A SHENZHEN resident obtained a hukou, or family registration, for her second child who was born before the introduction of the two-child policy, without paying a fine first, local Chinese-language media reported Saturday.

    Previously, a couple would have to pay a fine, also known as the social support fee, to get a family planning certificate for their child born outside the one-child policy. The certificate was essential for hukou registration for a child.

    The Guangdong provincial authority recently rolled out a new policy unbinding hukou registration from the family planning certificates, meaning a second child who was born illegally before the two-child policy took effect Jan. 1 can be registered for a hukou easily, the New Express reported Saturday.

    The Shenzhen resident, surnamed Yi, gave birth to her second child three years ago and her family was asked to pay a fine of 240,000 yuan (US$36,923) for breaking the one-child policy.

    Yi’s son remained unregistered for the past three years.

    Without a hukou, Yi’s son wouldn’t have been able to enroll in public schools or apply for a travel permit, among other things. Now he is turning 3 years old and about to attend a kindergarten. Yi learned from media reports that the city’s public security bureau will give priority to school-age children for the registration of hukou, with primary schools and kindergartens starting enrollment in March.

    It took Yi only 10 minutes to register her second child with police and she didn’t have to provide a family planning certificate. “My little brother can go to the Hong Kong Disney park with me now,” said Yi’s elder daughter.

    Yi said she isn’t sure if she still needs to pay the fine now that the country has allowed all couples to have two children since Jan. 1.

    The family planning commission of Guangdong provincial health department said although residents no longer have to provide a family planning certificate proving they paid a fine for their second children in order to get a hukou, families with a second child born under the one-child policy still have to pay a fine.

    The family planning commission said it will hand the issue of collecting fines to local courts for enforcement.

    The new policy was introduced in June 2014, according to the commission. (Zhang Yang)