A death certificate is a document containing the details of a death that took place in Ontario. You can order multiple copies and use it for insurance purposes and to cancel a health card, driver’s licence and other government ID .
In the event of a death, the attending physician or coroner completes the Medical Certificate of Death and gives it to the funeral director with the body of the deceased.
To register a death, an informant, usually a family member, and the funeral director must complete the Statement of Death with information about the deceased.
Once completed, the Medical Certificate of Death and the Statement of Death are submitted to the local municipal clerk’s office by the funeral director. It may take up to 12 weeks for a death to be registered in Ontario.
Cause of death information gathered from death registrations is used for medical and health research and for statistical purposes.
The funeral director will issue copies of proof of death that you can use in certain situations. There are some organizations, however, that may require an official death certificate from the Province of Ontario that can only be obtained by applying online, by mail or in person.
You may need a death certificate for:
If applying online, the certified copy of death registration does not include medical cause of death.
A certified copy of death registration with cause of death information can only be obtained by applying by mail or in person. Download and complete the Request for Death Certificate application. If you require a certified copy of death registration with cause of death information urgently, please submit an urgent request.
You may need a certified copy of death registration with cause of death information for:
If you are unsure if you need a death certificate or certified copy of death registration with or without cause of death information, please check with the Ministry, government agency, or person requesting the document before you order.
To order a death certificate, or a certified copy of death registration you will need:
There may be delays as your order is processed due to higher than normal volumes of requests. We will do our best to complete your order in a timely manner and apologize for any inconvenience.
If you have an urgent request, please provide proof of urgency.
Note: The status of your online application becomes available 1 business day after you submit it. If you did not receive a payment receipt, please contact ServiceOntario after 1 full business day. If you’ve had trouble applying online and have not entered any payment information you will need to start the application process again.
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There may be delays as your order is processed due to higher than normal volumes of requests. We will do our best to complete your order in a timely manner and apologize for any inconvenience.
If you have an urgent request, please provide proof of urgency.
Visa, Visa Debit, Mastercard or Debit Mastercard
15 business days plus delivery by Canada Post
No service guarantees apply
5 business days including delivery by courier
No service guarantees apply
15 business days plus delivery by Canada Post
No service guarantees apply
5 business days including delivery by courier
No service guarantees apply
| Certified copy of death registration with cause of death information | Processing and delivery | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Regular service (online) | Not available at this time | Not applicable |
| Premium service (online) | Not available at this time | Not applicable |
| Emergency service (in person at 47 Sheppard Ave East, Toronto) | 5 business days including delivery by courier (proof of urgency is required) | $52 |
| Mailed applications | 6-8 weeks, document is mailed by Canada Post | $22 |
15 business days plus delivery by Canada Post
No service guarantees apply
To replace a lost, stolen or damaged death certificate you can use the online application to order a replacement death certificate.
You can send a request to the Office of the Registrar General for a registration amendment application form to change information on a death registration. The amended change will be reflected on any death certificate or certified copy of the death registration you apply for in the future. The death must be currently registered in Ontario to make a change.
You can submit a request for a registration amendment form online or by phone, and the form will be mailed to you.
There are no restrictions on who can apply for a death certificate and no restriction on the number of death certificates you can apply for and receive.
The deceased’s next of kin or their authorized representative may apply for a certified copy of death registration. Authorized representatives (for example, estate administrator, executor or administrator, or a person with legal guardianship acting on behalf of the deceased or an entitled individual) will be required to provide proof of authorization.
Next of kin are:
If all the next of kin are deceased, extended next of kin or their authorized representative may apply.
Extended next of kin are:
You can request a search if you do not know the exact date of death.
A search will verify that the death has taken place and has been registered with the province of Ontario.
You will receive a letter in the mail giving you information that matches the criteria within the years you searched. If no information is found, you will still receive a letter stating that no information was found. Applicants can provide a range of years to be searched or a specific year. If a specific year is provided, a five-year search will be conducted – two years prior and two years after the year specified. Applicants may request searches for longer periods of time at an additional fee of $15 for every five-year interval searched.
To request a search, you can use the same online service as a death certificate application but you will select the search option and indicate how many years to search.
Older events, such as deaths prior to 1991, marriages prior to 1991, and births prior to 1930 may not be in electronic format.
When applying for a death certificate prior to 1991, marriage certificate prior to 1991 or a birth certificate prior to 1930, it can take up to an extra 6 to 8 weeks for the registration to be converted into an electronic format before processing can be completed.
Registrations that are not available electronically are not included in the service guarantee.
Indigenous communities, organizations or family members trying to locate death records, or registrations of deaths, for children who attended Indian Residential Schools can request a search for a death record for no fee.
Important: To help navigate the application process, please review the supporting fact sheet before completing your application.
You can apply for a Search for Death Records online, by mail or by fax. A search will be conducted from the information provided. Upon completion of the request, the applicant will receive documents indicating whether the requested record was/was not found.
You can submit your completed Search for Death Records application by mail to:
ServiceOntario, Office of the Registrar General
Attention: Service Delivery Manager
189 Red River Road, PO Box 4600
Thunder Bay, Ontario
P7B 6L8
You can fax your completed Search for Death Records application to the Office of the Registrar General at 807-343-7411 . Please include a cover letter to your fax addressed to “Attention: Service Delivery Manager”
The status of your online application becomes available 1 business day after you submit it.
If you are unsure that your online application was successfully submitted, please contact ServiceOntario on the next business day.
The only ServiceOntario centre that accepts emergency services applications is located at:
47 Sheppard Avenue East, unit 417, 4 th Floor
Toronto, ON
M2N 5N1
For this, you will also need to bring:
Certificates are delivered to you within 5 business days, if the event is registered.
Cash, money order, Visa, Visa Debit, Mastercard, Debit Mastercard
Note: personal cheque payments are no longer accepted at our retail locations for any vital events transactions, including regular, emergency and expedited services.
In person at the following ServiceOntario centres:
47 Sheppard Avenue East, unit 417, 4 th Floor
Toronto, ON
M2N 5N1
110 Laurier Avenue West, 1 st Floor
Ottawa, ON
K1P 1J1
Completed applications can be mailed to:
ServiceOntario
189 Red River Road, PO Box 4600
Thunder Bay, ON
P7B 6L8
Cheque, money order, Visa, Mastercard
Note: personal cheque payments are no longer accepted at our retail locations for any vital events transactions, including regular, emergency and expedited services.
To qualify for an emergency or expedited death certificate or certified copy of death registration, the death must be registered in Ontario and you must provide proof of urgency along with your complete and correct form, documents and fee.
Proof of urgency may include:
To submit an urgent request for a death certificate, you can:
Note: Do not include credit card information in your application form. Once you have completed your form, you will be directed to a payment page where you can submit your payment information and complete your request.
This service is only available for urgent requests.
If your request is not urgent, you may order a death certificate through the online certificate application or submit your application by mail.
