Oaths

Official documents

To be valid, certain official documents must be stamped with a seal by a commissioner for oaths. For example:

• Consent letter
• Statement of ordinary residence
• Life Certificate
• Accommodation Certificate

The appropriate forms are available at the reception desk at City Hall and must be signed in the presence of the commissioner of oaths. This attests to your solemn declaration as to the authenticity of the contents of the document.

You must provide a photo ID bearing your signature. A $5 fee is payable.

Administration of oaths

Some legislation requires a person to be sworn before signing a document. This formality makes the document or testimony more official or credible, all the more so as a person who knowingly states false or misleading information under oath is liable to charges of perjury under the Criminal Code.

In Québec, Commissioners for Oaths are appointed by the Minister of Justice for a renewable period of three years. Their role is to administer oaths to individuals in the cases where an oath is required or permitted by law.

A Commissioner for Oaths can not certify documents or attest that a copy of a document is in accordance to the original. He or she may, at most, administer an oath to a person who presents him or her a copy of a document and who declares that it is in accordance to the original document.