Last Updated: August 22 2026
Do I need a notary public or a commissioner for taking affidavits in Ontario?
In Ontario, you typically need a notary public when you must have signatures, marks, or document copies verified for authenticity, while you need a commissioner for taking affidavits when the document requires an oath or solemn declaration to be administered and witnessed by a person authorized to confirm the deponent swore or affirmed the truth of the contents. For help confirming which service your form requires and getting it completed lawfully and efficiently, contact SIR Security Intelligence Response Corp. at (647) 725-3360 and have your document type and purpose ready.
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SIR Security Intelligence Response Corp. provides Notary Public and Commissioning services. Your documents will be lawfully notarized or commissioned with proper attention given to details as required for the specific nature and purpose of the respective documents. This service is competitively priced, so you can trust that you are getting value for your money.
Note: Please contact SIR Security Intelligence Response Corp. by phone at: (647) 725-3360 to discuss any specific questions that you may have.
Certified Copies of Documents
Notarization or certification of copies of original documents.
Affidavits and Declarations
Administering of an oath or solemn declaration.
Passports and Identity
Certification of photographs and documents supporting identify.
Permanent Resident Cards
Certification of copies of legal name change documents.
Consent to Travel Letters
Notarization or certification of consent to travel letters.
Statutory Declarations
Administration of a solemn declaration for a statutory declaration.
Notary Public
A person granted Notary Public status is granted special powers by various governing authorities within a local jurisdiction that permits the person to verifying that signatures, marks, stamps, copies of documents, among other things, are true and authentic.
There are many official signed documents that must be notarized to become valid. Examples include copies of certificates of birth, adoption, marriage, or divorce, as well as real estate transactions documents, government documents, and many more. Notarizing a document is an organized and efficient service that typically requires only five (5) to ten (10) minutes per document.
Warning Regarding Purported Online Notary Services
In Ontario, there are notary services purporting to provide online notary services. Online notary services are unlawful; and, recently the Law Society of Ontario issued a Notice to the Professions, meaning to lawyers and paralegals, as a reminder that online notary services are forbidden. The perception that online notary services are permitted may arise whereas section 3(3) of the Notaries Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. N.6, states that notarization may be performed without in person requirements when permitted by a regulation to the Notaries Act; however, a review of the regulations will reveal that a permitting regulation is absent; and accordingly, online notary services are unlawful.
Commissioner for Taking Affidavits
Instead of notarizing a document as a true copy or as containing a true signature or marks, among other notary functions, many documents instead require commissioning. A Commissioner for Taking Affidavits is empowered to administer an Oath and to witness the swearing or affirming of the Oaths of truth regarding statements made within an Affidavit or Declaration. Of course, such is without saying that the Commissioner for Taking Affidavits confirms that what is stated within the document is true whereas the Commissioner for Taking Affidavits merely witnesses and confirms that the Deponent, being the person who swears or affirms the Oath, states that the contents of the document are true.
Pricing
Pricing for notarizing and commissioning services may vary subject to the nature of the particular requirements of the documents involved, the particular circumstances involved, and the expected time involved.
