Notarization Lawyers BC

We notarize and certify documents, with or without an appointment. Practising B.C. lawyers are notaries public for British Columbia, so one visit covers sworn affidavits, statutory declarations, notarized signatures, certified true copies and documents going abroad.

Walk-in, mobile and online

Walk-ins are welcome during office hours, which are listed under hours and location; an appointment avoids a wait. For clients who cannot attend our office we offer a mobile service, where our lawyer attends at your home or place of business. Where the document and whoever will receive it allow it, affidavits and statutory declarations can also be sworn or affirmed before us by video, following the remote-commissioning procedure in the Law Society of BC's Code of Professional Conduct. In-person signing remains the preferred method, and for someone outside British Columbia we first check whether it can be done where they are. Some documents, and some of the people who receive them, still require a signature made in person, and we will tell you which applies before you book.

Sworn affidavits and statutory declarations

An affidavit is a written statement of facts that the person making it swears or affirms is true, usually for use in a court proceeding. A statutory declaration is a solemn declaration of facts used for most other purposes, such as insurance claims, lost documents and government applications. A statutory declaration and an affidavit are not the same document, and using the wrong one is a common reason paperwork is rejected. If you are not sure which you have been asked for, bring the request and we will tell you.

Notarized signatures and certified true copies

Bring government-issued photo identification, and bring the document unsigned. The most common wasted trip is someone arriving with a document they have already signed at home: a notary is attesting that you signed it in front of them, so a signature added earlier usually means starting again. A certified true copy is a copy we have compared with the original and certified as a true copy of it, so the original has to come with you.

Documents going outside Canada, and apostilles

If the document is going outside Canada there is a second step, and it changed in 2024: the Apostille Convention came into effect in Canada on 11 January 2024. A document notarized here is authenticated by the Order in Council Administration Office at the Ministry of Attorney General, which issues the apostille, and for countries that are party to the Convention that apostille replaces the old step of legalization at a consulate or embassy. Countries that are not party to the Convention may still require legalization. Requests have to name the country the document is going to, so tell us the destination when you book. For documents going abroad, including affidavits and declarations, we sign and seal as a notary public, which the Province requires for an apostille, and once the document is notarized we can arrange the apostille for you.

Travel consent letters

Travel consent letters are the other thing people need at short notice. Where a child is travelling outside Canada without one or both parents or guardians, airline agents, foreign immigration authorities and Canadian officials may ask for a signed consent letter, and the Government of Canada strongly recommends that a notary public witness it. They take minutes to prepare if you come to us before the week of the flight.

Two of the documents we are most often asked to notarize we also draft: powers of attorney and representation agreements, which are wills and estate planning work, and travel consent letters, which usually arise in family law matters.