Costs
How to Request an Ontario Birth Certificate for a Famous Person: Fees and Forms
How to request an Ontario birth certificate for a famous person, with current ServiceOntario fees, correct forms, eligibility limits, and the Archives of Ontario route for older records.
What to take away
- ServiceOntario lists CAD 25 for a first birth certificate, CAD 25 for a first birth certificate with parental information, and CAD 35 for a first certified copy of birth registration. Choose the product the receiving office will accept.
- Form 007-11076e is the paper Request for Birth Certificate. ON00321E is the Request for Certificate Services with Payment, used when the Office of the Registrar General has notified you to submit additional information or payment; it is not the online birth-certificate application.
- Fame does not create access. The person named, a parent named on the registration, or a guardian with court documents can apply. A researcher with no family tie cannot order a recent record merely because the subject is famous. Confirm eligibility and after-death requirements with ServiceOntario before paying.
- Older Ontario birth records may be with the Archives of Ontario. Check the Archives' birth, marriage and death page for coverage, current fee and ordering method. Do not assume a fixed cutoff, fee or numbered form until the Archives confirms it.
Ontario vital records sit under the Vital Statistics Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. V.4. The Office of the Registrar General keeps them, and ServiceOntario handles applications. There is no national registry. A request for a famous person's record turns on two questions: who may apply, and whether the birth is old enough to sit with the Archives of Ontario.
For the US side, see our guide to US vital records and famous people's birth records. For Canadian-born figures whose lives ran through US records, use cross-border genealogy for Canadian-born figures.
Ontario birth certificate fees by type and channel
ServiceOntario sells three products: a birth certificate, a birth certificate with parental information, and a certified copy of birth registration. The first two are extracts. The certified copy is the full registration, containing all registered information, including parents and signatures. Choose the product the court, passport office or estate office will accept.
| Product and channel | Processing | Fee (CAD) |
|---|---|---|
| Birth certificate, regular online | 15 business days plus Canada Post | 25 |
| Birth certificate with parental information, regular online | 15 business days plus Canada Post | 25 |
| Birth certificate, premium online | 5 business days with courier | 55 |
| Birth certificate, emergency in person | 2 business days plus shipping | 55 |
| Certified copy of birth registration, regular online | 15 business days plus Canada Post | 35 |
| Certified copy of birth registration, premium online | 5 business days with courier | 65 |
| Certified copy of birth registration, emergency in person | 2 business days plus shipping | 65 |
Certificate Types and Fees
Search only
- Fee (CAD)
- 15
- Copy issued
- No
- Parental details
- No
- Best for genealogy
- No
Short form
- Fee (CAD)
- 15
- Copy issued
- Yes
- Parental details
- No
- Best for genealogy
- No
Long form
- Fee (CAD)
- 25
- Copy issued
- Yes
- Parental details
- Yes
- Best for genealogy
- Yes
Premium service adds CAD 30 and carries a five-business-day guarantee from the Office of the Registrar General, with delivery time extra; the guarantee does not apply to a birth certificate with parental information. Emergency in-person service is at the Sheppard Avenue office, takes two business days plus shipping, and also adds CAD 30.
ServiceOntario lists no separate mail fee. The mail form repeats the product fee, and the same CAD 25 or CAD 35 first-time fee applies by mail. Pay by the method shown on the current form or online service. Ask ServiceOntario for current replacement or search-letter fees before paying; do not rely on old price lists.
ServiceOntario official fees and processing times
- A first birth certificate or a birth certificate with parental information costs $25.00, according to Ontario.ca. A first certified copy of a birth registration costs $35.00. Certificates range from $15.00 to $75.00 depending on the certificate type or service delivery method, according to the paper form posted by ServiceOntario.
- Regular online service is 15 business days plus delivery by Canada Post, according to the paper form posted by ServiceOntario. Premium online service is 5 business days by courier under the same form. The Office of the Registrar General guarantees a birth certificate within 15 business days or your money back, with delivery time extra.
- The premium service guarantee is delivery within 5 business days or your money back, with a $30.00 surcharge per certificate requested, according to Ontario.ca. Service guarantees do not apply to a Birth Certificate with Parental Information. Confirm the surcharge and product before you pay.
- Emergency in-person service is 2 business days plus shipping time at ServiceOntario, 4th Floor, Unit 417, 47 Sheppard Avenue East, according to Ontario.ca. It carries a $30.00 surcharge fee. Service guarantees do not apply to a Birth Certificate with Parental Information, so confirm the product before paying.
- If the Office of the Registrar General cannot contact the guarantor using the online application information within 10 days, the service guarantee does not apply, according to Ontario.ca. Check the online application details and guarantor contact information before you rely on a guaranteed delivery date.
Which product will the receiving office accept?
Ontario's newborn registration page says to check with the ministry, government agency or person requesting the document before ordering. A birth certificate or birth certificate with parental information is an extract. A certified copy of birth registration is the long form, containing all registered information, including parents and signatures.
- Passport or basic identity:Ontario says a birth certificate can be used as proof of identity or to request documents such as a passport.
- Citizenship or immigration:check the receiving office's document list before ordering. Ask whether it needs a certified copy of birth registration, which is the long form containing all registered information, including parents and signatures. Do not rely on a general rule.
- Legal, government or humanitarian use:the Archives says a certified copy can be used in place of the original certificate.
- Estate after death:ask ServiceOntario what it will issue to an entitled applicant. It may ask for proof of death and other documents, so confirm the product and requirements before paying. A next of kin or executor should ask first.
- Genealogy:the certified copy shows parents and full registration details; the short certificate does not.
Which forms to use
Form 007-11076e, Request for Birth Certificate, is the paper request. Use the current online birth-certificate service where available, or mail Form 007-11076e with payment. Check the form and ServiceOntario page before sending because form numbers and channels can change. Do not attach the wrong form.
The Central Forms Repository lists ON00321E as the Request for Certificate Services with Payment. According to Ontario.ca, it is used when the Office of the Registrar General has notified you to submit additional information or payment. It is not the online birth-certificate application; use the current online or paper request for the birth certificate itself.
Form 007-11076e contains the List of Guarantors. Steps to Justice says the guarantor must be a Canadian citizen who has known the applicant for at least two years and must work in a profession listed on the form. Download the current form and check its list before signing; do not rely on an old copy.
For mail, send Form 007-11076e to ServiceOntario, Office of the Registrar General, 189 Red River Road, P.O. Box 4600, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 6L8. The amount printed on the form is the product fee, not a separate mail charge.
Who may order a famous person's record
Fame gives no access. The person named on the registration can apply for their own record. A parent named on the registration can normally apply for a child; confirm with ServiceOntario. A legal guardian may need court documents. A researcher with no family tie cannot order a recent birth merely because the subject is famous.
After a death, ask ServiceOntario what it will issue and what proof it needs. An applicant must show entitlement and may need proof of death plus other documents. If you are the next of kin, executor or estate trustee, confirm the requirements before paying.
Ontario 95-Year Closure Rule
- Birth registeredrecord closed to public
- 95 years laterrecord opens to any applicant
- 1935 birthopens in 2031
For a researcher with no family tie, recent births are closed. The practical options are published biographies, archival indexes and, for older records, the Archives of Ontario. Check the Archives' coverage for the birth year, then plan the request around what the receiving office accepts, not around fame.
Two named examples
The Canadian Encyclopedia lists actor Christopher Plummer as born in Toronto on 13 December 1929 and dead on 5 February 2021. Public sources do not give his registration number or confirm which Ontario office holds it; check the Archives of Ontario's coverage and ServiceOntario before ordering. Because he is deceased, ask ServiceOntario what it will issue to an entitled applicant.
The Canadian Encyclopedia lists Mary Pickford, born Gladys Louise Smith, as born in Toronto on 8 April 1892. Public sources do not give her registration number. Check whether the Archives of Ontario covers an 1892 Toronto birth, then use its index and ordering instructions; ask which registration details to record before paying.
Requesting a Famous Person's Record
- Confirm Ontario birth and year
- Choose certificate type needed
- Apply online or by paper form
- Pay CAD 15 to CAD 25
- Wait about 15 business days
Step-by-step request
- Confirm the person was born in Ontario and find the birth year. Check the Archives of Ontario's coverage for that year; if it does not cover the year, use ServiceOntario. Ask the Archives if coverage is unclear, and do not assume a fixed cutoff.
- Check eligibilitythe person named, a parent named on the registration, a guardian with court documents, or an entitled applicant after death.
- Choose the productbirth certificate, birth certificate with parental information, or certified copy of birth registration. Ask ServiceOntario what it will issue after a death; do not assume a standard product. Confirm the receiving office will accept your choice before paying.
- Use the current online birth-certificate service where available, or mail Form 007-11076e with payment. ON00321E is not the online birth-certificate application; it is the Request for Certificate Services with Payment used when the Office of the Registrar General asks for more information or payment.
- Pay the product fee and allow about 15 business days plus delivery, or 5 business days with premium service. Premium service adds CAD 30 and has a money-back guarantee if delivery is late; emergency in-person service takes 2 business days plus shipping. Use the birth name, not a stage name.
The Archives of Ontario route for older births
The Archives of Ontario may hold some older birth records, but check its birth, marriage and death page for the years covered. FamilySearch and Ancestry are possible starting points; check each catalogue for Ontario birth indexes and access terms. Do not assume a fixed cutoff or that a missing online entry means there is no registration.
Some older births are not online. Ask the Archives of Ontario whether it can search the year you need and whether it can issue a certified copy. Do not assume a missing online entry means there is no registration; contact the Archives before paying for a search or copy.
1910 Toronto Birth Registration
- 1910 | birth year in Toronto
- 95+ | years old, open to any applicant
- 25 | CAD fee for certified copy
- 3 | weeks until arrival
Search indexes first. The index gives the registration year, county or district, volume or letter, and folio page; some entries also show a registration number. Check name variants before paying.
To order a certified copy, contact the Archives of Ontario and use its current request-for-copies process. Provide the name at birth, event date and the index details the Archives asks for. Confirm the current fee, reference code and payment method with the Archives. ServiceOntario Form 007-11076e does not cover an Archives of Ontario request.
Questions to ask before you pay
- Is the person's name at birth confirmed, not a stage name?
- Does the Archives of Ontario cover the birth year, or must you use ServiceOntario? Ask the Archives if coverage is unclear. Do not assume a fixed cutoff or that a missing online index entry means no record exists. Confirm before paying.
- Are you eligible, or does the next of kin need to apply?
- Is a guarantor ready, and is their profession on the current Form 007-11076e list?
Before You Pay
- Confirm full birth name, not stage name
- Check if record is open or restricted
- Have credit card or cheque ready
- Save ServiceOntario confirmation number
One hidden failure is paying for a search when the receiving office needs a certified copy for court or estate purposes. Another is assuming a stage name matches the registration. A third is ordering the wrong product for a deceased person; ask ServiceOntario what it will issue. Confirm the product and the name before paying.
