How to Order a Birth Certificate in Ontario

The short answer

Order online through ServiceOntario, in person, or by mail. Ontario issues birth certificates only for births registered in Ontario. There are three types you can order on the Ontario page for getting or replacing a birth certificate: a birth certificate, a birth certificate with parental information, and a certified copy of birth registration. A first certificate costs $25 for the first two types and $35 for a certified copy, with regular online service taking 15 business days plus Canada Post delivery.

This guide covers Ontario ordering only. For the national picture, see the guide to getting a birth certificate in Canada listed under Related guides.

The three documents

Birth certificate. An extract from the birth registration showing name, date of birth, sex, birthplace, date of registration, registration number, date of issue, and certificate number. Ontario recommends it for people 16 years of age and older. It can be used to get an adult passport in Canada, a Social Insurance Number, an Ontario driver's licence, and an Ontario health card.

Birth certificate with parental information. The same extract plus the names and places of birth of the person's parents. Ontario recommends it for newborns and children under 16 where parental information is required. It can also be used for a child's passport in Canada, child health insurance, Indian Status, and certain immigration or citizenship applications.

Certified copy of birth registration. A copy of the original registration with all its details, endorsed as authentic by the Office of the Registrar General, printed on legal-sized paper with a raised seal. It also shows changes made to the registration, such as name changes and corrections. It is used where more detail is required, for example adopting a child abroad, certain immigration or citizenship applications, and visa applications.

Only one of each type can be valid at a time. If a replacement is ordered, the earlier certificate of that type stops being valid.

Who can apply

You can apply for:

• yourself, if you are at least 13 years old
• your child, if you are named as a parent on the child's birth registration
• a child, if you are the legal guardian and can provide court documents proving custody; online applicants send the supporting documents by mail with a letter quoting the online order number

For a person who has died, you can only get a certified copy of birth registration, and only if you are the next of kin, executor, or estate trustee or administrator. Supporting documents are required. Next of kin means parents, a spouse or common-law partner, children, and siblings. If all next of kin have died, extended next of kin or their authorized representative may apply.

Cost and delivery

Regular online service costs $25 for a first birth certificate or a first certificate with parental information, and $35 for a first certified copy of birth registration. Each takes 15 business days plus delivery by Canada Post, and no service guarantee applies.

A replacement costs $35 for a birth certificate or a certificate with parental information, and $45 for a certified copy, on regular online service.

Premium online service takes 5 business days including courier delivery. It costs $55 for a first birth certificate, $65 for a replacement birth certificate, $65 for a first certified copy, and $75 for a replacement certified copy. Premium service is not available for a birth certificate with parental information.

Emergency service is in person only, at 47 Sheppard Avenue East in Toronto. It takes 5 business days including courier delivery, proof of urgency is required, and no service guarantee applies. It costs $55 for a first birth certificate and $65 for a replacement. Emergency service is not available for certificates with parental information, for births within the first 16 weeks, or for births before 1930, which can take up to 8 weeks to process.

Online payment is by Visa, Visa Debit, Mastercard, or Debit Mastercard.

How to order

Online. You need your own name, mailing address, and phone number; the name, date of birth, sex, and city of birth of the person named on the certificate, plus any previous legal names; the parents' names, dates of birth, and places of birth; a guarantor if the person named is 9 years or older; and a card for payment.

By mail. Download and complete the application form and mail it to ServiceOntario, Office of the Registrar General, P.O. Box 4600, 189 Red River Road, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 6L8. By mail you can pay by Visa or Mastercard, or by personal cheque or money order in Canadian dollars from a Canadian financial institution.

In person. Go to the ServiceOntario centre at Sheppard and Doris in Toronto (47 Sheppard Avenue East) or at Ottawa City Hall (110 Laurier Avenue West). The Toronto location is the only one that accepts emergency service applications. In person in Toronto you can pay cash, money order, Visa, Visa Debit, Mastercard, Debit Mastercard, or Interac. Personal cheques are not accepted in person.

Children, searches, and corrections

For a child under 16, the birth certificate with parental information covers most purposes, including a passport. Check with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for its list of acceptable documents before you order.

If you need to confirm whether a birth is registered, you can order a birth search letter. A specific year triggers a 5-year search, two years either side. Longer periods cost $15 for every extra 5-year interval searched. The letter confirms whether a matching birth is registered in Ontario and cannot be used as an identity document. There is no service guarantee or emergency service for a search.

To change or correct information on a birth registration, ask the Office of the Registrar General for a registration amendment application form, online or by phone. The change then shows on any certificate or certified copy ordered after it.

Adoptive parents use the adoptive parents' names and the adopted person's current legal name on the application. A certificate with parental information or a certified copy needs the original registration to have been replaced by a substituted birth registration; the Ontario page gives the Office of the Registrar General phone numbers for that step.

What the opened pages do not state

The Ontario page opened for this guide lists the online, mail, and in-person routes, the three document types, and the full cost and delivery table. It does not state a separate fee for ordering in person or by mail beyond the service table, so this guide does not give one. It also does not state how long a mail order takes beyond the service times in the table, so no mail timeline is given here.

Related guides:

• How to Start Getting a Birth Certificate in Canada — the national route and which province or territory issues which record.
• How to Order a Marriage Certificate in Ontario — ordering an Ontario marriage certificate through ServiceOntario.
• How to Legally Change Your Name in Ontario — the Ontario legal name change process and the new birth certificate that follows it.
• How to Start Getting a Marriage Licence in Canada — marriage licences across Canada, including Ontario municipal licences.

Sources

• Government of Ontario, Get or replace an Ontario birth certificate — the three document types and what each contains, who can apply, the full cost and delivery table including premium and emergency service, the online, mail, and in-person routes and addresses, the one-valid-certificate rule, the deceased-person rule, the birth search letter and its $15 charge per extra 5-year interval, and the amendment route.