Commissioners are regulated under the Commissioners for Taking Affidavits Act, R.S.O. 1990, Chapter C.17, and are authorized to take an oath or solemn affirmation when a deponent or declarant is signing an affidavit or statutory declaration. A Commissioner does not certify the statements being made in the affidavit or statutory declaration are true, but only certifies that an oath or solemn affirmation has been administered properly.
The Township of Amaranth has Commissioners of Oaths that are available to commission Township and government documents. We recommend you call the Office at 519-941-1007 in advance to book an appointment to ensure a Commissioner of Oaths is available and authorized to sign your particular document(s). The Township does NOT offer virtual commissioning services.
A Commissioner of Oaths, also known as a Commissioner for Taking Affidavits, is not the same as a Notary Public. A Notary Public has much broader authority. If your document requires the signature of a Notary Public, or you require certified copies of documents, then you will need to contact a lawyer or a Notary.
The person(s) signing the affidavit must appear before the Commissioner and must show proof of identity via Government issued photo identification such as a driver’s license, or passport. The person(s) signing the affidavit must sign the document in the presence of the Commissioner.
There is no guarantee that a document can be commissioned until the document is seen by the Commissioner. It is at the exclusive discretion of the individual Commissioner whether or not they choose to sign the document. Commissioner of Oaths have the right to refuse commissioning services on any document.
The signing of the affidavit must be completed in the presence of the Commissioner. The Commissioner shall not commission the document if it was not signed in their presence.
The Commissioner will affix their stamp to the document, certifying that the required oath, affirmation or declaration has been properly administered.
The Commissioner cannot witness documents where there is a requirement to personally know the person for a certain length of time, ie. Passport Guarantor.
Documents the Township will Commission (including but not limited to):
- Vehicle Ownership Transfers – transfer of a used vehicle in the Province of Ontario
- Domestic and Foreign Pension document (attestation a person is alive and confirming residency)
- Municipal Planning Applications within Amaranth
- Legal Name Change Application
- Government Related documents at the discretion of the Commissioner
Documents the Township Will NOT Commission:
- Consent letters for children travelling outside the country
- Wills, Living Wills, Codicils (amendments) to Wills
- Power of Attorney
- Divorce Applications, separation, marriage or cohabitation documents
- Custody documents
- Court, Legal and/or Civil issues related to Court Proceedings
- Documents that require the signature of a Notary Public
- Real Estate documents (including transfer of land)
- Estate Settlement documents
- Documents involving finance or debt (example: banking documents. RRSP)
- Certified True Copies (Clerks may certify municipal documents only)
- These documents can be certified through a MP, MPP or Lawyer
Fees
- Cash or Cheque only
- $10 per document for Commissioning *excludes planning applications
- $20 per document for Certified True Documents of municipal documents
- As per the Fees and Charges By-Law 28-2021
Requirements:
- Please bring all original documentation to your appointment
- You must bring with you two pieces of identification, each containing a signature. At least one piece of identification should be an official government document, bearing the photograph and signature of the deponent or declarant, and one must show the present address
- Please do not sign the form that is to be commissioned, as the document must be signed in the presence of the Commissioner
- The declarant will be required to “swear the information in the document is true and complete to the best of your knowledge”