The Government of Ontario is working to help you keep your identity safe. Your Ontario birth certificate is proof of your identity. It is an important way to prove your name, age and where you were born. You need a birth certificate to apply for most government documents and services, including health cards, drivers' licences, passports and social benefits.
To help protect your birth certificate, Ontario has put strict rules in place:
- You must report a lost, stolen, destroyed or found birth certificate right away. Lost or stolen birth certificates are cancelled by the government to make sure no one else can use them to commit fraud or identity theft. Contact the government toll-free at 1-800-461-2156, or at 416-325-8305 in Toronto or outside Ontario.
- If you are applying for a birth certificate for an individual nine or older, guarantor information is required. The guarantor is not required to sign your application but must give you permission to provide his or her information.
A guarantor is a Canadian citizen who:
- is currently serving in a recognized profession such as a judge, teacher, doctor, police officer, mayor, lawyer or pharmacist;
- has known you personally for at least two years;
- is confident that the statements made by you are true; and
- is available in the event that the Office of the Registrar General requires further information.
See the entire list of guarantors.
Ontario residents should only have one birth certificate at any time.
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