Statutory Declaration for Proof of Identity: Ordering Alberta Certificates from Ontario

Last updated: October 13, 2026

Statutory Declaration for Proof of Identity: Ordering Alberta Certificates from Ontario

Quick answer: If you were born, married or had another life event registered in Alberta and you now live in Ontario, you can order the certificate by mail. Alberta Vital Statistics requires its Statutory Declaration for Proof of Identity (form DVS3512) with the application. You sign it in person in front of a notary public or commissioner for oaths, who checks your original photo ID. The form itself says remote commissioning will be rejected. Minute Notary takes it on a mobile visit for $24.95 per seal plus HST and a $60 travel fee. Then you mail both originals to Registry Connect or AMA.

Inside Alberta, you order a birth certificate by taking the application and your photo ID to a registry agent. From Ontario, you cannot show the registry agent your ID, so the declaration does that job: a notary or commissioner sees your ID, and you solemnly declare its details.

This guide covers when Alberta asks for the declaration, what ID counts, what the form says, why it is signed in person, and where to mail it. If you have a question about your appointment, contact us or call (613) 434-5555.

Caption: The ID you show the notary must be original, government-issued, with your photo and an ID number.

Key Takeaways

When Alberta Asks for It

Alberta's vital statistics forms page lists the application forms for birth, marriage, death, stillbirth and legal change of name documents. Under "From outside Alberta" it says: "In addition to the applicable form above, a statutory declaration is mandatory."

For a birth certificate, Alberta's page on ordering a birth certificate or document sets out three steps for applicants outside Alberta:

1. Complete the application form (Application for Birth Documents).
2. Complete the statutory declaration form. "Take the Statutory Declaration for Proof of Identity and your acceptable ID to a Notary Public or Commissioner for Oaths," and complete it in front of them.
3. Mail the application and the declaration, both originals, to Registry Connect or to AMA (you must be a member). "Applications sent directly to Vital Statistics will not be processed."

The person whose birth is registered can order their own birth certificate from age 12. Parents named on the record, guardians, and several other people listed on Alberta's page can also apply, each with their own supporting documents.

What ID Counts

The form lists the rules. Your proof of identity document must:

• be the original in your possession, not a copy or fax;
• be issued by a provincial, federal or state government;
• show your full name and your photograph (and you must look like it);
• have a distinct identification number; and
• be valid on the day you see the notary if it expires, or, if it does not expire, have been issued within the last five years.

No acceptable ID? Alberta allows a designated agent: someone who has known you for at least one year applies for you with their own acceptable ID (Alberta, ID requirements for Vital Statistics services). On the declaration, the agent also declares that they are 18 or older and how many years they have known you.

What You Declare

The form opens: "In the matter of this Statutory Declaration being used as proof that my identity has been confirmed in order to make application for Alberta Vital Statistics documents or service by mail". You then "solemnly declare" that:

• Paragraph 1: you are presenting an acceptable original proof of identity document because you are not currently able to apply in person;
• Paragraphs 2 to 5: the name of the document, who issued it, your name as it appears on it, and its identification number;
• Paragraph 6: the document contains your photograph;
• Paragraph 7: it either does not expire and was issued within the last five years, or expires but is currently valid, with the date; and
• Paragraph 8: only for a designated agent.

The notary then completes the jurat: where it was declared, the province, the date, their signature and their name or stamp.

What a notary can and cannot do: A notary public checks your original ID against you, administers the solemn declaration, watches you sign and completes the jurat. A notary does not fill in the Alberta application for you, decide whether you are eligible for the document, or decide whether Vital Statistics will accept it.

Why It Is Signed in Person

The form is explicit: "You must sign in front of the Commissioner for Oaths or Notary Public who will authenticate your identity and sign this Statutory Declaration. Electronic signatures will be rejected. … Remote commissioning will be rejected." Vital Statistics needs "the original executed Statutory Declaration", so it cannot be faxed or emailed either.

That is why we take this declaration in person only, on a mobile visit: the notary comes to you anywhere in Ontario, sees your original ID, and signs the paper form in ink.

The form also tells the notary that any change on the declaration, including the jurat, must be marked with a check mark at the start and end and initialled, or Vital Statistics will not accept it. Fill in the form carefully before the appointment so there is nothing to change.

Caption: On a mobile visit the notary sees your original ID in person, then you declare and sign the paper form.

How the Appointment Works

1. Fill in the form. Alberta's online version of DVS3512 lets you fill it in and print a PDF. Complete everything except your signature. Fill in the Application for Birth Documents (or the application for your document) too.
2. Book a mobile visit. Contact us or call (613) 434-5555 and tell us it is the Alberta proof of identity declaration. Appointments run every day, 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM (Ottawa time).
3. At the visit: have the printed form and your original photo ID ready. The notary compares the ID with you, you solemnly declare that the statements are true, and you sign in ink.
4. The notary completes the jurat, signs it and adds their name or stamp. You keep the original.
5. Mail both originals to Registry Connect or AMA. Alberta says Vital Statistics usually processes a correctly completed birth document application within 3 business days of receiving it, not counting mailing time.

Caption: Alberta accepts only the originals, mailed to Registry Connect or AMA. Photocopies and faxes are not accepted.

Pricing

Note: prices are before HST and cover our part only. Alberta's $20 fee for each birth document and any Registry Connect or AMA service fee are separate.

See every posted rate on our pricing page.

Other Identity Declarations

Other forms ask you to declare facts about your identity, and each has its own rules:

• Canadian passport, no eligible guarantor: see our guide to the PPTC 132 statutory declaration in lieu of guarantor.
• Lost or stolen passport: see our guide to the PPTC 203 lost passport declaration.
• Another registry or agency: bring the form it gave you. Our statutory declarations page explains how we commission them and which can be done online.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Statutory Declaration for Proof of Identity?

It is Alberta Vital Statistics form DVS3512. You solemnly declare, in front of a notary public or commissioner for oaths, that you have shown an acceptable original photo ID, so you can order Alberta vital statistics documents by mail when you cannot apply in person at a registry agent.

When do I need it?

When you order an Alberta birth, marriage, death, stillbirth or legal change of name document from outside Alberta. Alberta's forms page says that, in addition to the application form, "a statutory declaration is mandatory."

What ID can I use?

An original document issued by a provincial, federal or state government, with your full name, your photo and a distinct identification number. If it expires, it must be valid; if it does not expire, it must have been issued within the last five years. A driver's licence, provincial ID card, treaty status card, citizenship card or permanent resident card are examples.

Can I sign it online or by video?

No. The form says "Electronic signatures and remote commissioning will be rejected," and Vital Statistics needs the original signed declaration by mail. We take this declaration in person only, on a mobile visit.

Can an Ontario notary sign the Alberta form?

Yes. The form says it "may be executed by a Commissioner for Oaths in Canada or a Notary Public inside or outside Canada."

What if I do not have acceptable ID?

Alberta allows a designated agent: someone who has known you for at least one year applies for you using their own acceptable ID. On the declaration, the agent also declares that they are 18 or older and how long they have known you.

Where do I send the declaration?

Mail the original Application for Birth Documents (or other application) and the original declaration to Registry Connect, or to AMA if you are a member. Applications sent directly to Vital Statistics will not be processed, and photocopies and faxes are not accepted.

How much does it cost?

Our fee is $24.95 per seal plus HST, and a mobile visit adds a $60 travel fee for up to 30 km. Alberta charges a $20 government fee for each birth document, and Registry Connect or AMA add their own service fees.

Final Recommendation

Download and fill in both Alberta forms first, leaving the declaration unsigned. Check that your photo ID meets every rule on the form, or arrange a designated agent if it does not. Then book a mobile visit, sign in front of the notary, and mail both originals to Registry Connect or AMA. If you are unsure whether you are eligible to order the document, ask Alberta's contact centre before the appointment.

Book Your Appointment

Need the Alberta Statutory Declaration for Proof of Identity signed? Minute Notary comes to you anywhere in Ontario for $24.95 per seal plus HST and the travel fee.

• Contact us: Ask a question or request an appointment
• Call: (613) 434-5555
• Service page: Statutory declarations
• Mobile visits: Mobile notary
• Hours: Every day, Saturday and Sunday included, 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM (Ottawa time)

Sources

• Alberta — Statutory Declaration for Proof of Identity (form DVS3512)
• Alberta — Order a birth certificate or document
• Alberta — Vital statistics forms
• Alberta — ID requirements for Vital Statistics services