The Commissioners for Taking Affidavits Act (issued by the Province) allows Municipal Clerks and other officials to take various types of declarations, to certify documents as true copies, and to administer oaths. A Commissioner’s stamp is affixed to the documents once the oath has been taken and signatures have been witnessed.
Commissioning services are provided during regular office business hours (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). It is suggested that you call the office in advance to ensure Commissioner availability. If an appointment is not booked, there may not be a Commissioner available to provide the service.
The Commissioner may sign documents related, but not limited to, the following:
- Travel consent letters
- Pension documents
- Vehicle transfer forms
- Change of ownership forms
- Canadian Government related forms
- Declaration regarding residency (with accompanying documentation)
All documents presented for a “true copy” must be original documents.
The actual photocopy itself may be taken by the Commissioner in order to validate that it is an actual true copy of the original.
Anyone requiring commissioning services must provide at least one piece of valid Canadian government issued photo identification (e.g. Current drivers licence or passport). All affidavits presented for commissioning must be the entire document and must be signed in the presence of a Commissioner. If the document has already been signed, the person will be asked to sign a second time in front of the Commissioner.
It is at the discretion of the individual Commissioner whether or not they choose to sign the document. If a Commissioner is uncomfortable about the identity of the person requesting the service or the content of the documents for any reason, the Commissioner may refuse to sign the document.
A Commissioner of Oaths is not a Notary Public and therefore, cannot notarize documents. If you require a document to be notarized as opposed to commissioned, the person who administers the oath or affidavit is a Notary Public – generally a lawyer and not a Commissioner of Oaths.
