Passports, vital records, licences, and the paperwork of everyday life in Canada.
A Manitoba marriage licence costs $100, is bought in person by both parties from a registered issuer, must be bought at least 24 hours before the marriage, and is valid for three months for a marriage performed in Manitoba. Both parties need unexpired proof of identity, age and name.
A Nova Scotia marriage licence costs $132.70, is valid for 3 months, and is issued right away at Access Nova Scotia or by a Deputy Issuer. Both of you complete the application and affidavit form.
A Saskatchewan marriage licence is purchased from a marriage licence issuer. Both prospective spouses complete and sign the statutory declaration in the issuer's presence, each presents two pieces of government-issued identification with one photo piece, and clergy or marriage commissioners registered in Saskatchewan perform the marriage.
A Manitoba birth certificate costs $30 from the Vital Statistics Branch, with or without parents' names. Order online, in person at 254 Portage Avenue in Winnipeg, by mail, or by fax.
A Nova Scotia birth certificate costs $33 for the short form or $39.90 for the long form from Vital Statistics. Apply online or on the paper form; it should take 4 to 6 weeks.
Saskatchewan birth certificates come from eHealth Saskatchewan: short form $35, long form $40, and a copy of the birth registration $55. Apply online or on the paper application form.
A legal name change in Canada is filed with the province or territory where you live, then carried into every document that still shows the old name.
An Alberta marriage licence comes from a registry agent office, costs a $40 government fee plus the agent's varying service fee, and is valid for 3 months for an Alberta ceremony only. Both of you apply together, swear affidavits, and get the licence while you wait.
A British Columbia marriage licence costs $100, is non-refundable, includes your first marriage certificate, and must be bought in person from a licence issuer within 3 months before the wedding. Only one of you needs to apply, with primary ID for both.
An Ontario marriage licence is issued by a municipality, is valid anywhere in Ontario for 3 months, and needs two pieces of government ID per person, one with a photo. Each municipality sets its own fee; Toronto charges $180, and the $75 provincial fee can be waived in one case.
In Nunavut you change your name by applying to the Nunavut Court of Justice under the Change of Name Act. You need one year of residence, age 19, a $10 filing fee, an affidavit, and a Sheriff's certificate.
An NWT legal name change runs through the Registrar General in Inuvik. The fee is $159 including one large certificate, you must be 19 or older and have lived in the NWT for three months in a row within the year before applying, and most changes are published in the NWT Gazette.
A Yukon legal name change runs through the Office of the Registrar of Vital Statistics under the Change of Name Act. You must be 19 or older, or married, widowed, or divorced, a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and resident in Yukon for the three months before you apply.
Alberta charges a $20 government fee for each birth document, plus a registry agent service fee that varies. Apply in person at a registry agent, or from outside Alberta through Registry Connect or AMA.
A B.C. birth certificate costs $27 by mail or $60 by courier, and a certified copy of a birth registration costs $50 by mail. Order online, at a Service BC counter, or by mail on form VSA 430B.
Ontario has three birth documents: a birth certificate at $25, one with parental information at $25, and a certified copy of birth registration at $35. Order online, in person, or by mail.
Manitoba's Wills Act requires a written will signed at its end before two witnesses present at the same time. A holograph will needs no witnesses, marriage revokes a Manitoba will, and section 23 lets a court save a non-compliant document.
Quebec allows exactly three will forms under article 712 of the Civil Code: the notarial will, the holograph will, and the will made in the presence of witnesses. Only the notarial will, received by a notary en minute, needs no probate after death.
A will in Canada is made under the law of the province or territory where you live: decide, draft, sign it that province's way, and store the original.
An Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan card comes from registering with AHCIP at a registry agent: children under 21 sit on a parent's account as dependants, and there is no charge for the service.
Alberta's legal name change carries a $120 government fee, paid through a registry agent whose own service fee is extra. Adults need a certified criminal record check filed within 30 days of its date.
British Columbia's adult legal name change costs $137 through the Vital Statistics Agency under the Name Act. Applicants 19 and older who have lived in B.C. for at least 3 months need a criminal record check with electronic fingerprints.
Manitoba's legal name change costs $120.07 through the Vital Statistics Branch — $100 for the change and certificate, plus a $20.07 Manitoba Gazette fee. Since November 5, 2025, adult applicants also submit a certified criminal record check, but only after the Branch tells them to.
To change a registered name in New Brunswick you must have lived in the province for at least three months and be 16 or older. The Service New Brunswick application requires a recent local criminal record check and, for a surname change, a long form birth certificate.
A legal name change in Newfoundland and Labrador costs $100 through Service NL's Vital Statistics Division, plus $35 for a new birth certificate. You must be 16 or older, resident for at least three months, and include a certified criminal record check dated within six months.
Nova Scotia's legal name change costs $165.70 through Vital Statistics and includes one change of name certificate. Everyone 12 or older must be fingerprinted, and an application takes 2 to 3 months.
Ontario's legal name change costs $137 through ServiceOntario under the Change of Name Act. You must be 16 or older and have lived in Ontario for at least 12 months.
Prince Edward Island's legal name change costs $100 for the first person in a family, including processing, registration, and the change of name certificate. Adults must have resided on PEI for at least three months, and the certificate takes one to two months.
Quebec name changes are not routine applications. The Directeur de l'état civil grants one only for a serious reason under the Civil Code of Québec, after a preliminary analysis, a 15-day publication of the notice, and a fee of $164.
Saskatchewan legal name changes run through eHealth Saskatchewan's Vital Statistics Registry under The Change of Name Act, 1995. Most changes are published in the Saskatchewan Gazette, and children under 15 are not published.
Alberta's Wills and Succession Act sets its own signing rules: a formal will needs two witnesses present at the same time, and a holograph will needs no witnesses at all.
British Columbia's Wills, Estates and Succession Act has no holograph route: a will must be signed at its end before two witnesses, though BC does allow electronic wills.
Saskatchewan's Wills Act, 1996 requires two witnesses present at the same time for a formal will, allows a holograph will with no witnesses, and permits electronic witnessing only with a lawyer as one witness.
Probate in Nunavut: the Nunavut Court of Justice route, the Probate and Administration Rules, the Civil Registry in Iqaluit, and the 2021 fee schedule.
Probate in the Northwest Territories: the Supreme Court route, the Estate Administration Rules, the grant forms, and the notices that must go out.
Probate in Yukon: when the Supreme Court of Yukon requires a grant, the Rule 64 forms, notice to interested persons, the 14-day wait, and the filing fee.
Making an enduring power of attorney in Manitoba: the one-witness rule from a closed professional list, and optional filing with the Public Guardian.
Making an enduring power of attorney in New Brunswick: the lawyer rule for property powers, and the two-witness route for personal care only.
Making a protection mandate in Quebec: the notarized or witnessed forms, homologation by the court, and the Curateur public's register and oversight.
Making an enduring power of attorney in Saskatchewan: the lawyer route or two witnesses, the prescribed forms, and the Public Guardian's oversight.
Writing a will in Nunavut: the two-witness formal will, the wholly and partly handwritten holograph rules, and why remote witnessing is not yet allowed.
Writing a will in the Northwest Territories: the two-witness formal will, the holograph will, the under-19 exceptions, and marriage revocation.
Writing a will in Yukon: the two-witness formal will, the holograph will with no witnesses, who can and cannot witness, and the age rule.
Apply for probate in Manitoba: Form 74A, the inventory in Form 74B, the 7-day minimum wait, the $10,000 small-estate order, and filing at the Court of King's Bench.
Apply for probate in New Brunswick: the 7-day wait, the Form 2A application, the 2026 probate tax rates, and filing at the Probate Court office.
Apply for probate in Newfoundland and Labrador: the 5-day notice posting, the Form 56.05A application, the $60 probate fee, and filing at the Supreme Court registry.
Apply for probate in Nova Scotia: the Form 8 application, the appointment at Probate Court, the probate tax tiers, and the notice of grant after the grant issues.
Apply for probate in Prince Edward Island: the Form 65A petition, the inventory, the 30-day citation rule, and filing at the Estates Section in Charlottetown.
Apply for probate in Saskatchewan: Form 16-11A, the Statement of Property, the $200 fee plus $7 per $1,000 of estate value, and filing at the Court of King's Bench.
Getting married in Canada: the licence, the certificate, and the paperwork that follows — will, name, power of attorney, and address — each with its live guide.
Apply for probate in Alberta: when a grant of probate is needed, the Surrogate Digital Service and GA forms, notice to beneficiaries, the grant fee, and filing at the Court of King's Bench.
Apply for probate in Ontario: when a Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee or a Small Estate Certificate is needed, the court forms, the estate administration tax, and filing at the Superior Court of Justice.
Apply for probate in Quebec: a notarial will does not need probate, while a holograph will and a will made before witnesses must be verified by a notary or the Superior Court.
Start getting your driver's licence in Nova Scotia: the three graduated licensing stages, the knowledge and road tests, the fees, and the restrictions at each stage.
Write a will in Newfoundland and Labrador under the Wills Act: the formal and holograph rules, choosing an executor, signing and witnessing, and where the will is probated.
Write a will in Prince Edward Island in Part III of the Probate Act: the formal route with two witnesses, choosing an executor, signing, and where the will is probated.
The admin checklist for ending a marriage in Canada, in order: the court filing under the Divorce Act, telling the CRA, and updating your will, power of attorney, and legal name.
Apply for probate in British Columbia: when a grant is needed, the Form P1 notice and 21-day wait, the P-forms, the probate fee, and filing at a Supreme Court probate registry.
Register a vehicle in Alberta in person at a registry agent with proof of ownership and valid Alberta insurance, then renew online, by mail, or in person before your surname-assigned expiry month.
Write a will in New Brunswick under the Wills Act — the formal will with two witnesses, the holograph will, naming an executor, and what the executor files for probate.
Write a will in Nova Scotia under the Wills Act: the formal and holograph rules, choosing an executor, signing and witnessing, and where the will is probated.
The paperwork for a new baby in Canada, in order: register the birth, apply for the Canada Child Benefit, get a provincial health card, sort out time off work, and set up the longer-term pieces, each linked to the guide that walks through it.
How to write a will in Ontario: the formal and holograph will rules in the Succession Law Reform Act, choosing an executor, signing and witnessing, and storing and updating the will.
Moving to a new province in Canada: the checklist for the rest of the move beyond the admin paperwork, from landlord notice and movers to banking, school enrolment, pet licences, and finding a doctor.
Legal Aid Ontario: the certificate and clinic routes, the financial test, and how to apply by phone, in person, or through the client portal.
Complain to Ombudsman Ontario: what it can investigate, what it cannot, trying the organization first, and how to file online, by phone, or by email.
Montreal building permits: the borough permit counter, the documents, the $9.80 per $1,000 fee, and the permit validity periods.
Vancouver building permits: when you need one, the development permit question, the application package, fees after intake, and inspections.
Alberta sportfishing licences: the WiN number, AlbertaRELM purchase, 2026 fees from $27 to $87, and the walleye Special Harvest Licence.
BC freshwater fishing licences: the FWID and WILD system, 2026-27 fees from $1.14 to $91.44, and the separate federal tidal licence from DFO.
Alberta hunting licences: the WiN number, the Alberta hunter education course, the $35 wildlife certificate, species licences, and the June draw.
BC hunting licences: CORE hunter education, the FWID and hunting credential, the $32 resident licence, species licences, and the $19 initiation licence.
Toronto residential on-street parking permits: who qualifies, which streets and vehicles are covered, and how to apply and renew.
Registering a vehicle in BC: the Autoplan broker visit, the transfer form, the out-of-province inspection, and the insurance tie-in.
Register your number on the National Do Not Call List: free online or by phone, what it stops, what it does not stop, and how to complain.
The Parole Board of Canada record suspension route: completing sentences, the 3, 5, or 10 year waiting periods, the $50 fee, and the ten-step application file.
Complain about phone, internet, or TV service in Canada: the provider-first step, the CCTS complaint form and stages, and what the CCTS can and cannot do.
Complain to the Canadian Transportation Agency about air travel: contact the airline first, file the CTA complaint, and follow the 90-day decision process.
How to get a building permit in Toronto for a new house, including the drawing package, the forms, the 2026 fee schedule, and how to apply online.
Get a fishing licence in Ontario: the OUTDOORS Card, Sport and Conservation licences, 2026 fees for Ontario residents, and where to buy them.
Get a hunting licence in Ontario: hunter education and accreditation, the OUTDOORS Card, licences and tags, 2026 fees, and mandatory hunter reporting.
Hire a nanny or in-home caregiver in Canada: the closed Home Care Worker pilots, the past process, and household payroll setup.
How to licence your dog in Toronto: the $25 and $60 fees, DocuPet online licensing, phone, mail and in-person routes, and the yearly renewal rule.
Making a will province by province: formal and holograph wills, witness counts, executor and guardian roles, from each province's official pages.
How to order a death certificate in Canada: Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta routes, who can order each document, and official fees and times.
How to register a vehicle in Ontario at ServiceOntario: documents, the Safety Standards Certificate, the 6-day deadline, plates, and official fees.
Federal lobbyist registration: consultant and in-house routes, 10-day and 2-month deadlines, and monthly communication reports due by the 15th.
Register to vote in federal elections: check the National Register of Electors, register online, by mail or at the polls, and prove identity and address.
Report an unsafe consumer product in Canada: the Health Canada consumer report, what to include, the form mechanics, and industry's mandatory reporting duties.
Report fraud and identity theft in Canada: the CAFC steps, what to gather, local police, both credit bureaus, and CRA and Service Canada contacts.
Request records under FIPPA in Ontario: identify the institution, submit the request and $5 fee, the 45-business-day response rule, and appeal to the IPC.
How to serve on a jury in Canada: Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta summons routes, who is eligible, exemptions, and the juror fees on official pages.
Start a House of Commons e-petition: draft 250 words, gather five supporters, get an MP to authorize publication, reach 500 signatures, get a response.
How to start getting your driver's licence in British Columbia through ICBC's graduated licensing program, from the learner stage to a full Class 5 licence.
Moving provinces in Canada: the checklist for your health card, driver's licence, vehicle registration, and voter registration, in the order to do them.
Apply for a Canadian Travel Number in Canada: who it helps, the two identification documents, the GCKey sign-in, the 3-to-6-week processing time, and how to use the number when booking a flight.
Apply for a Senate appointment through the Independent Advisory Board: the year-round open process, the constitutional and merit-based criteria, the six application documents, and the two-year retention of applications.
Book through the Parks Canada Reservation Service in Canada: create an account, check your park's launch date, reserve frontcountry camping, oTENTik accommodations, and backcountry camping, plus West Coast Trail, guided hikes, Lake O'Hara, the Georgian Bay Islands boat shuttle, and Grotto parking — and manage, change, or cancel a booking.
Comment on federal impact assessments through the Canadian Impact Assessment Registry: find a project, read the document open for comment at its current stage, verify your email address, and submit a comment that becomes part of the public record.
Request federal government records or your own personal information through the ATIP Online Request Service: the two request types, creating an account or proceeding as a guest, the $5 access fee, the 30-day response rule, and tracking and receiving your reply.
Search Canada's public bankruptcy and insolvency records through the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy: free registration with a GCKey or Sign-In Partner, the $8 charge for each set of 10 bankruptcy records viewed, free CCAA records, and how to search by name or file number and save what you find.
Use CBSA Advance Declaration in ArriveCAN before flying into Canada: the 10 participating airports, the 72-hour window, submitting your customs and immigration declaration, and confirming it at a kiosk or eGate on arrival.
Register as a victim or victim representative on the secure Victims Portal run jointly by Correctional Service Canada and the Parole Board of Canada, and request offender information, hearing observation, victim statements, and decision copies.
Become a caregiver in Canada: temporary care under provincial child-protection law, provincial application, checks, home study, training, and approval or licensing.
Adopting a child in Canada is run province by province: application, training, homestudy, approval, matching, placement, and a court order. This guide sets out that process as the provincial authorities state it.
Apply for a Canadian passport in Canada: first application or simplified renewal, guarantor and photo rules, current in-Canada fees, and how long processing takes.
Apply for NEXUS from Canada: the Trusted Traveller Program application, the $120 USD fee, conditional approval, the two-agency interview, and renewal.
Change your legal name in Canada: the provincial vital statistics process in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, and Quebec, publication and criminal-record-check rules, and the documents to update after.
Get a birth certificate in Canada: apply to the province or territory where the birth was registered, by online, mail, or in-person route, with fees and processing times per province.
Get a firearms licence (PAL) in Canada: pass the Canadian Firearms Safety Course, apply to the RCMP, and wait out the 28-day minimum.
Get a marriage licence in Canada: who issues it in each province, how long it is valid, what documents to bring, and how a licence differs from the ceremony and the registration.
Get a Pleasure Craft Operator Card in Canada: check whether you already hold proof of competency, find a Transport Canada-accredited provider, pass the boating safety test, and carry the card for life.