Once a death occurs the physician or coroner attending the death completes the Medical Certificate of Death and gives it to the Funeral Director to go with the body.
To register a death, a family member and the funeral director complete the Statement of Death with information about the deceased.
Once completed, the Medical Certificate of Death and the Statement of Death are submitted to the local municipal clerk’s office by the Funeral Director.
The funeral director will issue copies of a proof of death that you can use in certain situations. There are some organizations, however, that may require an official death certificate from the Province of Ontario, Office of the Registrar General.
You may need an official death certificate or certified copy for:
- Settling an estate
- Insurance purposes
- Access to/termination of government services, e.g., health card, pension, voters’ list
- Genealogy searches
Once the death is registered, the next of kin, executor or estate administrator may apply for a death certificate. Death certificate applications can be made online, by mail, fax, or in person. The different methods of application have different service delivery times and sometimes different fees.