How to Register a Newborn's Birth in Ontario and Get a Birth Certificate

Register your baby's birth within 30 days

When a child is born in Ontario, the birth must be registered with the Government of Ontario. Ontario's official newborn service states that parents should complete the registration within 30 days of the birth.

The registration creates the child's official Ontario birth record. A birth certificate can only be issued after the birth has been registered.

Birth registration is free within 12 months of the baby's birth. If the birth remains unregistered after the child is 1 year old, a different delayed-registration process applies and Ontario currently charges $50.

What is the Ontario 5-in-1 Newborn Bundle?

ServiceOntario's 5-in-1 Newborn Bundle combines the birth-registration process with several optional newborn services in one online session.

You can use it to:

1. register your child's birth;
2. apply for an Ontario birth certificate;
3. apply for the child's Social Insurance Number (SIN);
4. apply for Canada child benefits, including Ontario-related child benefits administered through the CRA; and
5. request an Education Savings Referral.

You do not have to purchase a birth certificate merely to register the birth, and the additional services remain subject to their own eligibility rules.

Who can register a newborn online?

You can use the online newborn bundle if:

• the baby was born in Ontario;
• the baby is under 12 months old; and
• the baby's birth has not already been registered.

ServiceOntario also requires all parents to be present while completing the online registration so they can certify the birth information.

What information do you need to register the birth?

Before starting the online application, ServiceOntario tells parents to have the following information ready:

• the baby's date of birth;
• the baby's name;
• parental information, including requested names, dates of birth and places of birth;
• the name of the hospital or birthing centre;
• the name of the person who delivered the baby, such as a doctor, nurse practitioner, midwife or other attendant;
• the baby's weight; and
• the length of the pregnancy in weeks.

Review spelling and dates carefully before certification. The information you submit forms part of the child's official vital-statistics record.

Why are there two parts to an Ontario birth registration?

Ontario describes birth registration as normally involving 2 components:

1. a Statement of Live Birth completed and submitted by the parents; and
2. a Notice of Live Birth completed and submitted by qualified medical staff.

The online newborn service replaces the need for parents to mail the ordinary paper Statement of Live Birth in eligible cases. The medical notice is handled separately by the qualified person or institution responsible for that part of the registration.

How to register the birth online

For an eligible newborn, the online route is the simplest way to complete the parent's part of the registration.

1. Make sure all parents who must certify the birth are present.
2. Enter the baby's birth and naming information.
3. Enter the requested parental details.
4. Provide the hospital, birth attendant, weight and pregnancy information.
5. Review the information carefully.
6. Certify and submit the birth registration.
7. Select any additional newborn services you want to request.

Ontario's newborn service can be completed online from a computer or mobile device.

Can you register a newborn by mail?

Yes. Ontario still permits paper registration, although ServiceOntario states that online registration is quicker.

For a mail registration, parents complete the applicable Statement of Live Birth form. Ontario provides versions for births with 1 or 2 parents and for births involving 3 or 4 parents.

The completed forms and required documents are mailed to:

Office of the Registrar General
189 Red River Road
P.O. Box 4600
Thunder Bay, Ontario
P7B 6L8

If you register by mail, you must apply for the child's other documents separately rather than obtaining them through the online 5-in-1 bundle.

How much does a newborn birth certificate cost?

Registering the birth itself is free within the first 12 months. A birth certificate is optional and has a separate fee.

Through the newborn bundle, Ontario currently lists:

• Birth certificate with parental information: $25;
• Standard birth certificate: $25; and
• Certified copy of birth registration: $35.

For many newborn and child-related purposes, the birth certificate with parental information is useful because it shows the parent information recorded on the registration. If you later need another copy rather than registering the newborn, see Helpydo's separate guide on ordering or replacing an Ontario birth certificate.

How long does newborn registration take?

ServiceOntario currently lists approximately 6 to 8 weeks for birth registration through the newborn process.

Birth certificates ordered through the 5-in-1 Newborn Bundle are also listed at 6 to 8 weeks plus delivery by Canada Post.

These newborn-bundle timelines differ from the regular birth-certificate ordering service used after a birth has already been registered, so do not assume that the standard 15-business-day online certificate estimate applies to a certificate ordered as part of initial newborn registration.

Can you get the baby's SIN through the newborn bundle?

Yes. Service Canada confirms that when a child is under 1 year old and the birth has not yet been registered, parents in Ontario can apply for the child's Social Insurance Number through the provincial Newborn Registration Service.

Ontario lists the SIN application as $0 and currently gives an estimated processing time of 6 to 8 weeks through the newborn bundle.

If you need information about obtaining a SIN through other routes, Helpydo also explains how the Social Insurance Number application process works in Canada.

Can you apply for Canada child benefits at the same time?

Yes. Ontario participates in the CRA's Automated Benefits Application process.

During the newborn registration, you can choose the Canada child benefits option and consent to ServiceOntario securely sharing the newborn's birth-registration information with the Canada Revenue Agency.

The CRA, not ServiceOntario, decides whether you qualify for the Canada Child Benefit and related programs.

The CRA instructs applicants using this process to provide the required Social Insurance Number information. If you do not give consent for the information to be shared, the CRA does not receive the application through the birth-registration route and you must apply separately.

When will CRA process the newborn benefit application?

The CRA states that after the provincial vital-statistics authority sends the birth-registration information through the Automated Benefits Application, it will determine eligibility and send a notice or payment within 8 weeks.

If you apply for child benefits through Ontario's newborn registration service, the CRA warns against submitting a duplicate application through CRA My Account or Form RC66 because reapplying may delay processing.

What is the Education Savings Referral?

The fifth service in Ontario's newborn bundle is an optional Education Savings Referral.

It allows parents to ask to be contacted by a participating Registered Education Savings Plan promoter about opening an RESP and requesting available federal education savings incentives, including the Canada Education Savings Grant or Canada Learning Bond where applicable.

The referral itself does not mean an RESP has automatically been opened or that the child has been approved for an education savings benefit. The financial institution or RESP promoter handles the next steps, and Ontario states that processing time varies by institution.

What if you miss the 30-day registration deadline?

Ontario requires birth registration within 30 days, but ServiceOntario recognizes that some parents may not be able to complete it by then.

If the baby is still under 12 months old and you otherwise qualify, you can generally continue to use the online registration service for free within 12 months of the birth date.

Do not deliberately delay registration, however. Documents and services that depend on the birth record cannot be completed normally until the registration is processed.

What if the child is already 1 year old?

The ordinary 5-in-1 newborn process no longer applies once the child is 1 year old.

Ontario instructs parents in this situation to begin by ordering a birth certificate online. ServiceOntario checks whether the child has already been registered and, if not, sends a delayed registration of birth package by mail.

You must complete that package and return it with the required evidence. Ontario currently charges $50 to register a birth more than 12 months after the birth.

Can a baby be registered with a single name?

Ontario allows a baby to be registered with a single name where the traditional culture of at least one registering parent, or the baby's traditional culture, has a single-naming practice.

Before starting the online registration, parents must complete Ontario's Request for a Birth Registration with a Single Name, have the form signed and commissioned and obtain the evidence required by the form.

After completing the 5-in-1 online bundle, the additional form and supporting evidence must be mailed to the Office of the Registrar General. All parents must be present during the online registration and agree to the single name.

Can the baby have a different last name from the parents?

Yes. ServiceOntario states that a baby can be registered through the online 5-in-1 Newborn Bundle with a last name different from the parent's or parents' last name.

All parents must be present and agree to the surname during the online registration.

What parental titles can be used?

When registering a child online, Ontario allows each listed parent to choose the parental title mother, father or parent.

ServiceOntario advises choosing the title that best represents the family and the person's relationship to the baby.

What if the birth involves surrogacy, assisted reproduction or more than two parents?

Ontario's parentage rules can recognize parents in circumstances involving assisted reproduction, donor insemination, pre-conception parentage agreements and surrogacy.

A pre-conception parentage agreement may involve up to 4 parents. Ontario also notes that in a qualifying surrogacy arrangement, the surrogate's consent to relinquish parentage cannot be given earlier than 7 days after the child's birth.

These cases can require additional documentation and are more complex than a routine newborn registration. Parents should follow the specific ServiceOntario and Office of the Registrar General requirements that apply to their arrangement.

How do you check the status after submitting the bundle?

The services in the bundle are processed by different government bodies, so there is not one status system for every item.

• Birth certificate: use Ontario's online certificate application-status service.
• SIN: contact Service Canada if follow-up is required.
• Canada child benefits: check CRA My Account or MyBenefits CRA, or contact the CRA.
• Education Savings Referral: contact the RESP promoter shown on the receipt page from the online registration.

Keep your newborn-bundle confirmation information until all requested services have been completed.

What if you move while the applications are being processed?

If you expect to move within the next 2 months, Ontario tells parents to use the new mailing address when completing the newborn bundle.

If you move unexpectedly after submitting the application, contact ServiceOntario promptly so that the change can be addressed before important documents are mailed.

Is the baby's Ontario health card included in the 5-in-1 bundle?

No. The newborn bundle's 5 services are birth registration, birth certificate, SIN, Canada child benefits and Education Savings Referral. OHIP newborn registration is a separate process.

For babies born in an Ontario hospital with birthing facilities or with a registered midwife, the parent normally completes an Ontario Health Coverage Infant Registration form provided by the hospital or midwife. The hospital or midwife submits the applicable portion to ServiceOntario.

Ontario states that the baby's health card is then mailed within 8 weeks of submission of that infant-registration form.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Waiting unnecessarily beyond 30 days: Ontario requires newborn birth registration within 30 days.
• Starting the bundle without all parents present: all registering parents must be present to certify an online registration.
• Entering names or birth details incorrectly: the information becomes part of the official birth record.
• Assuming the birth certificate is free: registration is free within 12 months, but the certificate has a separate fee.
• Confusing initial registration with a later certificate order: newborn-bundle certificate processing is currently listed at 6 to 8 weeks, not the regular online certificate service estimate.
• Submitting a second CCB application after using the bundle: CRA warns that duplicate applications can delay benefit processing.
• Assuming the Education Savings Referral automatically opens an RESP: it is a referral to a participating RESP promoter, not automatic account opening or benefit approval.
• Assuming OHIP is one of the five bundle services: newborn health coverage follows a separate Ontario process.
• Waiting until after the first birthday: registration after 12 months becomes a delayed registration and currently costs $50.

What happens after the birth is registered?

Once the Office of the Registrar General completes the registration, the child has an official Ontario birth record. Any birth certificate ordered through the bundle can then be issued and delivered.

Other selected applications move to the responsible federal program: Service Canada handles the SIN, the CRA determines eligibility for child benefits, and the selected RESP promoter follows up on an Education Savings Referral.

Keep the child's registration and identity documents secure. The birth certificate can later be required for services such as a child's Canadian passport; Helpydo has a separate guide on preparing a consent letter when a child travels outside Canada without both parents when family travel arrangements require one.