Speak to an Ontario Notary Public for free by telephone, WhatsApp, WeChat, Text Messaging (SMS) or Zoom.

What is the difference between a Notary Public or a Commissioner of Oaths for the Province of Ontario?

Notary Publics and Commissioner of Oaths are two different roles. Notary Publics are lawyers in the Province of Ontario, and can certify copies of documents as being true copies of the original document. Commissioner of Oaths can be a clerk at a government office, paralegal, articling student or lawyer. Commissioners witness signatures and can swear that a document was signed by the person indicated on the document.

If you need a document “stamped” or “signed”, you should be careful to choose the right person to do the job. Having a lawyer notarize or commission a document is the safest choice, as lawyers in Ontario have full rights to perform this role. Commissioners of Oaths have a more limited role and if your document needs to be notarized, you cannot use a Commissioner of Oaths – it needs to be a Notary Public.

If you want to avoid having any issues with an authority accepting your sworn affidavit or true copy of an original document, find out the qualifications of the person performing the notarizing or commissioning of your document.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, virtual notaries and commissioning services are now available. You can use a webcam and sign a document in the presence of a lawyer / notary public or commissioner online from your home.

Find out more about Notary Publics and Commissioners of Oaths by using Instant Lawyer for free today.