Article 75 of the Saudi Civil Status Law
المادة 75 من نظام الأحوال المدنية
The Article requires a citizen, within sixty days of any civil event that changes the details of his card or family record book, to present them to civil status for amendment or replacement, and prohibits fraudulently using the old detail.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يجب على كل مواطن عند حدوث أية واقعة مدنية يترتب عليها مغايرة أحد بيانات بطاقته الشخصية، أو دفتر العائلة الذي في حوزته أن يقدمها إلى أي إدارة من دوائر الأحوال المدنية لإجراء التعديل اللازم للبيانات أو استبدالهما حسب الاقتضاء وذلك خلال ستين يوما من حدوث الواقعة، ويحضر عليه قبل إجراء التعديل اللازم استعمال البيان الواجب التعديل بطريق الغش.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 75 explained in plain English
This Article deals with what must be done when a civil event occurs that makes some of the details in a citizen's documents no longer match reality.
When does the rule apply? When any civil event occurs that results in a change in one of the details of:
- the personal card, or
- the family record book in the citizen's possession.
The duty: to present the card or book to any department of the civil status departments, to make the necessary amendment of the details or replace the document as appropriate.
The period: sixty days from the occurrence of the event.
The prohibition: before the amendment is made, the citizen is prohibited from fraudulently using the detail that must be amended; that is, exploiting the old detail that no longer matches reality in order to deceive.
This Article is connected to Article 74, which provides that the family record book is given for an unlimited period and, if its holder dies, it is withdrawn and another is issued in the name of the deceased to any of his heirs added in it who wish, and refers to the Implementing Regulations to set the period of validity of the personal card from the date of its issue, replacement or renewal, with a duty to renew it within the one hundred and eighty days before it expires. It is also connected to Article 76, which requires the interested person, when the card or family record book is lost or damaged, to notify one of the civil status departments within fifteen days of the loss or damage and obtain a replacement, under the procedures of the Implementing Regulations.
To find out whether a particular event requires an amendment, you may contact civil status or consult a lawyer who specializes in civil status and personal status cases.
Practical example
Mona experienced a civil event as a result of which one of the details recorded on her personal card no longer matches reality. She must present the card to any civil status department within sixty days of the event to amend the details or replace the card, and before then she may not fraudulently use the old detail.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
How we write and review contentA question about Article 75 of Civil Status Law?
Describe what happened and specialist lawyers answer. You can write in English.
- Completely free
- Lawyers from the directory answer
- Your name stays hidden
Family & Personal Status Law lawyers: ask a specialist about your case
Describe your situation briefly and we'll suggest a lawyer who specialises in this law
Family & Personal Status Law lawyers
Lawyers who handle this kind of case
Nasser Al-Adhali Law Firm
Active contributor
Dr. Ali Al-Rubaie Law Office and Ittihad Al-Asr Legal Company
Active contributorFrequently asked questions about Article 75 of the Saudi Civil Status Law
What is the period for updating ID details after a marriage or divorce?
If the event changes one of the details of the personal card or the family record book, the period is sixty days from its occurrence.
Where do I amend the details of the family record book?
At any of the civil status departments.
May the old details be used before they are amended?
It is prohibited to fraudulently use a detail that must be amended before the necessary amendment is made.
More articles on Family Record
- Article 42
The Article requires the births registrar to notify his department weekly with a statement of birth events and the certificate copies, and requires the department to record them within three days on the child's father's page.
يجب على كاتب سجل المواليد في نهاية كل أسبوع إشعار إدارة الأحوال المدنية التي يتبعها ببيان على النموذج المعد لذلك يتضمن جميع واقعات الولادة التي قيدها في سجله مع
- Article 43
The Article requires the birth certificate to be presented within 15 days of receiving it to one of the civil status departments, to check it, stamp it with the directorate's seal and add the newborn to the family record book.
يجب تقديم شهادة الميلاد الصادرة من كاتب سجل المواليد خلال خمسة عشر يوما من تاريخ تسلمها إلى إحدى إدارات الأحوال المدنية لمطابقة قيدها في السجل وختمها بخاتم المد
- Article 50
The Article allows either spouse to request the family register from civil status, and makes the husband responsible if it is not requested within sixty days of the marriage contract, as the Implementing Regulations specify.
لأي من الزوجين طلب الحصول على سجلّ الأسرة من إدارة الأحوال المدنية، وتقع المسؤولية على الزوج إذا لم يتقدم بطلب استخراجه خلال ستين يوماً من تاريخ عقد الزواج، وذل
- Article 58
The Article requires the death certificate, with the deceased's card and the family record book, to be presented to civil status within fifteen days of its issue, to be stamped, the card withdrawn and the book annotated.
يجب تقديم شهادة الوفاة الصادرة من كاتب سجل الوفيات مع بطاقة المتوفى الشخصية ودفتر العائلة الذي يضم اسمه إلى إحدى إدارات الأحوال المدنية وذلك خلال خمسة عشر يوما
- Article 72
The Article requires every Saudi head of family, subject to Article 50, to go to civil status within three years of the Law coming into force to obtain the family record book issued from the central civil register.
مع مراعاة حكم المادة (50) من هذا النظام يجب على كل رب أسرة سعودي مراجعة إحدى دوائر الأحوال المدنية خلال ثلاث سنوات من تاريخ نفاذ هذا النظام للحصول على دفتر يتضم
- Article 73
The Article prohibits a citizen from having more than one entry in the central civil register, more than one personal card or family record book, or using a card or book that is not his.
لا يجوز أن يكون لأي مواطن غير قيد واحد في السجل المدني المركزي ، كما لا يجوز له حيازة أكثر من بطاقة شخصية واحدة، أو أكثر من دفتر عائلة واحد، أو استعمال بطاقة أو
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.