Adliswil, Aeugst a. A., Affoltern a. A.,

Bonstetten, Hausen a. A., Hedingen,

Kappel a. A., Knonau, Langnau a. A.,

Maschwanden, Mettmenstetten,

Obfelden, Ottenbach, Rifferswil, Stallikon

and Wettswil a. A.

Thalwil-

Rüschlikon-

Kilchberg

Thalwil

Kilchberg, Rüschlikon and Thalwil

Uster

Uster

Volketswil

Volketswil

Wädenswil24

Wädenswil

Wetzikon31

Wetzikon

Winterthur15, 21

Zollikon

Zürich

Zürich

Zürich

Winterthur

Zollikon

Egg, Mönchaltorf and Uster

Greifensee, Schwerzenbach and

Volketswil

Richterswil and Wädenswil

Bäretswil, Fischenthal, Gossau,

Grüningen, Hinwil, Seegräben

and Wetzikon

Altikon, Brütten, Dägerlen, Dättlikon,

Dinhard, Elgg, Ellikon an der Thur, Elsau,

Hagenbuch, Hettlingen, Neftenbach,

Pfungen, Rickenbach, Schlatt, Seuzach,

Turbenthal, Wiesendangen, Winterthur

and Zell

Zollikon

10