Commissioner of Oaths
A Commissioner of Oaths is an individual who is authorized by law to witness signatures for certain documents such as affidavits and statutory declarations. The SDG Library provides the services of a Commissioner of Oaths by appointment. Please call the branch to ensure that a certified Commissioner of Oaths is available before you visit.
Please note that we are not Notary Public.
Please bring in your complete document to be commissioned but do not sign it until the Commissioner is available to witness your signature. In order to have your document commissioned, all parties required to sign the document must be present and must provide valid photo identification. Wills, living wills, power of attorney, divorce, separation, or custody agreements should be taken to a lawyer or notary’s office as our commissioner will not sign these documents.
It is at the exclusive discretion of the individual Commissioner of Oaths whether or not they choose to sign the document.
The following is list of forms that a Commissioner of Oaths can sign:
- Delayed birth registration forms;
- Application to amend birth registration;
- Declaration affirming parentage;
- Application for change of name for child under 12;
- Statutory declaration by an applicant to correct an error in registration;
- Legal name change application;
- Blank statutory declaration;
- Insurance claims;
- Common law status affidavits;
- Special invitations to family members overseas;
- Passport applications (in lieu of guarantor);
- Pension purpose attestations of recipient being alive and confirming their residency;
- Residency document;
- Lost passport;
- Single status certificate;
- Consent letter for traveling with a child commonly referred to as a travel document;
- Federal government permanent residency card applications
- Municipal Information Form (MIF) for liquor license;
- Affidavit waiving vaccinations based on religious grounds.
The following is a listing of documents a Commissioner of Oaths cannot sign:
- Any affidavit related to divorces, separations or real estate matters;
- Ministry of Transportation gifting or transferring a vehicle (please contact nearest ServiceOntario centre)
- Documents that need to be certified or if true copies need to be authored;
- Forms which call upon a Commissioner of Oath, yet also request certified true copies of other documents as attachments. Because the Commissioner cannot certify attachments, they cannot sign the affixed application (as listed above, the only exception is that of a federal government permanent residency application);
- Affidavits of true affidavits required for an applicant of a marriage license. These must be signed by a notary public. These documents are to be taken to a lawyer for appropriate advice and assistance.
