Civil Status Documents

It is recommended that you obtain the official documents indicating your legal name and marital status. This will allow the person who declares your death to the Directeur de l’état civil or settles your succession to do so more efficiently.

Keep your civil status documents in a secure place, but one that is easy for your loved ones to find.

Certificate or copy of an act of birth

Obtaining a certificate or a copy of an act of birth can simplify entering your death in the register of civil status. It allows you to ensure that your legal name corresponds

to the one under which you know various organizations and institutions
to the one indicated on your important documents, such as your will or life insurance policy

If you were born in Québec, you can order a certificate or a copy of your act of birth from the Directeur de l’état civil. If you were born outside Québec, you must contact the competent public officer of your place of birth.

If the name indicated on your document does not correspond to the name you use on your important documents, you can send to the Directeur de l’état civil a request to correct information on a certificate or a copy of an act. They will review the information indicated on the document. If it is determined that there is an error and the law allows for its correction, the Directeur de l’état civil will make the correction.

It is also possible, under certain conditions, to apply for a change of name.

Certificate or copy of an act of marriage or civil union

You can order a certificate or a copy of your act of marriage or civil union in order to validate the information it contains and to confirm your marital status.

If the marriage or civil union occurred in Québec, the document can be ordered from the Directeur de l’état civil. If the marriage occurred outside Québec, you must contact the competent public officer of the place of your marriage ceremony.

Act of birth, marriage or civil union issued outside Québec

The information provided on a foreign act of civil status is not necessarily recognized by the Directeur de l’état civil, which can complicate entering a death in the register.

To avoid this situation, people domiciled in Québec who were born or entered a marriage or civil union outside the province can apply for insertion into the Québec register of civil status of an act made outside Québec. Once the insertion is confirmed, they can apply to the Directeur de l’état civil for a semi-authentic document.

Judgment of divorce

It is also important to keep a certified copy of your judgment of divorce, whether or not it was rendered Québec. This document could be useful in confirming your marital status.

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Civil Status Documents

On this page:

Certificate or copy of an act of birth

Certificate or copy of an act of marriage or civil union

Act of birth, marriage or civil union issued outside Québec

Judgment of divorce

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