Notaries Public

Non-lawyers

Non-lawyers seeking information about applications for notaries public must contact the Ministry of the Attorney General at (416) 326-4064 or fax at (416) 326-4065.

Lawyers

All members of the Law Society of Upper Canada have the option of being appointed notaries public after admission to the Ontario Bar. This is a lifetime commission upon payment of a one-time fee. There are no restrictions with respect to jurisdiction, purpose or time, which are placed upon the commissions of barristers and solicitors appointed as notaries public in and for the province of Ontario.

Please note that ONLY lawyers of Ontario and working in Ontario may apply.

Application Forms

Step 1 - Application forms
Please complete the application form below and mail/courier or hand deliver it to ODS with the applicable fee enclosed. Faxed applications are not acceptable. The fee MUST be included with your application, otherwise it will not be processed. See the fee information.

Application form in English - Notary Public Application (MS Word), (Acrobat PDF)
Application form in French - Demande de nomination en tant que notaire (MS Word), (Acrobat PDF)

Step 2 - Specimens
Once the form has been processed, you will be asked to provide a specimen of your embossed seal and signature to ODS on the form below. This will be used by ODS to authenticate any future documents that you notarize.

Specimen of Notarial Signature and Seal (MS Word), (Acrobat PDF)
Spécimen de signature et de sceau notariaux (MS Word), (Acrobat PDF)

Fees for certificates of notaries public

*** If you are a lawyer in Ontario and are also an employee of any level of government (federal, provincial or municipal), there is no fee for becoming a notary public. You are required to include a proof of employment letter with your application form. This letter must be printed on government letterhead and signed by your manager or director.

Method of Payment

Walk-in clients:

• Cash
• VISA & Mastercard
• Debit card
• Certified cheque*
• Money order*

Mail-in:

• Certified cheque*
• Money order*

* Certified cheques and money orders are to be made payable to the Minister of Finance.

Fees for commissioners for taking affidavits

Anyone seeking further information about applications for commissioner for taking affidavits must contact the Ministry of the Attorney General at (416) 326-4064 or fax (416) 326-4065.