Proof of death: certificate and copy of act

Responsibility: The Directeur de l'état civil

In Quebec, two documents can officially be used as proof of death:

• the copy of the act of death, which is used as proof in the courts of justice.
• the death certificate is required to confirm the date of death and to proceed with the opening of the succession.

To obtain these documents:
Contact the office of the Director of Vital Statistics and fill out the "Request for Death Certificate and Copy of Death Certificate" form. The form is also available online.

The Attestation of Death is also issued by the Directeur de l'état civil. It refers to the presence or absence of a record or mention of a death in the Civil Registry.

To obtain an attestation:
Complete the "Application for Attestation and Search" form available at the offices of the Registrar of Vital Statistics. The form is also available online.

The Death Certificate, Copy of Death Certificate and Attestation of Death are civil status documents issued by the Directeur de l'état civil (DEC). Each type of document is as follows:

• the Death Certificate contains the name, surname(s) and sex of the deceased, date and place of death, registration number and date of issuance;
• The Copy of Death Certificate reproduces the information contained in the certificate in its entirety (some information may be missing if the event occurred before 1994);

The Attestation of Death refers to the presence or absence in the register of a record or an entry to a record.

​ACT OF CIVIL STATUS MADE OUTSIDE QUEBEC

The Civil Code of Quebec provides that upon receipt of the original of an act of civil status made outside Quebec presented with the seal and concerning a person domiciled in Quebec, the DEC may insert the act in the Quebec register as if it were an act made in Quebec.

As for the documents issued following the registration of the event, they will have a semi-authentic character.

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