Your Guide to a Statutory Declaration for a Change of Sex Designation on a Birth Registration of an Adult

Key Takeaways

• Ontario protects individuals from discrimination and harassment based on gender identity and gender expression in employment, housing, access to facilities and services, contracts, and memberships in unions or professional associations.
• The gender identity policy for Ontario allows all residents, including transgender and non-binary people, to update their sex designation on official documents to match their gender identity.
• Adults 16 years old and above may update the sex designation on their birth registration using the Application for Change of Sex Designation and the Statutory Declaration for a Change of Sex Designation on a Birth Registration of an Adult.
• Supporting documents that must be submitted together with the necessary forms include a letter from an authorized physician or psychologist supporting the change, all previously issued birth certificates, and a completed Request for a Birth Certificate.
• Online signing is now allowed for statutory declarations.

• employment;
• housing;
• facilities and services;
• contracts, and 
• membership in unions, trade or professional associations.

Ontario has a gender identity policy that aims to recognize and respect all transgender and non-binary people and give all Ontarians access to identification that matches their gender identity.

Adults, 16 years of age or older with an Ontario birth registration may apply to change their sex designation on their birth registration so it matches with their gender identity. With supporting documents (detailed in the forms), you may request a change to your sex designation to:

• Male;
• Female; or
• X (non-binary).

The following forms must be completed:

• Application for Change of Sex Designation on a Birth Registration of an Adult (007-11325E); and

Statutory Declaration for a Change of Sex Designation on a Birth Registration of an Adult (007-11324E), which must be sworn or affirmed that the information is true before a commissioner for taking affidavits or a notary public. It is a criminal offence to swear a false or misleading affidavit and it is your responsibility to make sure that the information is true.

Along with the forms, the following must all be provided:

• a letter signed by a practicing physician or psychologist (including a psychological associate) authorized to practice in Canada that includes the statements necessary to support your request (in some cases, alternatives to the required letter may be acceptable);
• all previously issued birth certificates, birth certificates with parental information and certified copies of your birth registration; and

a completed application for a Request for Birth Certificate, along with applicable fees.

Swearing or Affirming

Up until recently, sworn statements were required to be signed and witnessed in-person. The Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General is now permitting lawyers and notaries to virtually sign the physical signing of statutory declarations. Once the affidavit is complete, you can book an appointment online to notarize the form using our remote online notarization. 

Additional Resources

See ServiceOntario: Changing your Sex Designation on your Birth Registration and Birth Certificate.