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- Obtaining your civil status documents
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
It is also possible, under certain conditions, to
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
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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Last update: July 2, 2026