How to get a copy of an Ontario death certificate online
ServiceOntario – the only government-authorized source for Ontario death certificates. It’s safer, cheaper and faster.
A death certificate is a document containing the details of a death that took place in Ontario. You can order a copy, or multiple copies online, if the death is registered in Ontario. You can use this certificate to cancel a health card or driver’s licence and for insurance purposes.
To order a death certificate, you will need:
- first and last name of the person who died
- sex of the person who died
- date of death
- name of city or town in which death took place
- parental information about the person who died
- spouse or partner information of person who died, if applicable
Order a death certificate online
Check the status of your death certificate application
Note: The death must be registered in Ontario to use this service.
Cost
- file-size death certificate: $15
- certified death certificate: $22
There is no restriction on the number of death certificates you can apply for and receive.
Payment
VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Interac® Online
Delivery
Certificates are mailed within 15 business days (or you get your money back). Pick up service is not available.
Online completion time
Average 20 minutes.
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FAQs
What you need to know
Death registration
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, 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.
Cause of death information gathered from death registrations is used for medical and health research and for statistical purposes.
Death certificate
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.
You may need an official death certificate or certified copy for:
- settling an estate
- insurance purposes
- access to/termination of government services, e.g., health card, pension, voters' list
- genealogy searches
The Long Form death certificate does not include medical cause of death. This is obtained by applying for an extended long form death certificate by fax, mail or at the following ServiceOntario centre:
47 Sheppard Avenue East, unit 417, 4th Floor
Toronto ON M2N 5N1
You may need the extended long form death certificate for:
- settling an estate outside the country
- pension purposes outside the country
The cost to order an extended long form death certificate is: $22
If you are unsure if you need a file sized certificate or certified certificate, please check with the Ministry, government agency, or person requesting the document before you order.
Replace a lost, stolen or damaged death certificate
To replace a lost, stolen or damaged death certificate you can use the online application to order a replacement death certificate.
Service guarantee
If you order online (regular service): certificates are put in the mail within 15 business days (or you get your money back).
If you order online ($30 premium service): certificates are delivered to you within 5 business days (or you get your money back).
Read the terms and conditions
Apply for a service guarantee refund
Who can apply for a death certificate
There are no restrictions on who can apply for a short form death certificate.
The deceased’s next of kin or their authorized representative may apply for a long form certified copy of a statement of death. Authorized representatives will be required to provide proof of authorization.
Next of kin of the deceased relationships are:
- parents
- spouse or common-law partner
- children, and
- siblings
If all the next of kin are deceased, extended next of kin or their authorized representative may apply.
Extended next of kin relationships are:
- aunt
- uncle
- first cousin
- grandchild
- grandfather
- grandmother
- nephew, or
- niece
Check your order status
The status of your online application becomes available 1 business day after you submit it.
To check the status online you need:
- to indicate the type of certificate you requested (birth, death or marriage)
- applicant’s name and telephone number
- name of the subject (the person to be listed on the certificate)
- date of the event, and
- order / file number, if available
Other ways to apply
Emergency Service
The ServiceOntario centre at: 47 Sheppard Avenue East, unit 417, 4th Floor
Toronto, ON M2N 5N1 is the only location that accepts emergency service applications.
For this, you will also need to bring:
- proof of urgency
- an additional $30 per document.
Delivery
Certificates are delivered to you within 5 business days
Payment
Cash, money order, credit card, Interac®
Note: personal cheque payments are no longer accepted at our retail locations for any vital events transactions, including regular, emergency and expedited services.
By fax
Completed applications can be faxed to 1-807-343-7459
Delivery
6 to 8 weeks
Payment
Credit card
By mail
Completed applications can be mailed to:
ServiceOntario
189 Red River Road, PO Box 4600
Thunder Bay, ON
P7B 6L8
Delivery
6 – 8 weeks
Payment
Cheque, money order, credit card
Note: customers paying for birth, marriage and death certificates by personal cheque via mail can expect a delay in the 6-8 week processing time until the cheque has cleared for payment. An additional 10 business days (or 2 weeks) is required for cheques to clear.
Download the death certificate application
Order a death search
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.
To request a search you can use the same online service as a certificate application but you will select the search option and indicate how many years would like to search.
Note: Searches do not offer the same online guarantee as a certificate and there is no emergency service offered for a search.
Cost
$15 for every 5 years period that is searched
Delivery
6 – 8 weeks
Historical certificates
Historical events, such as deaths prior to 1980, marriages prior to 1980, and births prior to 1930 may not be in electronic format.
When applying for a death certificate prior to 1980, marriage certificate prior to 1980 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.

