Since the era of Swedish rule, maintaining a register of births, marriages, and deaths was the responsibility of the Lutheran Church. The need to change the existing system began to emerge already in the mid-19th century during the period when conversion to Orthodoxy became relatively popular in Southern Estonia. The development of the Valga railway junction and the influx of new settlers practicing different religions to the city at the beginning of the 20th century further highlighted the need for a secular population register. As a result, municipalities and cities, in addition to the Lutheran Church, increasingly took on the task of maintaining the population register. Initially, the responsibility for keeping the population register fell to the secretaries of rural municipalities and cities.

Developments were also influenced by the events of the First World War, the Russian revolutions of 1917, and the War of Independence, which led to the emergence of the independent states of Estonia and Latvia. In Valga, the organisation of registry keeping was based for several years on the Law on Freedom of Conscience adopted during the short period Kerensky's reign in 1917, although the Estonian Constituent Assembly already attempted to adopt a family law in 1920.

Over the past hundred years, civil status records and other procedures in Valga have mainly been conducted in the historic Valga Town Hall building. Therefore, on July 1, 2026, at 4 p.m., the event 100 Years of Civil Registry Procedures in Valga will take place in Valga Town Hall, where long-time civil registry official Anne Puller will share her memories. Interested visitors can already tour Valga Town Hall, its hall, and the rooms related to registration starting from 2 p.m.

From June 26 to July 19, an exhibition will be open in the foyer of Valga Museum, showcasing historical registry document forms, silver and golden wedding albums, and other relevant artifacts.