During the succession settlement process, many organizations will ask for proof of death in the form of either a death certificate or a copy of the act of death. They must also indicate any other doucments they need, such as the deceased's birth certificate, marriage certificate or certificate of civil union. If the liquidator of the succession does not have the documents, he or she can apply to the Directeur de l'état civil for the following:

A Death Certificate

which contains the main information in the act of death, that is, the name and sex of the deceased, the date and place of death, and the registration number and date of issue of the certificate;

A copy of the act of death

which reproduces all the civil status information contained in the deceased's act of birth, act of marriage or civil union (if any) and act of death.

A person requesting civil status documents must complete a Request for Certificate or Copy of an Act form and provide photocopies of two proofs of identity. One must be a valid photo ID and the other must provide proof of residence. Civil status documents are issued only to people mentioned in the act of death or people who can justify their interest in the documents.

If the deceased was married or in a civil union, the certificates and copies of acts concerning him or her mention that the marriage was "dissolved by death". That makes it impossible to steal the deceased's identity or civil status. For the same reason, the deceased's birth certificate bears the mention "deceased"

To obtain these civil status documents, a person must fill out the form mentioned above and mail it to or submit it in person at the office of the Directeur de l'état civil in Québec City or Montréal. It is also possible to submit the form at certain Services Québec outlets. A photocopy of the two required proofs of identity must be attached.

The request for a Certificate or Copy of an Act form is available free of charge at service centres of the Directeur de l'état civil du Québec or on its Website, and from Services Québec offices, courthouses, funeral homes (for their clientele only), and most CLSCs and branches of the Caisse populaire Desjardins.

The forms available on the Website can be completed on sccreen, then printed, signed, and sent in with the photocopies of the two required proofs of identity. Incomplete applications will be returned.

Source: the guide "What to Do in the Event of Death" - 2009 Edition. Publication produced by Services Québec. Reproduction authorized.