Small Claims Court Affidavits in Ontario: Form 15A and Form 15B, Sworn Online

Last updated: October 13, 2026

Small Claims Court Affidavits in Ontario: Form 15A and Form 15B, Sworn Online

Quick answer: Ontario's Small Claims Court has two general affidavit forms. Form 15A, Notice of Motion and Supporting Affidavit, is how you bring a motion (Rule 15.01(1)): the notice part is signed, the affidavit part is sworn. Form 15B, Affidavit, is for everything else: the party responding to a motion uses it (Rule 15.01(4)), and it may be used whenever the rules call for an affidavit and name no other form (Rule 1.06(5)). Both forms already include a video conference jurat under O. Reg. 431/20. Minute Notary commissions either one online for $24.95 per seal plus HST, with each exhibit as one more stamp. We do not fill in the forms or give legal advice.

Small Claims Court is built for people who represent themselves, and its forms reflect that: plain headings, tick boxes, and a short instruction to set out the facts in numbered paragraphs. Still, two things trip people up. One is choosing between Form 15A and Form 15B. The other is the deadlines, which are counted back from the hearing date and are short.

This guide explains which form you need, what goes in the affidavit, the service and filing deadlines, how exhibits work, and how to have the affidavit commissioned by video. If you have a question about your appointment, contact us or call (613) 434-5555. We commission the affidavit; we do not advise on your claim.

Caption: For a motion, the first step is a hearing date from the court clerk. Form 15A has to state it before you serve.

Key Takeaways

Form 15A or Form 15B?

Form 15A is one document with two jobs. The first part is the notice: the parties, then either Part A (a motion with a hearing, with the date, time and whether it is by video conference, by telephone or in person) or Part B (a motion in writing), and the order you want. The Affidavit in Support of Motion follows, starting on page 3. Only the affidavit is sworn, and the jurat sits under it. Our free Form 15A template lays out both halves.

Part A of the form lists the orders people most often ask for:

• the court's permission to extend time for a step;
• setting aside a default judgment and noting in default, or a noting in default alone;
• permission to file a Defence or a Defendant's Claim;
• setting aside an order dismissing a claim as abandoned;
• terminating a garnishment or withdrawing a writ.

Part B covers motions in writing: an assessment of damages against a defendant noted in default, or substituted service of a claim.

Form 15B is the general affidavit. It opens with your name and where you live, then a line that the form adds and Form 15A does not: "I make this affidavit in relation to:" followed by why it is being filed. Then come your numbered paragraphs and the jurat.

What to Write in the Affidavit

Both forms give the same instruction: "Set out the facts in numbered paragraphs. If you learned a fact from someone else, you must give that person's name and state that you believe that fact to be true."

• Facts, in order. Dates, amounts, who did what. "On May 2, I sent the defendant invoice no. 114 for $3,800" is evidence; "the defendant never intended to pay" is an opinion.
• Explain the reason the court needs. If you are asking to set aside a default judgment, say why you did not file a defence in time and what your defence is. The judge decides on what you swear.
• Name your sources. Anything you did not see or hear yourself needs the source's name and your statement that you believe it.
• Extra pages are fine. Both forms say: "If more space is required, attach and initial extra pages."
• Do not sign in advance. Both forms carry the warning: "It is an offence under the Criminal Code to knowingly swear or affirm a false affidavit." You sign in front of the commissioner, after the oath or affirmation.

What a notary can and cannot do: A notary public confirms your identity, administers the oath or affirmation, watches you sign, commissions the affidavit and marks and endorses each exhibit. A notary does not fill in the notice part of Form 15A, choose the order you ask for, check your deadlines or advise on your claim. In Small Claims Court, a licensed paralegal or a lawyer can advise and represent you.

Deadlines and Service

Rule 15.01 sets the timetable for a motion with notice:

1. Get a hearing date first. "The moving party shall obtain a hearing date from the clerk before serving" (r. 15.01(2)).
2. Serve Form 15A at least seven days before the hearing date on every party who has filed a claim and any defendant not noted in default (r. 15.01(3)(a)). After judgment has been signed, serve every party, including those noted in default (r. 15.01(6)).
3. File it with proof of service at least three days before the hearing date (r. 15.01(3)(b)). Proof of service is usually an affidavit of service in Form 8A; see our guide to Form 8A for Small Claims Court.
4. Responding? Serve your Form 15B on every party who has filed a claim or defence and file it with proof of service at least two days before the hearing date (r. 15.01(4)).
5. Need to add evidence? The moving party may serve and file a supplementary affidavit on the same two-day timeline (r. 15.01(5)).

Rule 3.01 counts a period by excluding the first day and including the last, and if the last day falls on a holiday (which includes Saturdays and Sundays), the period ends on the next day that is not a holiday. Book the commissioning early enough to serve on time.

A few more rules worth knowing:

• How the motion is heard. In person, by video conference or by telephone conference (r. 1.07(1)), or in writing where the rules allow it or the judge finds it fair (r. 15.02).
• Without notice. Allowed only where notice is unnecessary or not reasonably possible; the order must then be served within five days (r. 15.03).
• Costs are capped. The costs of a motion, other than disbursements, may not exceed $100 unless the court orders otherwise because of special circumstances (r. 15.07).
• Filing electronically? Keep the original affidavit until the third anniversary of filing, or until the clerk asks for it (r. 1.05.1(7)).

Caption: If you are served with a Form 15A, your answer is a Form 15B affidavit, served and filed at least two days before the hearing.

Exhibits

Most Small Claims affidavits rely on documents: an invoice, a contract, text messages, photos, a receipt. Form 15A has a box to tick when "documents are attached", and a motion in writing for an assessment of damages should attach "any relevant documents" (r. 11.03(2)(a)).

• Refer to each one in a paragraph and letter it: "Attached as Exhibit A is a copy of the invoice dated May 2."
• Attach what proves the point, not every message in a thread.
• Each exhibit is endorsed. At the appointment, the commissioner marks each exhibit as the one referred to in your affidavit, then signs and seals it. Each exhibit is one more stamp.

How the Signing Works with Minute Notary

The forms already allow video. Forms 15A and 15B ask the commissioner to select "in person OR by video conference" and print two video jurats: one for when you and the commissioner are in the same city or town, and one for when you are not. Each ends "in accordance with O. Reg. 431/20, Administering Oath or Declaration Remotely."

The legal basis. The Commissioners for Taking Affidavits Act requires an oath to be taken in the commissioner's physical presence unless the regulations provide otherwise (s. 9(1) and (2)). O. Reg. 431/20 provides otherwise: you and the notary must be able to see, hear and talk to each other in real time for the whole appointment, the notary confirms your identity and makes sure you understand what you are signing, and the notary keeps a record (ss. 1 and 2).

1. Finish the form first. For Form 15A, complete the notice part with the hearing date. Write the affidavit, letter your exhibits, and leave it unsigned. Have the claim number ready.
2. Book the appointment. Book online and choose the Small Claims Court Form 15A service, or contact us or call (613) 434-5555 for Form 15B. When the booking asks about exhibits, give the number you are attaching. Appointments run every day, 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM (Ottawa time).
3. Upload the unsigned form, your exhibits and your photo ID when you book.
4. On the call: show valid government photo ID, swear or affirm out loud, and sign while the notary watches.
5. The notary completes the video jurat, signs and seals it, and endorses each exhibit. You receive the commissioned affidavit as a PDF to serve and file.

Caption: On the call you swear or affirm out loud, then sign. The notary completes the video conference jurat printed on the form.

Pricing

Note: prices are before HST. Example: a Form 15A with two exhibits, commissioned online, is 3 stamps, $74.85 plus HST. We commission the affidavit; we do not prepare it or give legal advice.

See every posted rate on our pricing page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Form 15A and Form 15B?

Form 15A is the Notice of Motion and Supporting Affidavit: the form for bringing a motion in Small Claims Court, with the motion details and the sworn affidavit in one document (Rule 15.01(1)). Form 15B is the general Affidavit: the party responding to a motion uses it (Rule 15.01(4)), and it may be used whenever the rules call for an affidavit and name no other form (Rule 1.06(5)).

Which part of Form 15A is sworn?

Only the affidavit in support of the motion. The notice part sets out the parties, the hearing details and the order you want; the affidavit that follows, starting on page 3, is the part you swear or affirm before a commissioner, and the jurat sits under it.

What are the deadlines for a Small Claims motion?

Get a hearing date from the clerk first. Serve Form 15A at least seven days before the hearing date and file it with proof of service at least three days before (Rule 15.01(3)). A responding Form 15B, or a moving party's supplementary affidavit, is served and filed at least two days before the hearing (Rule 15.01(4) and (5)).

What can a Small Claims motion ask for?

Form 15A lists common orders: more time for a step, setting aside a default judgment or noting in default, permission to file a defence or a defendant's claim, setting aside a dismissal for abandonment, and ending a garnishment or withdrawing a writ. A motion in writing can ask for an assessment of damages against a defendant noted in default, or for substituted service.

How do I attach documents to a Small Claims affidavit?

Refer to each document in a numbered paragraph and attach it as an exhibit, for example "Attached as Exhibit A is a copy of the invoice dated May 2." The commissioner marks and endorses each exhibit at the appointment, and each exhibit is one more stamp.

Can I swear Form 15A or Form 15B online?

Yes. Both forms already have a jurat for swearing or affirming by video conference, in accordance with O. Reg. 431/20. You and the commissioner must see, hear and talk to each other the whole time, and the commissioner confirms your identity.

Can the notary fill in my Small Claims forms?

No. The notary confirms your identity, administers the oath or affirmation, watches you sign and endorses your exhibits. We do not prepare the forms, choose the order you ask for or give legal advice. A licensed paralegal or lawyer can represent you in Small Claims Court.

How much does it cost to have a Small Claims affidavit commissioned online?

$24.95 per seal, plus HST. One affidavit is one seal for the person who swears it, and each exhibit is one more stamp. Online, exhibits 1 to 5 are $24.95 each, exhibits 6 to 10 are $20 each, and exhibits from the 11th on are $15 each. Online payments also carry a card processing fee of 2.9% + $0.30.

Final Recommendation

Use Form 15A when you are asking the court for something, and Form 15B when you are answering a motion or the rules simply call for an affidavit. Get the hearing date first, write short factual paragraphs, letter your exhibits, and work back from the hearing date: seven days to serve a motion, three to file it, two for a response. Then swear or affirm the affidavit before a commissioner. A video appointment with us works well when the deadline is close, since both forms already carry the video jurat.

Book Your Appointment

Need a Small Claims Court affidavit commissioned? Minute Notary commissions Forms 15A and 15B by secure video for $24.95 per seal plus HST, with each exhibit endorsed at the same appointment.

• Contact us: Ask a question or request an appointment
• Call: (613) 434-5555
• Service page: Affidavits
• Free template: Form 15A, Notice of Motion and Supporting Affidavit
• Related guide: Form 8A affidavit of service for Small Claims Court
• Hours: Every day, Saturday and Sunday included, 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM (Ottawa time)

Sources

• Rules of the Small Claims Court, O. Reg. 258/98 (Ontario), r. 1.05.1, 1.06, 1.07, 3.01, 11.03, 15 and 18.01
• Ontario Court Forms — Form 15A: Notice of Motion and Supporting Affidavit, SCR 15.01-15A (August 1, 2022) (PDF)
• Ontario Court Forms — Form 15B: Affidavit, SCR 15.01-15B (January 1, 2021) (PDF)
• Ontario Court Forms — Rules of the Small Claims Court forms
• Commissioners for Taking Affidavits Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.17 (Ontario), s. 9
• O. Reg. 431/20: Administering Oath or Declaration Remotely (Ontario)