Registering a child’s birth today seems straightforward. It ensures your new arrival is counted in the state’s population and receives a record that will follow them throughout life. Birth certificates are essential to access education, healthcare, government services and to prove one’s identity.
But just a few generations ago, registering a birth wasn’t so simple.
On August 15, 1925, The Bismarck Tribune reported that North Dakota risked losing its place among the states accredited for registering vital statistics, those tracked by the U.S. Department of Commerce. State Health Director A. A. Whittemore called attention to the problem. North Dakota had only joined the list two years earlier, after much effort to build a workable birth registration system. Now, the state’s status was at risk. Whittemore urged continued cooperation to maintain compliance.
At the time, state law was clear: if no physician was present at the birth, the parents had to report the birth or death within 24 hours if inside a town, or within three days in rural areas. If the parents couldn’t report, the duty fell to the oldest next of kin. Failure to comply could lead to a $20 fine upon conviction.
Whittemore launched a statewide push for compliance. He wrote to newspapers and mothers across North Dakota, warning: “At least 1,000 babies born since January 1 this year are not registered in this office. Is your baby one of them?”
He encouraged families to register with local officials and to reach out to his office for help. He reminded parents that registered births were necessary for parentage, legitimacy, inheritance, school enrollment, marriage, and court proceedings.
Whittemore also pointed to lax practices among midwives and some physicians, urging stronger compliance. He said those attending births, particularly in rural areas, needed to take responsibility under the law.
Newspaper editors were praised for their help in spreading the message, and more letters were sent to registrars, doctors, and midwives to keep up the pressure.
Today, birth registration in North Dakota is handled electronically by the Division of Vital Records. Laws are stricter, and births are recorded promptly, though delayed registration is still possible under the state’s Century Code.
The story of unregistered births a century ago highlights how much record keeping and its importance has changed over time.
Dakota Datebook by Daniel Sauerwein
Sources:
- “Thousand Babies Born Since First of Year Are Not Listed with State Board of Statistics.” Bismarck Tribune, August 15, 1925. p. 8.
- "Vital Statistics.” Laws Passed by the Eighth Session of the Legislative Assembly of the State of North Dakota (Grand Forks, ND: Herald, State Printers and Binders, 1903), 282. Accessed July 28, 2025. https://ndlegis.gov/assembly/sessionlaws/1903/pdf/vital-statistics.pdf.
- N.D.C.C. 23-02.1-13. Birth registration. Accessed July 29, 2025. https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t23c02-1.pdf#nameddest=23-02p1-13.
