Why do I need a Birth Certificate?
A Birth Certificate is one of the most important vital documents that
any person should have and will be required at several points through a
person’s life. The general purpose a Birth
Certificate serves is to identify a person.
The document tells the person's name, date of birth and where they were
born. A Birth Certificate also serves as
basic proof of citizenship and is often required as identification for
government services or applying for other personal documents. Because a Birth Certificate is such a
valuable document, it should always be kept in a safe place where it can be
easily accessed when needed. It is
highly recommended that you do not carry your Birth Certificate in your wallet
or purse as thousands of certificates are reported lost or stolen every month.
Education A Birth Certificate is required to identify children when they enrol at
a new school. This may be important when
registering for kindergarten or if a family moves to a new district.
Passport If a person desires to travel outside of the country, he must have a
valid passport. Birth Certificates are
required to identify the traveler in order to obtain a passport.
Social
Security Card A Birth Certificate contains the required information necessary to
obtain a social security card. If a card
is lost or stolen, a certified copy of the Birth Certificate is needed to get a
replacement.
Driver’s
Licence When someone wishes to be issued a driver's license, a Birth Certificate
is usually one of the forms of identification required to complete the process
and gain the privileges of a licensed driver.
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What is the new security enhanced Birth Certificate?
Created by the Vital Statistics Council for Canada (VSCC) in conjunction
with forensic document experts from the RCMP, Canadian Security Intelligence
Service (CSIS), Canadian Passport Office, Canada Border Services Agency and the
Canadian Bank Note Company Ltd., the new Canadian Birth Certificates will be
one of the most secure documents in the world.
On December 3, 2007, Nova Scotia was the first province or territory in
Canada to introduce the new, more secure and durable Birth Certificate. Since then, 7 other Canadian provinces followed
suit, including Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland &
Labrador, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan.
The new Birth Certificate is made from a strong polymer material and has
more than 20 visible and concealed security features to help prevent identity
theft.
Experts in identity theft discourage carrying a Birth Certificate in a
purse or wallet. The size of the new certificate is 12.5 cm wide x 17.6 cm
high, which makes carrying it in a wallet or purse prohibitive. Although the wallet size Birth Certificate is
no longer available in these 8 provinces, individuals may still choose to
include or exclude parental information. People born in these 8 provinces are not required to obtain a new Birth
Certificate as the old ones remain valid.
However, in some instances, where identity security is of utmost
importance, citizens may be asked by other agencies to provide the new more
secure document as proof of identity or citizenship. Vital Statistics agencies will not exchange
previous certificates free of charge.
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How do I order a first time Birth Certificate?
1. Click "Select Certificate Type" or "Get It Now" button on home page. Follow the prompts to select the proper certificate and Province/Territory you were born in.
2. Click the "Apply Online" button.
3. Complete the information on the Online Application which will guide you through several Steps and pay using your credit card.
4. You will
receive an order confirmation email from us within an hour. We will then go on to process your
application according to the service option you have chosen. If there are any problems with
your application, a representative will contact you via email with the required
corrections.
5. Your Birth
Certificate will either arrive in the mail, or by courier, depending on the
service option chosen.
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How do I order a replacement Birth Certificate?
You may order a replacement Birth Certificate in the same way as a first
time Birth Certificate (see above). The
application is the same for both types of orders.
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How much does a Birth Certificate cost and how can I pay?
Birth Certificates range in price according to the Province or Territory,
whether you want a Short Form or Long Form version, as well as the service
option chosen on the order form. The
only payment currently accepted is credit card (Visa and MasterCard).
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How long will it take to receive my Birth Certificate?
Birth Certificate processing times range according to the Province or
Territory, as well as the service option chosen on the order form.
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What if I need a Birth Certificate in a hurry?
Each Birth Certificate application (except for Newfoundland &
Labrador, Northwest Territories and Nunavut) have both a Regular Service and a Rush Service option. If you require your Birth
Certificate urgently, please check off the Rush Service option.
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Who issues Birth Certificates in Canada?
Birth Certificates can only be issued by the provincial government. They
are not issued or recorded federally, as they are in many other countries.
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Why doesn’t Canada have a national Birth Certificate?
Canada, unlike most countries today, does not have a national Birth
Certificate. Each Province and Territory
is expected to maintain its own vital statistics database. The hospital records the birth of a new child
and sends the information to either the municipal government as in Ontario, or
a provincial Registrar as in Québec. It
is a system not easily comprehended by citizens. Having the Federal government in charge of Birth
Certificates would appear to be a more rational system. So why is that not the case?
It is through historical circumstances that Canada does not have a
national Birth Certificate policy.
Births were typically registered with local parishes serving small
municipalities. That is why the municipal government still acts as an
intermediary between a new born child and the provincial government. It is only recently that the role of the
church as record keeper of important events such as births, deaths, and
marriages has been taken over by the provincial government.
On October 24, 2001, Joseph Facal, a Québec Minister, announced that all
Birth Certificates issued before 1994 in the province be made void. All Birth Certificates must now be handled by
the Registrar of Civil Status. Moving Birth
Certificate administration to the provincial level is good, but many argue that
Canada should ultimately make the federal government responsible for the
handling of Birth Certificates.
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How will my Birth Certificate be sent to me?
Your Birth Certificate will be sent to you directly from the Provincial
Vital Statistics Agency. It will either
arrive in the mail, or by courier, depending on the service option chosen on
the order form.
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How do I find the status of my application?
If you are following up on the status of an already ordered certificate,
as the applicant, you will need to contact the government agency directly. They will only discuss the status of the
application with the applicant. The
contact information for the government agencies can be found on your order
receipt or below.
Government
Agency Contact Numbers
Alberta Telephone: 780-415-2225
British
Columbia Toll Free: 1-800-663-8328 (BC only) Telephone: 250-952-2681
Manitoba Toll Free: 1-800-282-8069 (Manitoba
only) Telephone: 204-945-3701
New
Brunswick Telephone: 506-453-2385
Newfoundland
& Labrador Telephone: 709-729-3308
Northwest
Territories Toll Free: 1-800-661-0830 Telephone: 867-777-7400
Nova
Scotia Toll Free: 1-877-848-2578 (Nova
Scotia only) Telephone: 902-424-4381
Nunavut Toll Free: 1-800-661-0833 Telephone: 867-645-8002
Ontario Toll Free: 1-800-461-2156 (Ontario
only) Telephone: 416-325-8305
Prince
Edward Island Toll Free: 1-877-320-1253 (PEI only) Telephone: 902-838-0880
Québec Telephone: 418-643-3900
Saskatchewan Toll Free: 1-855-347-5465
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What is the difference between Short Form and Long Form Birth Certificates?
A Short Form Birth Certificate contains less
information than a Long Form Birth Certificate and is smaller in size. It will contain basic information regarding
the child’s birth, but does not show the names of the child’s parents.
A Long Form Birth Certificate contains more information than a Short
Form Birth Certificate and is larger in size.
It will contain the name of the child and the names of both
parents. If only one parent was
declared, then it will show the child's name & the mother's name.
Although a Short Form Birth Certificate is a valid
legal document, most government agencies prefer the Long Form Birth Certificate
as identification as it contains more information concerning your identity,
especially in the case of children/minors.
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What is a Photocopy of Registration?
A Photocopy of Registration is a certified photocopy of the original
Registration of Birth, completed at the time of birth. It contains all the information appearing on
the Registration of Birth and is usually required for legal purposes. Photocopies are rarely needed by citizens and
are, by law, for restricted use only.
They are not recommended for use as identification. A restricted photocopy can only be issued if
authorized by the Registrar General of Vital Statistics or on the order of a
court.
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What if I am uncertain of my date of birth?
Birth Certificates are issued using the information from the original
Registration of Birth, completed at the time of birth. If you are not certain of your date of birth,
some Provinces give you the option of ordering a search letter. A search letter only states that according to
the Vital Statistics office, an event either is or is not recorded in a range
of years provided. No actual information
is provided or confirmed. In other Provinces
where search letters are not available for order, you are required to fill out
your estimated date of birth on the Birth Certificate application. If a record cannot be found, a search will automatically
be carried out and the applicant will be notified.
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Can I obtain a Birth Certificate for a birth that occurred a long time ago?
Most Vital Statistics offices hold complete birth records dating back to
the mid-to-late 1800’s, when civil registration began in that particular
Province. Effective January 1, 2003, The Vital Statistics Act was proclaimed
providing unrestricted access to birth records that are more than 100 years
ago. These unrestricted birth records
are then transferred to the provincial Archives and are input into a database available
for searching. However, Vital
Statistics offices caution that not everything in the original record has been
transcribed. To get all of the details,
it is necessary to order a copy of the original document. Also, the information which was collected has
varied over the years, with more recent records containing more details than
those which are older. For example,
Vital Statistics offices have some incomplete church records that date further
back than their civil registration records, which their staff may be able to
search if the applicant knows the denomination of the person whose birth record
they are seeking.
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Who is entitled to apply for a Birth Certificate?
Eligibility requirements vary by Province or Territory. Please select a Province or Territory where
the birth occurred to confirm whether you are eligible to apply on behalf of
another person.
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What should I do in the event that my Birth Certificate is lost or stolen?
You may complete a Declaration of Lost or Stolen Birth Certificate form.
The filing of this Declaration provides
the authority for the cancellation of a certificate under Section 40.1 (2) (c)
of the Vital Statistics Act. This
service is provided free of charge.
It is important to note the use of a lost or stolen Birth Certificate by
another individual cannot be prevented by the Vital Statistics Agency. However, Vital Statistics does electronically
verify Birth Certificate information with programs such as ICBC. In the event a verification request is
received, Vital Statistics will notify them the certificate is invalid.
You may also wish to contact the local police to report your lost
certificate in the event it has been turned in, or if you suspect you have been
a victim of identity theft. Contact RCMP
PhoneBusters at 1-888-495-8501.
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If I have a French name, should I include the accents on my application?
Yes. If the birth record contains
any French accents on the registered names, please ensure they are clearly
displayed on the Birth Certificate application form.
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Can I exclude my parents’ names from my Birth Certificate?
Yes. You may choose to order a
Short Form Birth Certificate which excludes the names of your parents on the
document.
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Can I make an amendment to a Birth Certificate?
Yes. Occasionally birth records need to be amended, when
an error has been made or for another reason.
The process for getting information changed on a Birth Certificate in
Canada differs between the 13 Provinces and Territories. You will want to
contact the Vital Statistics office in the province where the birth took
place in order to make an amendment. You
will generally be required to pay a prescribed fee to have the Birth Certificate amended. Also, be aware that in most cases, the
original birth record will be kept on file, as well as the changes made.
Adding Biological Father’s Name One of the most common
amendments made to Birth Certificates is the addition of a father's name to a
record previously lacking this information.
Generally, this process requires writing a statement detailing the
change you wish to have made to the Birth Certificate. If the mother and father both agree to the
change, they should sign this letter and deliver it to the vital records
office. Some Provinces or Territories
may require the parents to appear in person.
If he father does not agree to amend the Birth Certificate with his
name, you will need to obtain legal proof of paternity. This generally involves a DNA test if the
mother and father were not married at the time of the child's birth. The mother may have to obtain a court order if
the proposed father refuses to voluntarily submit to testing.
Adding Adopted Father’s Name To add a man’s name to the Birth
Certificate which is not the biological father, you will be required to obtain
a legal report of adoption. If the mother
and her husband wish to have his name added to the Birth Certificate, this will
likely require permission of the biological father (if known) and sometimes
requires a court order. It may be
necessary to have the biological father's paternity rights terminated.
Changing
Your Last Name after Marriage If you are getting married, you have the option of changing you name
legally, or you can simply assume your spouse’s last name, or combine both of
your last names into a hyphenated last name.
The benefit of assuming a married name instead of doing a legal name
change is that it does not change your last name on your Birth Certificate. Later, if you wish to use your own last name
again, it is already on your Birth Certificate and you won’t have to pay to change
it back.
Legally
Changing a Child’s Name To formally and legally change a child’s name, the child must be under
the age of 18 and depending on the Province, have met a residency requirement
prior to submitting the application.
When you change a child’s name, you will be issued a Change of Name
Certificate with their new legal name(s) as well as a new Birth Certificate.
Correcting
Errors on a Birth Certificate Misspellings and incorrect data on a Birth Certificate can affect many
other crucial documents. Drivers'
Licences, Social Insurance cards, Passports and other government-issued
documents rely on a Birth Certificate to verify information. If that information is incorrect, it can cause
all the other documents to have incorrect data as well. You can find the
correct forms to file a change at your Provincial registrar’s office. Ask the clerk to explain the process and
provide you with all the appropriate forms.
The documents and actions needed to fix an error will depend on the type
of error made. Most misspellings can be
changed with paperwork and supporting documentation (i.e. marriage licence,
school enrolment papers, employment records, etc.). Errors that involve the time, date or name of
parents might require a court order and/or paperwork from the delivering doctor
or nurse. A notary must sign and stamp
all of the forms.
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Can I laminate my Birth Certificate?
No. You cannot laminate your Birth
Certificate yourself because it will render it invalid. However some provinces,
like Ontario, used to laminate certificates before the 1980s, and providing the
provincial government laminated the document it remains valid. Today many
provinces now issue laminated wallet sized Birth Certificates.
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Can I travel to the United States using only my Birth Certificate?
No. This used to be possible, but
under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, a Canadian Birth Certificate is
no longer considered valid proof of identity when traveling between Canada and
the United States. Children in school
parties can still use their Birth Certificates, but anyone else planning to
cross the border must have a valid travel document like a Canadian passport,
enhanced driver’s licence or a NEXUS card.
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Can I get a Canadian Passport without my Birth Certificate?
No. If you were born in Canada,
you need your Canadian Birth Certificate to obtain a Canadian Passport. In extremely rare exceptions will this rule
not apply.
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Is it possible for my child to travel before he is registered?
Yes. If your newborn is required
to travel before the birth is registered, you may obtain a Temporary
Confirmation of Birth Letter through the city clerks’ office in the
municipality in which the baby was born.
You may travel using this document for up to 90 days after the date you
submitted the Statement of Live Birth document.
At least one parent must appear in person and provide identification to
obtain a Temporary Confirmation of Birth Letter. There may be fees for this
service, which are set and collected by individual municipalities.
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Does my Birth Certificate expire?
No. Birth Certificates do not
expire as long as they remain in good physical condition.
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