What is a civil status certificate and how does it differ from a copy of an act?

✓ Verified answer Written from official pages, with checked citations and a verification date.

A certificate and a copy of an act are two separate official documents issued by Québec's Directeur de l'état civil. The certificate presents an extract of the information in the act entered in the civil status register; the copy of an act reproduces all of that information. The certificate contains the main information that most organizations require, and it costs less when you choose normal processing. Before you order, check with the organization asking for the document whether a certificate is enough for it.

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Key facts

Certificate: Extract of the information in the act entered in the register. Size of 21.5 cm x 18.5 cm for birth.
Copy of an act: Full reproduction of the information in the act entered in the register. Size of 21.5 cm x 26.7 cm for birth.
Cost: It varies with the way the request is sent and the type of processing. Example shown on the official page (online request, normal processing): $38.50 per certificate and $46.75 per copy of an act, in Canadian dollars, rates in effect until March 31, 2027.
Processing time: Normal processing of 10 business days or accelerated processing of 3 business days, plus the registration time if the event is recent.
Missing information: Some information may be missing on a document if the event took place before 1994.
Who can request one: The people named in the act and those who justify their interest.

Your procedure, step by step

Start the official procedure Official page: Which document to request, a certificate or a copy of an act? (Directeur de l'état civil) (opens in a new tab)https://www.etatcivil.gouv.qc.ca/fr/certificats-copies/Quel-Document-Commander.html

Ask the organization requesting the document (the one you must present it to) exactly which document it requires, and whether a certificate is enough for it.
If a certificate is enough, order it: it contains the main information from the act and it is issued at a lower cost when you request normal processing.
If the organization requires a copy of an act, order the copy of an act: it reproduces all the information in the act and may contain information about several civil status events.
If you only want to confirm that an act exists (or does not exist) in the register, note that an attestation is a different document, in the form of a letter: it does not replace a certificate or a copy of an act, and many organizations do not accept it as proof.
Check that the event (birth, marriage, civil union or death) is already entered in the Québec civil status register: without registration, no document can be issued.
Order your document from the Directeur de l'état civil: three ways are offered (online, by mail or at a Services Québec office that offers this service). A certificate or copy of an act can only be issued to the people named in the act and to those who justify their interest.
For the details of a request for a birth, marriage or death certificate, see the pages on those documents.

Your progress is kept on this device only: nothing is sent to Demande au Québec. Some steps only apply in certain situations: skip the ones that do not concern you.

Sources

Certificat et copie d'acte (Directeur de l'état civil)
Quel document demander : le certificat ou la copie d'acte? (Directeur de l'état civil)
Attestation (Directeur de l'état civil)
Tarifs et délais de traitement (Directeur de l'état civil)
Qui peut demander un certificat ou une copie d'acte? (Directeur de l'état civil)
Documents d'état civil (Québec.ca (Famille et soutien aux personnes))

Checked on October 6, 2026. Rules, deadlines and fees can change: always confirm on the official page above. Demande au Québec is an independent website, not a government site.

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