Certificate of Divorce in BC: When the Divorce Is Final and How to Get the Certificate

A BC divorce is not final the day the judge signs the order. It takes effect on the 31st day after the judgment, and only then can you get the certificate of divorce that proves the marriage has ended.

This guide explains the difference between the divorce order and the certificate, how the 31-day rule works, and how to request a certificate from the registry as of 1 November 2026, including the fees.

Divorce order or certificate of divorce: what is the difference?

Two documents are easy to confuse:

• The divorce order. This is the judgment a Supreme Court judge signs granting the divorce. It is made first, but it does not end the marriage on the day it is signed.
• The certificate of divorce. Once the divorce has taken effect, a judge or officer of the court that granted it (or of the appeal court, if there was an appeal) must, on request, issue a certificate that the divorce dissolved the marriage of the named people as of a specified date (Divorce Act, section 12(7)). The Act says the certificate is issued "to any person" who asks.

The certificate is the simplest proof that you are divorced and of the date it took effect, so keep it with your other important papers.

When is a divorce final? The 31-day rule

Under section 12(1) of the Divorce Act, a divorce takes effect on the 31st day after the day the judgment granting it is made. Until then you are still married.

Example: if the judge signs the divorce order on 1 March, the first day after the judgment is 2 March, and the 31st day is 1 April. The divorce takes effect on 1 April.

Two situations change that date:

• An appeal. If an appeal is still pending when the 31 days end, the divorce does not take effect until the appeal process has run its course, unless the divorce is set aside on appeal (section 12(3)).
• An earlier date. The court can order that the divorce take effect sooner, but only if it finds special circumstances and both spouses agree and undertake not to appeal, or any appeal has been abandoned (section 12(2)).

The 31-day rule matters most if you plan to remarry. Under the Civil Marriage Act, no one may marry again until every previous marriage has been dissolved (section 2.3), and the Province's marriage licence page says that if you were recently divorced, you must wait until the divorce order takes effect before buying a licence.

How to get a certificate of divorce in BC

As of 1 November 2026, the Province's instructions are:

• Wait 31 days. Make sure 31 days have passed since the divorce order was made.
• Go to the right registry. Request the certificate from the Supreme Court registry where your divorce was filed.
• In person: $40. Attend the registry and pay the fee.
• By mail: $50. Send a letter with the court file number or the full names of both people who divorced, your mailing address and telephone number, and a cheque or money order for $50 payable to the Minister of Finance. The $50 includes a $10 mailing fee.
• Paying from abroad. If you live outside Canada and cannot pay in Canadian funds, contact the registry to ask about payment options.

People often search for a way to get a divorce certificate online. As of 1 November 2026, the Province's page describes requests in person and by mail; it does not describe an online request.

Older divorces, and divorces granted elsewhere

• Divorced 10 or more years ago. The Province says you may need to get a copy of the divorce order from BC Archives and provide it to the registry.
• Not sure where the divorce was filed. The federal Central Registry of Divorce Proceedings can confirm where a divorce was filed, but it cannot issue an official divorce certificate.
• Divorced in another province. The certificate comes from the court that granted the divorce, so you apply there, not in BC (section 12(7)).
• Divorced outside Canada. A BC registry cannot issue a certificate for a divorce it did not grant. Whether a foreign divorce is recognized here is a separate question; see married abroad, living in BC: getting a divorce here.

Before you remarry: deadlines, agreements and wills

Getting the certificate is a good moment to check that nothing from the old relationship is left open, and to plan for the new one:

• Open property or support claims. For married spouses, the Family Law Act's two-year limit for claims to divide property or pensions, or for spousal support under that Act, starts on the date of the divorce judgment (section 198(2)). If those issues were never settled, the clock is already running. See our guide to family law deadlines in BC.
• A marriage agreement. If you are remarrying, a written agreement can set out how property will be treated if that relationship ends. Our guide to prenups in BC explains what one can and cannot do.
• Your will and beneficiaries. Review your will and the beneficiary designations on your plans and policies so they reflect your new circumstances.

If you have not yet applied for the divorce itself, start with our guides on how to get a divorce in BC and online divorce in BC.

Planning to remarry? Tie up the loose ends first

Our family lawyers can confirm when your divorce took effect, deal with property or support claims that are still open, and prepare a marriage agreement before you remarry.

Call 604-259-2844 or send us a message to arrange a consultation at our Vancouver office.