Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to the most common questions about about Notarize.ca’s remote notary and online commissioning services.

  • Online notarization is also called e-notarization, virtual notarization, remote commissioning or virtual commissioning.

    It is the process for notarizing oaths, affidavits, statutory declarations and other documents using technology like web conferencing instead of meeting with a notary in person.

  • Remote commissioning is also known as online commissioning, e-commissioning or virtual commissioning.

    It is the process for commissioning oaths, affidavits, statutory declarations and other documents using technology like web conferencing instead of meeting with a notary or commissioner in person.

  • Our fees are $36.99 for the first notarization and $21.99 for each additional notarization, plus HST.

    A notarization consists of the notary's stamp and signature.

    Students receive 25% off and seniors receive 10% off!

  • Notarize.ca’s online notary services are available Sunday to Saturday from 7 am to 11 pm EST.

  • Definitely! We can mail a printed copy of your document with the notary's embossing seal to any destination. Our mailing fee is $16.99 plus HST and the cost of shipping.

  • IWe can notarize many documents online, including:

    Oaths and affidavits, like affidavits of identity, affidavits of income and OSAP affidavits

    Statutory declarations, like statutory declarations of marital status, statutory declarations of common law status, statutory declarations for name change applications and statutory declarations of identity

    IMM 0006E Application for Authorization and Statutory Declaration

    Sworn statements for a family gift of a used vehicle

    Letters of invitation

    Ontario court forms, including affidavits of service and affidavits of divorce

    Separation agreements

    Law Society of Ontario Administrative Call application

  • Yes, remote commissioning (online notary service or online notarization) of affidavits, oaths and statutory declarations is legal pursuant to O Reg 431/20, Administering Oath or Declaration Remotely, a regulation under the Commissioners for Taking Affidavits Act.

    Notarize.ca’s online notary process meets all of the requirements set out in O Reg 431/20. We are also following the Law Society of Ontario’s Best Practices for Remote Commissioning.

  • While remote commissioning is legal, O Reg 431/20, Administering Oath or Declaration Remotely, does not require organizations or agencies to accept documents that are commissioned online.

    If you’re not sure if the receiving organization or agency will accept a document that is commissioned online, we recommend that you contact them for clarification.

  • Yes! Notarize.ca’s team of notaries are licensed lawyers and paralegals who received their notarial appointments from the Ministry of the Attorney General. We follow all legal requirements for remote notarization, as well as the Law Society of Ontario’s best practices for remote commissioning.

  • We can notarize certified true documents of digital documents, such as:

    Utility bills

    Bank statements

    Emails

    Employment letters

    Transcripts

    Digital documents are documents that were created electronically. They are typically downloaded from a website or sent as an email attachment.

    We cannot notarize certified true copies of hard copy documents (like passports, driver’s licences, degrees, birth certificates, divorce certificates, etc.) or scanned copies of those documents.

 

Still have questions? Contact us - we are here to help.

 

Appointments

  • To book your Notarize.ca appointment, go to the Notarize.ca log-in page and sign in. (If you’re new to Notarize.ca, you’ll need to set up your account first.)

    Click on New Appointment. Select your preferred date, time and notary, then upload your documents. 

    If you’re having issues booking your appointment, contact us for help - we’re happy to help.

  • You will need access to a computer, smartphone or tablet with an internet connection and a web camera. Notarize.ca works best with Chrome, Edge or Safari.

    You will also need to show the notary one piece of valid government-issued photo identification. Your identification can be Canadian or from another country.

    You do not need to print your documents before the appointment because you will be signing electronically. The exception is wills and powers of attorney - you will need printed copies to sign during your appointment.

  • We accept the following types of identification:

    One piece of valid (non-expired) government-issued photo identification, such as a passport, driver's licence, photo identification card, citizenship card or status card; OR

    Two pieces of valid government-issued non-photo identification, such as a social insurance card, birth certificate, marriage certificate, etc.

    We accept Canadian and non-Canadian forms of identification.

    If you don’t have any of these types of documents, contact us for help.

  • Yes! You can use Notarize.ca if you’re not in Ontario. Notarize.ca is available to anyone anywhere in Canada.

  • Yes! You can use Notarize.ca if you’re not in Canada. Notarize.ca is available to anyone anywhere in the world.

  • At your appointment start time, log-in to your Notarize.ca account. Click on My Appointments. When the notary starts your appointment, you will see a green join session button. Click the join session button to meet with your notary.

  • Absolutely! Contact us for help - we will find a solution for you.

  • Simply add the additional signer’s information when you book your appointment.

    If your additional signer is in a different location, they will automatically receive an email with the link to join the online notary appointment.

  • You will receive your notarized document by email just a few seconds after it is signed.

  • Of course! We are happy to accommodate accessibility requests, including use of different kinds of assistive technology, different methods of communication or longer appointments. Contact us and we will help you.

  • We understand that everyone has different experiences and comfort levels with technology. You don’t need to be an expert to use Notarize.ca - our system is easy and straightforward. Your notary will walk you through every step of the signing process. 

    If you need extra assistance or a different option for online notarization, contact us. We will find a solution for you.

 

Do you have technical questions about booking and joining your appointment? Visit our Online Help Centre today!

 

Wills and Powers of Attorney

 

Wills

  • A will is a legal document that sets out who will inherit their estate (their property, possessions and other personal items) when someone dies.

  • Yes, every person should have a will, even if they don’t have a lot of assets.

    If you die without a will, Ontario’s law will determine how your estate is distributed, regardless of what your wishes may be. Your family and loved ones will also have to go through a lengthy (and sometimes expensive) court process to have your estate distributed. Having a will ensures your wishes will be respected and will save your loved ones a lot of work.

  • The most common way to create a valid will is to speak with a lawyer who specializes in wills or estates.

    You can also use a will kit or an online will service to write your will.

    Notarize.ca proudly partners with Willful, which makes it affordable, convenient and easy for Canadians to create a legal will online, with pricing plans starting at $99.

    Use this link to save 10% off your Willful plan: Try Willful

  • No, at this time our services are limited to witnessing wills and we are unable to draft wills. You can either use an online will drafting service like Willful or contact an estate planning lawyer for assistance.

  • Once you have written your will, you will need to sign it and have it witnessed to ensure it is valid. This is also called “executing your will.” In Ontario, you must sign your will in front of two witnesses who are not the executor (the person assigned to administer your will) or their spouse, or a beneficiary or their spouse. The witnesses must also sign the will.

  • Yes! Wills for Ontario can be witnessed remotely and in counterpart. You and your witnesses would mean on videoconference to sign your will. “In counterpart” means the witnesses can sign separate copies of the will. All copies of the will together create a single legal document. Once a will is signed in counterpart, it is immediately valid.

  • Generally, wills do not need to be notarized, meaning signed and sealed by a notary.

    However, it is generally recommended that one of the witnesses swear an affidavit of execution in front of a notary or commissioner for taking oaths. This affidavit (also known as Ontario Court Form 74.D) is available for free download from the Ontario Court Forms website. This affidavit confirms that the witness saw the person making the will sign it in front of them. When an executor applies to the courts to validate a will (a process called “probate”), they should file the affidavit of execution with the probate application. While it may be possible to probate a will without an affidavit of execution, it will likely make the process more difficult and lengthy.

  • An affidavit of execution is not a legal requirement, and your will is valid without one. However, if your will needs to go through probate (the process in which the court formally approves your will as legally valid), the court will require an affidavit of execution.

    If an affidavit of execution is not completed when the will is witnessed, it can be difficult to find one of the witnesses to complete the affidavit of execution, especially if a long time has passed since the will was signed and witnessed. We complete an affidavit of execution for every will we witness remotely to save you and your loved ones hassle and stress when your will is most needed.

  • No, wills for Ontario cannot be signed electronically. They must be signed in ink.

  • Yes. On April 19, 2021, the Ontario Government changed the Succession Law Reform Act to permanently allow the remote witnessing of wills in counterpart.

Powers of Attorney

  • A power of attorney is a legal document that gives someone else - your “attorney” - the power to act on your behalf.

  • A power of attorney for personal care lets your attorney make personal care decisions on your behalf if you become mentally incapable of making them for yourself. Your attorney becomes your substitute decision-maker for making personal care and medical decisions, such as whether you will receive or decline certain medical treatments.

  • A continuing power of attorney for property lets your attorney manage your financial affairs and allows the person you name to act for you even if you become mentally incapable. This includes managing your bank accounts, making bill and rent payments and making purchases on your behalf.

  • Yes, every person should have a power of attorney. It’s the easiest way to ensure that your directives for your property and health care are followed, and that decisions in your best interest are made.

    If you are incapacitated due to illness or injury and do not have a power of attorney, your family and loved ones may have a very difficult time taking care of your property and finances and making medical decisions on your behalf. They may need to seek legal advice, or take additional legal action to be able to make decisions on your behalf. This can become extremely complicated and costly.

  • You can speak to a lawyer who specializes in estates for help with creating your power of attorney.

    You can also use the Ministry of the Attorney General’s free Power of Attorney Kit

    Another option is to use an online platform to write your POAs. Notarize.ca is partnering with[ Willful, an online platform that makes it affordable, convenient and easy for Canadians to create a legal powers of attorney online, with pricing plans starting at $99. Click this link to save 10% off your Willful plan: Try Willful

  • Not, at this time our services are limited to witnessing powers of attorney.

  • For your power of attorney to be legally valid, you must sign it in the presence of two witnesses. The witnesses must also sign the power of attorney. The witnesses can’t be the attorney or their spouse or partner; your spouse, partner, or child, or someone that you treat as your child; a person whose property is under guardianship or who has a guardian of the person; or a person under the age of 18.

  • Yes! Powers of attorney for Ontario can be witnessed remotely and in counterpart. You and your witnesses would mean on videoconference to sign your power of attorney. “In counterpart” means the witnesses can sign separate copies of the power of attorney. All copies of the power of attorney together create a single legal document.Once a power of attorney is signed in counterpart, it is immediately valid.

  • It is not a legal requirement for your power of attorney to be notarized, but there are very good reasons to get it notarized anyway.

    First, notarizing your power of attorney assures others that the signature on the document is genuine and the documents are legitimate. This makes it less likely that the validity of your power of attorney will be questioned.

    Second, many financial institutions, like banks, will not accept powers of attorney for property unless they are notarized. If you’re not sure what your bank’s requirements are, we suggest that you contact them for more information.

  • A notarial certificate states the circumstances in which your power of attorney was signed and witnessed. A notarial certificate is not a legal requirement, and your power of attorney is valid without one.

    However, many institutions and organizations request a notarial certificate so they can understand how the power of attorney was signed. Notarize.ca completes a notarial certificate for every POA we witness remotely to ensure your power of attorney will be accepted when it is most needed.

  • No, wills for Ontario cannot be signed electronically. They must be signed in ink.

  • Yes. On April 19, 2021, the Ontario Government changed the Substitute Decisions Act to permanently allow the remote witnessing of powers of attorney in counterpart.