Steps to be a Notary Public in Ontario

Following from my 5 Things you need to do as soon as you get Called-to-the-Bar in Ontario, you may want to apply to become a Notary Public so that you can certify documents in addition to your commissioner abilities. Lawyers are by virtue of office, commissioners as well so you do not need to apply to become a commissioner as a lawyer, but you are not automatically a notary public. If you want to become a notary public, you must first apply to be appointed to be a notary public. The benefit as a lawyer seeking appointment is that it is a lifetime appointment and you will not have to reapply again.  I’ve summarized the steps together for your convenience.

Applying to be a Notary

Step 1: Apply for a Notary Public appointment by downloading and completing the Ontario Notary Public Application form.

Step 2: Pay the $145 one-time fee (tax exempted) as a lawyer or if you’re a government lawyer then there is no fee.

You can pay in-person if you’re in Toronto or by mail with a certified cheque or money order:

Step 3: You will receive a certificate of appointment by mail. It will also come with a form that you are to submit back with a pressed in specimen of your embossed seal and signature, once you get your seal.

Step 4: Buy an embosser to seal. I bought mine from Dominion Stamps & engraving, just like I did for my commissioner stamp I mentioned in my 5 Things you need to do as soon as you get Called-to-the-Bar in Ontario post. They have a good selection for a fair value relatively compared to other stores I found and ship across Canada. I was able to get a long desk reacher one for the price of a standard one at other stores. You can also buy your first set of seal stickers too while you’re buying your embosser.

Step 5: Complete the form that you received with your Certificate of appointment and mail it or drop it off in person.  You need to send this in, so they have a record of your official embossed mark as a notary public.

If you’re not a lawyer and want to be a notary public you can too by applying with a different form and fee: https://www.ontario.ca/page/becoming-commissioner-taking-affidavits-or-non-lawyer-notary-public

How do you notarize copies of documents? This is how I do it in Ontario:

Step 1. You will need to see the original document that your client wants a copy of. For instance, if you’re asked if you could notarize a copy of someone’s drivers licence, then you will need the original drivers license, and check it’s authentic.

2. Next, you can make a photocopy yourself, or if someone comes in with a photocopy, you will have to do a comparison. For a drivers license/SIN card or other similar identifying document, you will need to look at the front and the back of the identity card and ensure the photocopy is of both. I photocopy both the front and back of the card on the same page myself. Does the copy represent the original document truly? If yes then continue:

3. I fill out and attach a notarial certificate to the copy. Click Here for a Word Document Precedent or template you can edit/modify. You will need to fill in your name that is the person who has notarized the document, what the document is that you’re certifying is a true copy , the date and sign on the line.

EXAMPLE – Pay attention to all highlighted parts in this image, change the yellow for sure, Blue you may use if that is the document:

4. Place a seal sticker on the certificate. Press your seal into the sticker. You don’t have to but I stamp my commission stamp next to my signature or seal as well.

5. Finally, I press an imprint of the seal on the copy of the document, just a bit on the corner of the copy of the ID. This gives a bit additional confidence I feel to people wanting to ensure they have something as close as possible to the original checked out, and in case someone accidentally ripped their notarized copy, they didn’t just tear off the certificate and place it on another copy.

I hope this guide helped!