Affidavit of Service (Form 146A) — Federal Courts of Canada

The Federal Courts do not publish Form 146A as a separate downloadable file the way Ontario Court Services does. The prescribed wording is set out in the schedule of forms inside the Federal Courts Rules themselves, alongside Form 66 (the general heading every Federal Court document carries).

So the assembly is slightly different: take the general heading from Form 66, the body from Form 146A, and swear it before a commissioner.

A Federal Court proceeding is a different track from anything in the Ontario courts, so none of Form 8A, 16B, or 6B is a substitute. The most common reason an Ottawa client needs Form 146A is an application for judicial review of an immigration decision.

Federal documents can be commissioned online from anywhere in Canada by an Ontario notary, which is a wider reach than provincial court filings. Where a solicitor served the documents, Form 146B — the Solicitor's Certificate of Service — is used instead of a sworn affidavit.

File the sworn affidavit with the Federal Court Registry, through the Court’s e-filing portal, by mail, or at a Registry office (Ottawa and Toronto in Ontario). In an immigration judicial review the application for leave must be served and proof of service filed within days of service under the Federal Courts Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection Rules, so book the affidavit as soon as service is done rather than at the end of the week.

The Court’s practice direction on remotely commissioned affidavits has changed more than once since 2020, so check the current direction before relying on a video appointment; an affidavit commissioned in person is always accepted. Attach the courier receipt, fax confirmation, or email as an exhibit, and expect each exhibit to be endorsed separately.