To fill out an Ontario statutory declaration form, enter your full legal name, address, and occupation at the top, write out the facts you are attesting to in plain language in the body, then sign and date the form only while an authorized commissioner watches and verifies your identification. The declaration must use the wording prescribed by Section 43 of the Ontario Evidence Act and carries the same force and effect as a statement made under oath, so a false declaration can lead to criminal charges.1Ontario.ca. Ontario Evidence Act RSO 1990 c E23 – Section 43
What to Have Ready Before You Start
Two things. First, government-issued photo ID that matches the name you will use on the declaration. A Canadian passport, an Ontario driver’s licence, or an Ontario Photo Card all work. The commissioner is required to verify your identity, and a mismatch between your ID and the name on the form typically means the commissioner will refuse to sign.
Second, be clear on the facts you are declaring. A statutory declaration is not a place for guesses or secondhand information. Every statement must be something within your personal knowledge that you can honestly say is true. If a date or detail is fuzzy, plan to hedge in the declaration itself (“to the best of my recollection…”) rather than state something precise that could turn out to be wrong.
Finding the Right Form
Ontario does not have one universal statutory declaration form. The right form depends on the purpose. Many purpose-specific forms live in the Ontario Central Forms Repository as PDFs.2Ontario Central Forms Repository. Statutory Declaration Form Search Results If the organization asking for the declaration has given you its own template, use theirs. Lawyers and notaries can also draft a custom declaration for situations that don’t fit a standard form.
Whatever form you use, the wording has to follow Section 43 of the Ontario Evidence Act and end with the line: “I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing it to be true and knowing that it is of the same force and effect as if made under oath.”1Ontario.ca. Ontario Evidence Act RSO 1990 c E23 – Section 43 A declaration that departs from this language can be rejected by the receiving party.
Filling In the Form
Enter your full legal name, address, and occupation in the spaces at the top. Then move to the body, where you describe the facts. Write in plain, specific language. Rather than “I lost my documents a while ago,” write something like “I lost my Canadian birth certificate on or about March 15, 2025, during a residential move from Toronto to Ottawa.” The organization receiving the declaration needs to understand exactly what happened, when, and where.
If the space provided isn’t enough, attach additional pages. Number them, reference them in the body (“as described in the attached Schedule A”), and initial each attached page in front of the commissioner when you sign.
Do not sign or date the form yet. The signature and the date go on the form only while you are physically (or via video) in front of the authorized official who witnesses it. Signing beforehand invalidates the document, and you have to start over with a fresh copy.3Government of Ontario. Ontario Works Policy Directives – 11.4 Statutory Declarations and Affidavits
Who Can Witness Your Signature
The Commissioners for Taking Affidavits Act governs who has this authority in Ontario.4Ontario.ca. Commissioners for Taking Affidavits Act RSO 1990 c C17 Your realistic options are:
- Lawyers and paralegals licensed by the Law Society of Ontario, who are commissioners by virtue of their office under Ontario Regulation 386/12.5Law Society of Ontario. Commissioner for Taking Affidavits – Lawyer
- Notaries public appointed in Ontario.
- Persons appointed as commissioners by the Attorney General. These appointments run for three years, are renewable, and may carry limits on territory, duration, or purpose.6Ontario.ca. Commissioners for Taking Affidavits Act RSO 1990 c C17 – Section 4
- Municipal staff. Many city and town clerks’ offices have designated commissioners who offer this service to the public.
Most people go to a lawyer’s office, a notary, or their local municipal office because those are easiest to book.
What Happens at the Signing
Bring the completed but unsigned declaration and your photo ID. The commissioner reviews the document, verifies your identity, and administers a solemn affirmation, asking you to confirm the contents are true. That is the moment the declaration takes on its legal weight.
You then sign and date the form while the commissioner watches. The commissioner signs it and, if they are an appointed commissioner with territorial or purpose-based limits, applies their official stamp.7Ontario.ca. Commissioners for Taking Affidavits Act RSO 1990 c C17 – Section 5 Without the commissioner’s signature the declaration is not valid. Initial any attached pages at this point.
Signing Remotely by Video
You do not have to appear in person. Ontario Regulation 431/20 lets a commissioner witness your declaration through a live video call if certain conditions are met.8Ontario.ca. O Reg 431/20 – Administering Oath or Declaration Remotely Those conditions are:
- Real-time video and audio throughout the whole process, with both people able to see, hear, and communicate.
- Identity verification, typically by holding your photo ID up to the camera.
- A modified jurat noting that the declaration was commissioned remotely under the regulation and stating the location of both you and the commissioner at the time of signing.
- A record of the transaction kept by the commissioner.
Before you book a remote appointment, confirm with the organization that will receive the declaration that they accept a remotely commissioned version.9Law Society of Ontario. Remote Commissioning Most do; some still insist on in-person witnessing.
If You Are Outside Ontario
Section 45 of the Ontario Evidence Act sets out who can witness a declaration made outside the province. A declaration is valid if taken before a judge or magistrate, an officer of a court of justice, a commissioner for taking affidavits or notary public, the head of a municipality, or a Canadian diplomatic or consular officer, including ambassadors, consuls, high commissioners, and trade commissioners. The official must have jurisdiction in the place where the declaration is made.10Ontario.ca. Ontario Evidence Act RSO 1990 c E23 – Section 45 For declarations made in another Canadian province, any commissioner or notary authorized in that province will work.
Typical Fees
Municipal offices are usually the cheapest option. The City of Ottawa charges $16.90 per document for commissioning in 2026.11City of Ottawa. Commissioner of Oath The City of Belleville charges $30 per document.12City of Belleville. Oaths and Affidavits Other municipalities fall in a similar range.
Private notaries and lawyers charge more, generally somewhere between about $40 and over $100, depending on the provider, the complexity of the declaration, and whether they also draft the document. If a lawyer is already handling a larger matter for you, commissioning is often included in the overall fee.
Penalties for a False Declaration
Because a statutory declaration has the same legal force as sworn testimony, lying on one is a criminal offence. Section 132 of the Criminal Code covers perjury, an indictable offence carrying a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.13Government of Canada. Criminal Code RSC 1985 c C-46 – Section 132 Section 134 separately addresses false statements made under solemn declaration and treats it as a summary conviction offence.14Government of Canada. Criminal Code RSC 1985 c C-46 – Section 134
The practical rule is simple. Do not include anything you are not confident is true. If a date or detail is uncertain, hedge honestly inside the declaration itself instead of stating something precise you might not be able to stand behind.
After You Sign
Submit the original to the organization that asked for the declaration. Some agencies want the original mailed or hand-delivered; others accept a scan. Check the receiving party’s instructions before you send anything, and if the declaration is part of a larger application, include it in the same package.
Make a photocopy or scan of the fully signed declaration before you send the original. If it is lost in the mail or misplaced by the agency, having a copy saves you from repeating the whole process. Review times vary; a straightforward matter is often processed within a few business days, while complex or high-volume agencies may take several weeks. If the declaration is incomplete or unclear, expect a request for a corrected version.