When someone is born or dies in Canada, an official record is made of the event with the state and local vital records office where the event occurs. The vital records department is responsible for maintaining birth and death information. If you need a copy of a birth or death certificate, they are the ones that you need to contact. If you want to maintain a copy of a death certificate, there are specific steps that you need to take.
Who is responsible for preparing a death certificate?
The person who will prepare a death certificate is whoever is in charge of handling the deceased person’s remains. They have to both produce and file the document.
Before procuring the death certificate, the preparer must gather information about the person from family members. Once they collect the necessary data, it has to be signed by either the doctor who witnessed the death, the medical examiner who examined the body, or the coroner; the signature is what certifies it and transforms it into an official document.
Also included in the death registration is a statement of death that needs to be completed by either a family member or a funeral director.
What type of information is contained within certificate?
What is required on a death certificate differs depending on the province, but, in general, the information that has to be gathered is the deceased’s:
- Address
- Full name
- Birthplace and birthdate
- Father’s birthplace and birthdate
- Mother’s birthplace and birthdate
- Marital status, and if there is a surviving spouse, their name
- Place, date, and time of death
- Cause of death
- Education level
Why would you need a death certificate?
After your family member dies, it might be necessary for you to obtain a copy of the death certificate to provide as proof in certain situations. Reasons that you might need a copy of the death certificate are as follows:
- If you are trying to settle an estate
- For insurance purposes
- To terminate any government services that the deceased was accessing like pension, a health card, or a voter’s list
- For genealogy searches
There are two different types of death certificates that you can acquire in Canada. The first kind is a copy of death registration either with or without cause of death included and the second type is, of course, a death certificate. The reason that you need a death certificate will determine which kind of document you will require.
If you obtain a death certificate online, it will not contain the cause of death. The only way to get a copy of death registration with or without the cause of death is by filing a formal request in person, via fax, or by mail.
Who can apply to get a death certificate?
There is no restriction on how many copies of the death certificate you can obtain. The family members or an authorized representative must apply for a certified copy of death registration.
An authorized representative is someone like an executor or administrator, an estate administrator, or any person who is acting on behalf of the person who is deceased. If you want to obtain a certified copy of the death registration, you will be required to provide proof that you have the proper authority to do so.
Which family members are allowed to obtain a certificate?
- Common-law partner or spouse
- Parents
- Siblings
- Children
If all of the family listed above are, likewise, deceased then an authorized representative might extend to:
- An uncle
- An aunt
- A first cousin
- A Grandchild
- A grandparent
- A nephew or niece
If you are requesting a death certificate Manitoba in Canada for anyone who died before the year 1991, it can take an additional six to eight weeks before it will arrive because it will need to be converted electronically before any processing of the certificate is complete.
If you order a death certificate online, the certificate will be mailed within fifteen days of the request. You have the option to order an online certificate with premium service, which is an up-charge of $30 but the document is guaranteed within five days of your online request.
A death certificate is an official document that certifies that someone died. If you need a copy of your loved one’s certificate to use for official (government, certain insurance companies, etc.) reasons, you can either obtain one by mail, via fax or in-person. If you don’t need a certified registration, then you can receive one online within days. Be sure to follow all of the necessary steps so that you can get it done as efficiently and painlessly as possible.
