Obtaining my divorce certificate

Last revised January 05, 2024

Once a divorce is official, 31 days after the divorce order is entered, it is possible to obtain a Certificate of Divorce. The date will be shown on the first page of the divorce order.

A Certificate of Divorce may be applied for from the Registry where the divorce was filed using form F17. You will also be required to file a draft of the Divorce Certificate using form F56. There is a fee of $40 for each certificate and the registry will need the file number associated with your divorce.

If you don't know the file number, the Central Registry of Divorce Proceedings in Canada may be able to provide that information. They can be contacted by phone. They require the your date of birth as well as your ex-spouse’s date of birth (if you do not have that, you will need to provide the date of marriage). The Central Registry can then provide file number and the name of registry where it is filed, for divorces filed and granted in Canada.

A Certificate of Divorce is not required as the court order of divorce is legally sufficient but it does still serve some purposes.  It can be used to prove a divorce without revealing the terms of the divorce order or to quickly prove a marriage has been dissolved in case of pending re-marriage.