Affidavits
OSFI Form 3: Attestation of Total Amount Held in Federally Regulated Locked-in Plans
Free template from Minute Notary, an Ontario notary office. The sworn attestation in which the owner of federally regulated locked-in plans states their total value, so the whole small balance can be withdrawn or transferred at 55 or older. Prepare the wording here; OSFI's own Form 3 is what you sign.
No charge until a notary signs it
Word files are editable. Review any changes carefully before signing or uploading.
Also known as
- small balance unlocking form federal
- OSFI Form 3
- locked-in RRSP small balance withdrawal 55
+2 more names
- Form 3 Schedule V PBSR
- attestation of total locked-in balance
The blanks fill themselves in as you type.
- Scope
- General template, not legal advice
- Formats
- PDF + editable Word downloads
- Builder
- Live preview as you type
OSFI Form 3: Attestation of Total Amount Held in Federally Regulated Locked-in Plans
A compact preview of this template
01Your financial institution and plans
Name of your financial institution
Your full name
Combined value of the plans listed, on the day you swear (in dollars)
ATTESTATION OF TOTAL AMOUNT HELD IN FEDERALLY REGULATED LOCKED-IN PLANS
OSFI Form 3, Schedule V, Pension Benefits Standards Regulations, 1985
To: ______
Federally regulated locked-in plans held by that institution from which I intend to withdraw or transfer money:
• ______, account number ______
I, ______, of ______, in the city of ______, in the province of ______, MAKE OATH AND SAY:
I am the owner of the federally regulated locked-in plans listed above.
On the day I sign this attestation, the combined value of those plans is $______.
That combined value is less than half of the Year's Maximum Pensionable Earnings as defined in the Pension Benefits Standards Act, 1985.
Signed and sworn (or affirmed/declared) before me by videoconference in Ottawa, Ontario, while the Affiant(s)/Declarant(s) were located in ______________________, on ______________________, pursuant to O. Reg. 431/20, and Electronic Commerce Act, 2000.
______________________________ | ______________________________ |
- 01Work your wayGuided or All fieldsFinish one section at a time, or see every question in one form.
- 02See the resultLive document previewWatch this document update as you add each answer.
- 03Keep your placeSave and restore a draftSave progress in this browser, then restore it later on this device.
How it works
Prepare your document, one step at a time.
Answer the questions, choose the download you need, then continue with signing or booking.
Overview
About this document
- 01
What is an attestation of total amount held in locked-in plans?
It is your sworn statement of the combined value of your federal locked-in plans on the day you sign, and that the total is under half of the Year's Maximum Pensionable Earnings (YMPE). It opens the small-balance route: the whole balance comes out at once.
These forms cover federally regulated locked-in money only: a locked-in RRSP, a life income fund (LIF), a restricted life income fund (RLIF) or a restricted locked-in savings plan (RLSP) holding money that came from a pension plan under the Pension Benefits Standards Act, 1985. That means the plans of employers in banking, telecommunications, interprovincial transportation and other federal undertakings. Money moved from the federal public service pension plan into a locked-in RRSP, LIF or RLIF follows the same rules.
An Ontario LIRA or LIF that came from an Ontario employer's plan follows FSRA's forms instead, and those need no commissioner. Your account statement or your institution tells you which rules apply.
- 02
When you need one
OSFI's FAQ describes the small-balance route this way:
- you will be 55 or older within the calendar year;
- the total value of all your locked-in RRSPs, RLSPs, LIFs and RLIFs is at or under half of the YMPE;
- you file Form 2 with it, sworn by you and, if you have one, your spouse or common-law partner.
- For withdrawals up to December 31, 2026, the Year's Maximum Pensionable Earnings (YMPE) is $74,600, so half of it is $37,300. The figure changes every January, and the current year's Form 1 instructions give the current amounts.
- OSFI's FAQ says the routes can be combined: if what is left in an RLIF after the one-time 50% transfer meets the test, you can use the small-balance route that year or later.
- 03
What to include
Have your latest statements in front of you:
- The institution's name and each federal locked-in plan, with its account number.
- Your name, street address, city and province.
- The combined value of the plans listed on the day you swear.
- 04
Official source and who accepts it
Your financial institution requires OSFI's own Form 3. Get it from the institution or download it from OSFI, copy the wording you prepared on this page onto it, and swear or affirm it before a notary public, commissioner or other person authorized to take affidavits. This page prepares the wording only; it does not replace the official form.
Send the sworn form to the institution that holds the account, never to OSFI or the Government. The institution decides whether you qualify and processes the request; OSFI does not approve or review individual forms.
OSFI's PDF asks you to list the plans held by the institution named at the top, while the route counts all of your federal locked-in plans, and the text of Form 3 printed in the Regulations asks for plans held at other institutions too. If you hold federal locked-in plans at more than one institution, ask the institution how it wants them listed.
OSFI's FAQ says the role of the notary or commissioner "is to verify and witness the individual's signature, not to verify the contents". Our notary does not decide whether you qualify, does not calculate the amount and does not advise your spouse or common-law partner. Money taken out of a locked-in plan may lose the protection from creditors that the Pension Benefits Standards Act, 1985 gives it, and it may be taxable. The forms themselves say you may need professional advice.
- 05
Common mistakes
Watch for these:
- Swearing a balance right at the limit without asking first. OSFI's FAQ describes the test as less than or equal to half of the YMPE, but the form says less than, so a balance exactly at the line is a question for the institution.
- Using last year's YMPE figure.
- Swearing a value from an old statement: the form asks for the value on the day you sign.
- Leaving out Form 2.
- Using these forms for an Ontario LIRA or LIF, which follows FSRA's forms.
- 06
How to get it notarized in Ontario
Fill in the form on this page to prepare your wording, then copy it onto OSFI's official form, from your financial institution or from OSFI's website. Do not sign it yet: the attestation is sworn or affirmed in front of a notary public or commissioner for taking affidavits.
When you are ready, book an appointment with Minute Notary and bring the official form filled in but unsigned, with your photo ID. The attestation can be sworn or affirmed before our notary by video across Ontario, or in person on a mobile visit. Ask your financial institution first whether it accepts an attestation sworn by video.
Good to know
Before you fill it in.
Short notes on this template. Worth a minute before you start.
- 01
Prepared for use in Ontario. A general template, not legal advice.
- 02
Notarize online by video across Ontario, or in person anywhere in Ontario.
- 03
Sign in front of the notary, who administers your oath or affirmation and applies the seal.
Official sources
- OSFI: Unlocking forms
- OSFI: Unlocking funds from a pension plan or locked-in retirement savings plan (FAQ)
- OSFI: Form 3, Attestation of Total Amount Held in Federally Regulated Locked-in Plans
- Form 3 (PDF)
- Pension Benefits Standards Regulations, 1985 (sections 20 to 20.3, Schedule V)
- Pension Benefits Standards Act, 1985
Related
- OSFI Form 1: Attestation Regarding Withdrawal Based on Financial Hardship
- OSFI Form 2: Attestation Regarding Spouse or Common-Law Partner
- Affidavit of life certificate (proof of life for a pension)
- Guide: Unlocking a LIRA in Ontario: Forms, Spousal Consent and Who Signs
- Browse all legal templates
- Book a notarization appointment
Frequently asked
Questions about the OSFI Form 3: Attestation of Total Amount Held in Federally Regulated Locked-in Plans
- How old do I have to be?
- 55 or older within the calendar year, as OSFI's FAQ puts it, so you can use the route in the year you turn 55, even before your birthday.
- Can I swear Form 3 by video?
- Yes. The attestation can be sworn or affirmed before our notary by video across Ontario, or in person. Ask your financial institution first whether it accepts an attestation sworn by video.
- Does the notary check my balance?
- No. The notary confirms who you are and administers your oath or affirmation. Your institution decides whether the balance qualifies.
- My plans are at more than one institution. What do I list?
- Ask the institution you are applying to. The route counts all of your federal locked-in plans, and the institution can tell you how it wants plans held elsewhere shown on the form.
Keep exploring
Related templates
Other documents for banks, insurers, employers & pensions.
- 01OSFI Form 1: Attestation Regarding Withdrawal Based on Financial Hardship
The sworn attestation the owner of a federally regulated locked-in plan gives their financial institution to unlock money for financial hardship: low income, high medical or disability-related costs, or both. Prepare the wording and worksheet here; OSFI's own Form 1 is what you sign.
Fill it out - 02OSFI Form 2: Attestation Regarding Spouse or Common-Law Partner
The sworn attestation in which the owner of a federally regulated locked-in plan tells their financial institution whether they have a spouse or common-law partner, with that person's own sworn consent when they do. Prepare the wording here; OSFI's own Form 2 is what you sign.
Fill it out - 03Statutory Declaration of Employment and Income
A sworn declaration confirming your employment and income — used as proof of income for housing, credit, or a program that asks for a sworn statement when standard documents are unavailable. Fill it in online, download a ready-to-sign PDF, and notarize in Ontario.
Fill it out - 04Personal Loan Agreement (Ontario)
A two-party personal loan agreement for Ontario, signed by both the lender and the borrower, setting out the amount, purpose, interest, repayment, late payments, security and default.
Fill it out
Ready to sign?
Ready to create your OSFI Form 3: Attestation of Total Amount Held in Federally Regulated Locked-in Plans?
Fill it in online, then download a ready-to-sign PDF or an editable Word copy. Use the generated PDF to continue to booking. Not sure what the appointment involves? Read about the Statutory Declarations service first.