How do I have an error corrected in a civil status act?

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

General information, not legal advice. If you think there is an error on an act entered in Québec's civil status register, you can ask the Directeur de l'état civil to correct it. The request can concern a purely clerical error (an obvious error made unintentionally, such as a spelling mistake or a wrong date) or making a name consistent with the birth act. The correction is free, but documents already issued are cancelled and fees apply to reprint new ones. An error caused by a deliberate false declaration is a matter for the court, not for the Directeur.

Share : WhatsApp Email Facebook

Key facts

Who can request (birth): The adult person concerned by the error, or one of the parents of the minor or adult person concerned. For a minor, both parents must consent, as well as the minor if 14 or older. A request to correct a declaration of birth must be made jointly by the parents.
Who can request (marriage, civil union, death): Marriage or civil union: either spouse or partner (both must consent). Death: notably the declarant, the funeral director, the spouse or civil union partner, the mother or father, and the children of the deceased.
Cost: The correction is free. Documents already issued are cancelled and fees apply for reprinting new documents.
Time (birth): 30 to 90 days on average if all the required documents are received; it may vary with the number and complexity of files.
How to send: By mail, with the form and the original documents concerned. Do not write the corrections on the certificate or the copy of an act.
Limit: An error due to a deliberate false declaration cannot be corrected by the Directeur: only the court has jurisdiction.

Your procedure, step by step

Start the official procedure Official page: Request to correct a certificate or copy of an act (Directeur de l'état civil) (opens in a new tab)https://www.etatcivil.gouv.qc.ca/fr/certificats-copies/Documents_Corrections.html

Identify the type of request. A purely clerical error is an obvious error made unintentionally (oversight, forgetfulness, distraction, mistake, inattention). Name uniformization makes a person's name consistent with the one on their birth act. A correction cannot add completely new information or change what the people originally intended.
Check that the error is not due to a deliberate false declaration made when the act was drawn up: in that case, only the court can act. If you want a new name, that is a different process (change of name).
Check that you are among the people who can submit the request for this type of event (birth, marriage, civil union or death) and who must consent: the table is on the official page.
Gather valid evidence that clearly establishes the information that should have been entered. If a document is written in a language other than French or English, plan for a translation.
Fill out the form Demande de correction d'un événement de vie au registre de l'état civil (request to correct a life event in the civil status register). Do not write the corrections on the certificate or the copy of an act.
Mail the form and the original certificates or copies of an act covered by the request, to the address shown on the official page.
Special cases: for a recent birth, if you have not yet received the letter confirming registration, contact the Directeur de l'état civil by telephone without delay. For a recent death, contact the funeral services company.
Wait for the file to be reviewed: if an error is found, the Directeur corrects it within the limits set by law; otherwise, the document is returned to you. For a birth, expect 30 to 90 days on average if all the documents are received.

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.

General information drawn from official sources. It does not replace legal, medical or financial advice. For your situation, contact the organization concerned or a professional.

Sources

Demande de correction d'un certificat ou d'une copie d'acte (Directeur de l'état civil)
Demande de correction de la déclaration de naissance (Directeur de l'état civil)
Demande de correction de la déclaration de décès (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.

Did this answer help you?

Thank you! Your answer helps us improve.

Has the official information changed? Let us know

Thank you, noted. We will check the official page.