What is an Affidavit?

An affidavit is a “sworn” statement meant for use in a court. It is in a specific format, is sworn under oath and it presents verified facts or documents to a judge for consideration in a court case.

Why do affidavits matter?

It’s very expensive, time consuming and disruptive to get people into a courtroom to give evidence to a judge under oath. So an important way to get this evidence in front of a judge is by way of affidavit.
The person making the affidavit is under oath, just as they would be if they were physically present in front of the judge.

Putting evidence in front of a judge by way of affidavit saves time and cost for the court system and helps reduce backlogs.

How does an affidavit work?

An affidavit has a set structure, and it is signed under oath in front of a notary public, a lawyer or a commissioner for oaths.

The structure of an affidavit includes:

• a style of cause - the introductory section that sets out the court file number, the name of the court and the names of the parties involved
• a paragraph setting out information about the person making the sworn statement and the type of oath they made
• a series of numbered paragraphs that set out the facts being sworn to, or attaching the relevant documents
• a jurat - the section containing the signatures of the person making the affidavit and the notary before whom the person swore the content to be true

Affidavits must only contain the truth, and only facts - no gossip, opinions or hearsay.

When you make an affidavit, you “swear” to its contents - you make an oath.  An oath has two components:

• legal consequences for lying: perjury, which comes with jail time if you lie
• moral consequences: these differ according to your culture and religion, and they must be meaningful to you

Affidavits can be made by lawyers or by laypeople, as long as the laypeople follow the rules for how to make affidavits.

What happens if you need to swear an affidavit?

Because it’s meant to be used in court, most affidavits will either be made by your lawyer, or available on one of the government’s websites for the courts.

Make sure your affidavit is properly made, and that it has all of the exhibits referenced in it. Call us for an appointment, and bring your affidavit, the exhibits and your two pieces of ID. Check out our page on getting ready for your notarization appointment for more details.

What is a statutory declaration?

A statutory declaration is a “sworn” statement meant for use outside of a court. It is in a specific format, is sworn under oath and it presents verified facts or documents to another party, such as a business or government agency for consideration. Statutory declarations are not meant for use in court - affidavits are used in court.

Statutory declarations are called this because the right to make them is set out in statute - the Evidence Act allows British Columbians to make these formal declarations.

Why do statutory declarations matter?

Statutory declarations provide a way for people to make truthful, reliable statements to businesses and governments agencies.

These statements are often made in support of a request or an application for something. You want the bank, or the CRA to believe you when you tell them something, so you do that under oath, using a statutory declaration.

If you lie in this sworn document, you face legal and moral consequences, and that makes it more likely the business or government agency cam]n rely on you.

How does a statutory declaration work?

A statutory declaration has a set structure, and it is signed under oath in front of a notary public, a lawyer or a commissioner for oaths.

The structure of an affidavit includes:

• a preamble - the introductory section that sets out the location of the matter and a brief description of the purpose of the declaration
• a paragraph setting out information about the person making the declaration
• a series of numbered paragraphs that set out the facts being sworn to, or attaching the relevant documents
• a jurat - the section containing the signatures of the person making the declaration and the notary before whom the person swore the content to be true

Statutory declarations must only contain the truth, and only facts - no gossip, opinions or hearsay.

When you make a statutory declaration, you “swear” to its contents - you make an oath.  An oath has two components:

• legal consequences for lying: perjury, which comes with jail time if you lie
• moral consequences: these differ according to your culture and religion, and they must be meaningful to you

Statutory declarations are often made by the business or governmental agency asking for them - they know what the content is that they want you to swear to, and so they will often make a template for you to use.

If there isn’t a template that has been given to you, you can ask your notary to draft one for you. Just remember that your notary will charge you an hourly rate to draft a statutory declaration for you, as they will need to research what you need.

What happens if you need to make a statutory declaration?

Make sure your statutory declaration is properly made, and that it has all of the exhibits referenced in it. Call us for an appointment, and bring your declaration, the exhibits and your two pieces of ID. Check out our page on getting ready for your notarization appointment for more details.

What is a notarization?

A notarization is when a notary public puts you under oath, officially witnesses your signature or certifies a document as a true copy of the original.

Why notarizations matter

Some documents won’t be accepted—by banks, government agencies, or courts—unless they’ve been properly notarized. It helps confirm authenticity, identity, and intent.

How it works

In BC, the most common documents that require notarization include:

• Statutory declarations and affidavits
• Travel letters for minors
• Out-of-town real estate paperwork
• ICBC forms
• Certified copies of ID or educational documents
• Government forms that require a commissioner or notary to witness

What to do next

If you’re not sure whether your document needs to be notarized, send us a quick email. We’ll confirm exactly what’s needed.

What ID do you need for a notarization in BC?

Notaries in BC are required to verify your identity before notarizing anything.

You must bring in appropriate ID. Usually we need two pieces of current, government issued ID. Check with the instructions provided to you with your documents-they may ask for specific kinds of ID.

Your ID must be intact - we have to be able to see the ID number, your name, the type of the ID and the relevant dates. If there is a photo, the photo must be clear and easily comparable to you.

Why bringing the right ID to your notarization appointment matters

Without proper ID, your notary can’t legally complete the notarization—even if you’ve used our office before. We need to be sure it’s really you signing.

In some cases, you might be required to have us send copies of your ID with your signed documents. If the documents you are signing are subject to FINTRAC, we will have to follow FINTRAC ID rules as well as our own requirements.

We can’t take any old cards as ID - here are some examples of things we can’t take as ID:

• library cards
• mastercards, VISA cards or debit cards
• Costco cards
• homemade IDs (yes, you read that right!)
• bus passes

How the ID verification process works

Bring two pieces of valid ID, at least one of which must be government-issued with a photo. Acceptable ID includes:

• Passport
• Driver’s licence
• BC Services Card
• Permanent Resident Card
• Canadian citizenship certificate

What to do next

Read through our page on Getting Ready For Your Notarization Appointment. If you’re unsure whether your ID qualifies, give us a call before your appointment so we can confirm.

What is a notarization?

A notarization is a process where a notary verifies your identity, then helps you by making documents under oath, or certifying something to be a true copy of an original.

It's important to note that not everything can be notarized. There has to be a "notarial function" - a purpose - for the notary to do. Notaries can't simply put a stamp on any old document.

Why do notarizations matter?

It's not always enough to just give your word that something is true. Others want to be able to rely on your documents.

Having a document properly notarized means that someone qualified has verified your identity, made sure you understood the document you were signing, that you signed it willingly and, where necessary, that you were put under oath before you signed the document.

This makes it harder for someone to say they didn't understand what they were signing. It also means other people can now rely on the documents you provide them.

How does a notarization work?

You bring the document into your appointment with two pieces of current, government-issued ID. Please make sure the document is filled out and ready to sign, but do not sign it until you are in front of the notary.

Check out our page on getting ready for your notarization appointment.

What next?

Once you have had the document notarized, you can submit it to the place it needs to go, like a government agency, court or business.

Call us to make an appointment for your notarization!

What kinds of documents can a notary notarize?

Notaries in BC can help with a wide range of legal and personal documents. Some examples of documents we notarize include:

• affidavits
• statutory declarations
• proof of loss statements
• "still alive" documents (proving that you are still alive and eligible for a pension)
• travel letters
• certified true copies
• real property documents from another jurisdiction

Why does notarization of documents matter?

Some documents must be notarized to be valid, accepted, or processed — especially those used in legal, real estate, or out-of-country matters. When it's not enough for someone to just take your word for it, a notarization might be the solution.

How do notarizations work?

You bring in the document (completed, but not signed) and two pieces of current, government issued ID. Check out our page on getting ready for your notarization appointment to make sure you are prepared.

If we can help, we’ll confirm what’s needed, witness your signature, and apply our notarial seal.

What next?

Once you have a finished document, you submit it to the appropriate place - a government agency, business, court, or other place.

Call us for an appointment!

What kinds of documents can't be notarized?

Not everything can be notarized. We might not be able to notarize your document because it:

• is incomplete
• is in a language we do not understand
• is for an improper, criminal, fraudulent, frivolous or vexatious purpose
• doesn't actually require notarization - there is no point to the notary signing it
• is being signed involuntarily
• is being signed under suspicious circumstances
• is being signed by someone who lacks the appropriate mental capacity to understand what they are doing, or how that document will affect them
• is forbidden by law for a notary to notarize - separation agreements, for example

Why does it matter that you can't notarize just any old document?

People rely on notarized documents to be truthful, valid and reliable.

If notaries just put stamps on any old document, then that stamp won't mean anything to anyone. So notaries go through a careful vetting process before they notarize a document, to ensure that their work is trusted all across the world.

How do you decide which documents can't be notarized?

Here is the process we use to consider whether we can sign a document or not:

• we review the document and your ID
• we ask you questions about what you think the document is for, and how it will affect your life
• we determine if the purpose of the document is improper
• we assess whether there are any red flags for fraud, undue influence, coercion, vulnerability or suspicious circumstances
• we look to see what kind of notarial function the document requires

If the answers to any of these questions is something that causes us concern, we may refuse to notarize the document.

If we can't notarize it, we'll let you know that and we'll talk to you about why we can't notarize it.

Check out our page on getting ready for your notarization appointment to make sure you are prepared.

What next?

If we can't notarize your document for a fixable reason (such as you are missing an exhibit to an affidavit), it's possible that a workaround might be acceptable. We can talk about possible solutions for your situation, and, if there is simply no solution, that might be the end of the process.

Call the place that asked you for the notarized document, and ask them what other options exist.

Call us for an appointment!

Do I need to book an appointment for a notarization?

Yes — we like to book an appointment time to meet with you, even for quick notarizations.

Why does it matter that I book an appointment for a notarization?

It matters that you book an appointment because:

• we might be working with other clients
• we don't want you to have to sit in the lobby and wait for us
• we want to set aside the right amount of time to be able to help you properly
• we don't want to rush other clients

How does it work?

Call us. We’ll schedule an appointment and let you know what to bring.

What next?

Once your appointment is booked, check out our page on how to get ready for your notarization appointment. We look forward to seeing you!