Notarization in Windsor: why certified copies and witnessed signatures must be in person
Ontario does not permit remote notarization. The things a notary public does, certifying true copies, witnessing signatures and affixing a seal, all require attendance in person; a certified true copy also requires the original document to be present. What can be done over video is the other authority: commissioning affidavits and statutory declarations. The two names sit next to each other and the rules are not the same.
Two authorities, not one
| Commissioner for Taking Affidavits | Notary Public | |
|---|---|---|
| How it is held | An Ontario licensed paralegal is one by virtue of the licence | A separate appointment must be applied for |
| What it covers | Administering oaths, taking affidavits and statutory declarations | Certifying true copies, witnessing signatures and affixing a seal |
| Remotely? | Yes | No. Must be in person |
Yueheng Gao holds both: an Ontario paralegal licence carries the commissioner authority, and the notary appointment has been granted.
The side that can be done remotely is covered in Sworn from abroad: remote affidavits and statutory declarations.
Certified true copies
The original is examined and a certified copy is issued, for schools, banks, government departments and institutions abroad.
What is being examined is the original document itself. What is visible over a screen is an image. Ontario does not permit remote notarization, and certified true copies are within that.
Both the person and the original document have to be there. Turning up without the original means the trip accomplishes nothing.
Witnessing signatures and commercial documents
Contracts, powers of attorney, corporate resolutions and similar documents.
What is being witnessed is the act of signing. Three things have to be present at once: the person signing, the document, and the witness. Take away any one of them and it cannot be done.
A power of attorney is worth particular care. It is signed now and used later, by someone else, at a point when you are not present to explain it. Whether the execution is accepted then matters more than it does for most documents.
Minor travel consent letters
Where a child travels alone, or with only one parent or guardian, the other parent provides a consent letter. The Government of Canada recommends that these be witnessed by a notary public.
On the notary route, the signing has to happen in front of the notary. Whether a particular letter goes that route or is instead drafted as an affidavit or statutory declaration depends on what the recipient requires.
Three things worth sorting out first
Which one is being asked for. A recipient may write notarized, or sworn, or declared. All three get translated loosely into one phrase in conversation, but they are two authorities, two procedures and two different closings. Get the closing wrong and the document can come back however sound its contents.
The original. Certifying a copy depends on the original being present.
Whether it has to be in person at all. If what is wanted is an affidavit or a statutory declaration, it does not.
The first of those is where things most often go wrong. The requirement is written by someone else and is frequently vague; working out which closing it actually calls for comes from having seen enough of these documents and knowing what the recipient does with them. Get that wrong and no amount of care afterwards helps.
The commissioning and notary services, each marked with whether it can be done remotely, are listed on the legal services page. The consultation rates are there.
Common questions
Can a certified true copy be done over video?
No. Ontario does not permit remote notarization, and certifying a copy requires examining the original document itself.
Can I sign at home and have someone bring the document in?
On the notary route the signing has to happen in front of the notary; what is witnessed is the act of signing.
What do I need to bring?
For a certified true copy, the original document. For a witnessed signature, the document and the person who is going to sign it.
The recipient wrote "notarized". Is that always the notary side?
Not always. The word is used loosely. If what they need is a sworn or declared statement, that is the commissioning side, which can be done remotely. Read the requirement before assuming.
Do you serve outside Windsor?
The notary items are in person in Windsor. Commissioning affidavits and statutory declarations can be done remotely, which is covered in the companion page.
What this page relies on
- Commissioners for Taking Affidavits Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.17, and Ontario Regulation 431/20 (Administering Oath or Declaration Remotely) — https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/200431. These two govern remote commissioning and do not apply to notarization.
- Site page · Legal services, listing each commissioning and notary service and whether it can be done remotely
Checked 2026-08-08. Confirm against the current legislation before acting.
Based in Windsor, Ontario. Services in English and Chinese.