Attorney General & Minister of Legal Affairs, Senator, the Hon. Ryan Pinder has announced the soft launch of the Civil Registry Operations System (CROS) – the newest digital platform under the Registrar General’s Department. The event was held at the British Colonial, July 30, 2025.
“Today is an important day, one that we have been working towards for quite some time now. One that will bring the Registry of Records into the modern era, intended to make access to the vital records of The Bahamas effective, user friendly and efficient,” said Mr. Pinder.
He said that CROS is a secure and user-friendly online portal designed to revolutionize how private citizens, and professional firms interact with the Civil Registry. It enables users to submit documents for official recording from anywhere in The Bahamas, whether from home, the office, or on the go.
The first phase of CROS, he explained, would allow agents and individual users to conveniently file documents online using a credit or debit card. For professional firms, an escrow account option is available to streamline payments for services.
“This ability to submit and pay for documents online eliminates the need for in-person visits to the Registrar of Records Department, significantly alleviating traffic and parking issues while making our government services available 24/7, 365 days a year. At present this ability is only available to Agents with individuals being able to access the system for seamless transaction within the next two months,” said the Attorney General.
This initial soft launch of CROS empowers users to file the following documents online:
Affidavits of Bachelorhood, Birth, Correction, Identity, and Spinsterhood
Conveyances
Mortgages
Satisfaction of Mortgages
Mr. Pinder said that the platform also incorporates a ‘robust’ search function, enabling users to locate public records and request certified copies of official documents without physically visiting the Registrar of Records Department.” Initially, this feature will allow searches only for documents filed within CROS, with legacy documents anticipated to be integrated in the very near future.”
He said that a partnership has been formed with the developer for the creation of a powerful Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool to address historical documents. He said the AI engine would be able to review all of the historical documents with the coding that exists, confirm the accuracy of the document, and populate the respective fields in the CROS system with the historical documents. This, he noted, would eliminate much of the manual verification of historical documents and data that has delayed some of the roll out of features in the CARS database for example.
“In a move to further enhance security and integrity, the Registrar of Records has partnered with the Department of Inland Revenue (DIR). This collaboration ensures proper document validation and safeguards against revenue fraud. This integration is also expected to reduce processing times and ensure that only documents with applicable duties are filed. A QR Code provided on the DIR receipt further verifies legitimacy,” said Mr. Pinder.
He said that all documents filed or certified through the Civil Registry via CROS would now include advanced security features such as QR codes and authentication codes. “These features facilitate document verification through a dedicated website, significantly reducing the risk of fraudulent documents being used in legitimate transactions. This is an important feature for all the types of documents filed on the registry,” he said.
He said that future plans include the expansion of CROS for all the documents currently filed with the civil registry. “CROS will be all encompassing. It is envisioned as well that especially as it relates to the deeds and documents that CROS will be able to be integrated with the digital platform we will be using for the new Lands Registry as we roll out that functionality later this year,” he said.
He pointed out this caveat: “As many would know, we will initially have to run a parallel system and having the Land Registry be able to integrate as necessary with CROS will help significantly with the implementation of registered land in The Bahamas.”
He concluded by saying that the introduction of CROS marks a transformative advancement in public record-keeping throughout the country. “Designed to enhance convenience, accessibility, and security, this innovative system is poised to play a pivotal role in streamlining operations and improving the ease of doing business across the nation.”
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