Civil Registration

Vital Statistics Agency

Civil registration in BC is the responsibility of the provincial Vital Statistics Agency in Victoria. For more information, go to BC Government - Birth, Adoption, Death, Marriage & Divorce.

Certificates and/or copies of record registrations can be ordered for a fee. Note that eligibility requirements apply for restricted (i.e., non-historical) records.

British Columbia Archives

The BC Archives Genealogy Search provides access to searchable indexes (including partial transcriptions and, when available, digitized images) for the following historical records:

• Births: 1854-1903
• Marriages: 1871-1948
• Deaths: 1872-2003
• Colonial Marriages: 1859-1872
• Baptisms: 1836-1888

Copies of historical records can be ordered for a fee.

Indexed historical records that have been neither digitized nor microfilmed, however, may be requested by mail at no charge. Fill out form VSA 797 for births, VSA 798 for marriages, and VSA 797D for deaths. If there is a microfilm number present in the index record, see the instructions below for accessing at VPL.

FamilySearch

FamilySearch's British Columbia Research Page also provides access to searchable indexes and digitized images for many historical births, marriages, and deaths. For additional context, see their guide on British Columbia Vital Records.

As records are digitized on an ongoing basis, it is recommended that you search both the BC Archives and FamilySearch databases to determine if a digitized copy is available.

At VPL

The Vancouver Public Library has a complete* set of the publicly released microfilms on Level 6 of the Central Library. If a digitized image is not found online, the BC Archives Genealogy Search can be used to determine the appropriate BC Archives microfilm reel number to look for in our collection. For detailed instructions on using the online index to locate specific records on microfilm, see our page on BC Civil Registration. 

* The following death registration reels have gone missing from the collection:

• B13355 (1976)
• B13375 (1941-1944) - Indigenous registrations
• B13377 (1950-1956) - Indigenous registrations

Service Alberta, Vital Statistics

Civil registration in Aberta is the responsibility of the provincial Vital Statistics Office in Edmonton. For more information, go to Alberta Government - Birth, adoption, death, marriage and divorce.

Certificates and/or copies of record registrations can be ordered for a fee; note that eligibility requirements apply for restricted (i.e., non-historical) records.

Provincial Archives of Alberta

The Provincial Archives of Alberta provides digital scans of their paper indexes for the following historical records:

• Births: 1870-1904
• Marriages: 1870-1949
• Deaths: 1870-1974
• Stillbirths: 1914-1949

Copies of historical records can be ordered for a fee.

FamilySearch

For additional context, see FamilySearch's guide on Alberta Civil Registration.

Health Registries

Civil registration in Saskatchewan is the responsibility of the provincial Health Registries Office in Regina. For more information, go to eHealth Saskatchewan - Residents.

Certificates and/or copies of record registrations can be ordered for a fee; note that eligibility requirements apply for restricted (i.e., non-historical) records.

eHealth Saskatchewan

The eHealth Saskatchewan Genealogy Index Searches provides online access to searchable indexes (including partial transcriptions) for the following historical records:

• Births more than 100 years ago
• Deaths more than 70 years ago

Historical marriages (from over 75 years ago) are not yet available online. Copies of historical records can be ordered for a fee.

FamilySearch

For additional context, see FamilySearch's guide on Saskatchewan Civil Registration.

Vital Statistics Branch

Civil registration in Manitoba is the responsibility of the provincial Vital Statistics Branch in Winnipeg.

Certificates and/or copies of record registrations can be ordered for a fee; note that eligibility requirements apply for restricted (i.e., non-historical) records.

Use their Genealogy Searches for Unrestricted Record to search the online indexes (including partial transcriptions) for the following historical records:

• Births more than 100 years ago
• Marriages more than 80 years ago
• Deaths more than 70 years ago

Copies of historical records can be ordered for a fee.

FamilySearch

For additional context, see FamilySearch's guide on Manitoba Civil Registration.

Office of the Registrar General

Civil registration in Ontario is the responsibility of the provincial Office of the Registrar General in Thunder Bay. For more information, see ServiceOntario's sections on births, marriages, and deaths.

Certificates and/or copies of record registrations can be ordered for a fee; note that eligibility requirements apply for restricted (i.e., non-historical) records.

Archives of Ontario

Searchable indexes (including partial transcriptions and, when available, digitized images) are available online for the following historical records:

• Births: [ca. 1830]-1918
• Marriages: [ca. 1801]-1943
• Deaths: 1869-1953
• Overseas Deaths: 1939-1947

Note that the Archives of Ontario does not maintain its own database of historical records, but provides online access via Ancestry and FamilySearch (see below).

Ancestry Library Edition

Access to indexes and digitized images of many Ontario birth, marriage, and death records is available at the Vancouver Public Library through Ancestry Library Edition.

FamilySearch

FamilySearch's Ontario Research Page also provides access to searchable indexes and digitized images for many historical births, marriages, and deaths, although the website may not include one or two of the most recent years. For additional context, see their guide on Ontario Civil Registration.

At VPL

The library has birth, marriage, and death microfilm indexes to vital records held by the Archives of Ontario for:

• Births: 1869-1914
• Marriages: 1873-1929
• Deaths: 1869-1939

Using the information provided by the above indexes, you can request the microfilm containing the actual record from the Archives of Ontario. For more information on finding these records, see our page on Ontario Civil Registration.

Beginning in 1926, births, marriages and deaths in Quebec could be reported directly to a civil office, but it was 40 more years until significant numbers were reported only to such an office. The modern Quebec civil registration system was not fully established until 1994.

Before the formal civil registration registry was established, baptisms, marriages and burials were often recorded in church or parish registers. Until 1994, copies of parish records were sent to local courthouses where they served as civil and vital records.

Copies of parish registers submitted to local courthouses prior to 1900 have been deposited in the 9 regional centres of the Bibliothèque et archives nationales du Québec. Records from 1900 to present are in custody of the provincial Directeur de l'état civil.

FamilySearch

FamilySearch's Quebec Research Page also provides access to searchable indexes and digitized images for many historical births, marriages, and deaths. For additional context, see their guide on Quebec Civil Registration.

Service New Brunswick, Vital Statistics

Civil registration in New Brunswick is the responsibility of the provincial Vital Statistics Office in Fredericton. For more information, go to Service New Brunswick - Vital Statistics.

Provincial Archives of New Brunswick

The Vital Statistics Search Engine provides access to searchable indexes (including partial transcriptions and, when available, digitized images) for the following historical records:

• Births: 1800-1928
• Marriages: 1847-1973
• Deaths: 1815-1973

View their Record Series Introduction page for more details about the index entries and digitized records available.

FamilySearch

FamilySearch's New Brunswick Research Page also provides access to searchable indexes and digitized images for many historical births, baptisms, and deaths. For additional context, see their guide on New Brunswick Civil Registration.

Service Nova Scotia, Vital Statistics

Civil registration in Nova Scotia is the responsibility of the provincial Vital Statistics Office in Halifax. For more information, go to Nova Scotia - Vital Statistics.

Nova Scotia Historical Vital Statistics

Nova Scotia Historical Vital Statistics provides access to searchable indexes for the following historical records:

• Births: 1864-1877, 1908-1923
• Delayed Births: 1830-1923
• Marriage Bonds: 1763-1864
• Marriage Registrations: 1864-1948
• Deaths: 1864-1877, 1908-1973
• City of Halifax Deaths: 1890-1908

FamilySearch

FamilySearch's Nova Scotia Research Page also provides access to searchable indexes for many historical births, baptisms, marriages, and deaths. For additional context, see their guide on Nova Scotia Civil Registration.

Department of Justice and Public Safety, Vital Statistics

Civil registration in Prince Edward Island is the responsibility of the provincial Vital Statistics Office in Montague. For more information, go to Prince Edward Island -Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates.

Additional details can be found on their Genealogy at the Public Archives page.

FamilySearch

FamilySearch's Prince Edward Island Research Page provides access to searchable indexes and digitized images for many historical baptisms, marriages, and deaths. For additional context, see their guide on Prince Edward Island Civil Registration.

Vital Statistics Division

Civil registration in Newfoundland and Labrador is the responsibility of the provincial Vital Statistics Division in St. John's. For more information, go to Service NL - Birth, Marriage & Death.

FamilySearch

FamilySearch's Newfoundland and Labrador Research Page provides access to searchable indexes and digitized images for many historical births, marriages, and deaths. For additional context, see their guide on Newfoundland and Labrador Civil Registration.

Vital Statistics

Civil registration in the Yukon is the responsibility of the provincial Vital Statistics Office in Whitehorse. For more information, go to Yukon Government - Vital Statistics. 

FamilySearch

For additional context, see FamilySearch's guide on Yukon Civil Registration.

Department of Health and Social Services, Vital Statistics

Civil registration in the Northwest Territories is the responsibility of the provincial Vital Statistics Office in Inuvik. For more information, go to Health and Social Services - VItal Statistics.

FamilySearch

For additional context, see FamilySearch's guide on Northwest Territories Civil Registration.

Northwest Territories, Vital Statistics

Nunavut was part of the Northwest Territories up until April 1, 1999. Civil registration records from 1925 to March 31, 1999 for events that occurred in the present territory of Nunavut are held by the Northwest Territories' Vital Statistics office in Inuvik.

Nunavut Vital Statistics, Department of Health

Civil registration in Nunavut from April 1, 1999 onwards is the responsibility of the provincial Department of Health, Vital Statistics Services in Rankin Inlet. For more information, go to Identification and Certificates.