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  "identifier" : "/documentation/HealthKit/HKHealthStore/dateOfBirth()",
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# dateOfBirth()

Reads the user’s date of birth from the HealthKit store as a date value.

```
func dateOfBirth() throws -> Date
```

## Return Value

An <doc://com.apple.documentation/documentation/Foundation/NSDate> object representing the user’s birthdate, or `nil`.

## Discussion

If the user has not yet specified a birth date, or if the user has denied your app permission to read the birth date, this method returns `nil`.

> Handling Errors in Swift:
> In Swift, this method returns a nonoptional result and is marked with the `throws` keyword to indicate that it throws an error in cases of failure.
> 
> You call this method in a `try` expression and handle any errors in the `catch` clauses of a `do` statement, as described in [Error Handling](https://docs.swift.org/swift-book/LanguageGuide/ErrorHandling.html) in [The Swift Programming Language](https://docs.swift.org/swift-book/) and `About Imported Cocoa Error Parameters`.

---

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