What is a Guarantor? A Guide for Canadians
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
- A guarantor confirms your identity on government applications such as passports and birth certificates.
- Each application has its own rules. Most require a guarantor who has known you for a set time, often 2 years.
- A guarantor is different from a reference and from a notary.
- NotaryPro notaries can’t be your guarantor, because they don’t know you personally.
- If you don’t have a guarantor, there’s usually another route, such as a Statutory Declaration in Lieu of Guarantor for passports.
A guarantor is someone who confirms your identity on an official application. They vouch that you are who you say you are, and that the information about you is true. In Canada, you usually need a guarantor for a first Canadian passport, an Ontario birth certificate (if you’re 9 or older), and some travel documents and status cards.
This guide explains what a guarantor does, when you need one, who can be one, and what to do if you don’t have one.
Can't find a guarantor for your passport?
What Is a Guarantor?
A guarantor is a person who confirms your identity and the details on your application. Government offices use guarantors to help prevent fraud: someone who knows you puts their name on your application and can be contacted to confirm it.
In everyday Canadian use, “guarantor” usually means this identity guarantor. The word also has a financial meaning, covered at the end of this guide.
What Does a Guarantor Do?
What a guarantor does depends on the application. For a Canadian passport, for example, the guarantor:
- fills in and signs their section of your application, including how long they’ve known you
- signs the back of one of your photos to confirm it’s a true likeness of you
- signs and dates copies of your ID, if you send copies instead of originals
- may be contacted by the government to confirm your details
A guarantor can’t charge you for this, and they must complete their part themselves.
When Do You Need a Guarantor in Canada?
Canadian passport
You need a guarantor for a first passport, or if you aren’t eligible to renew. Eligible adults renewing a passport don’t need one. Our guide to guarantors for Canadian passport and travel document applications covers the full rules.
Refugee travel document or certificate of identity
Permanent residents, refugees and protected persons applying for these travel documents need a guarantor who has known them for at least 6 months and works in an approved profession.
Ontario birth certificate
ServiceOntario requires a guarantor if you’re 9 or older and applying for a birth certificate (ontario.ca, updated June 2, 2026).
Secure Certificate of Indian Status
Applications for registration and a Secure Certificate of Indian Status (status card) can require a guarantor. If you don’t have one, Indigenous Services Canada has its own declaration form (83-170E).
Other applications
Some provincial applications ask for a guarantor too, such as renewing an Ontario Security Guard or Private Investigator licence. Rules in other provinces vary, so check with the office handling your application.
Who Can Be a Guarantor?
Every application sets its own rules, but most ask that your guarantor:
- is a Canadian citizen
- is 18 or older
- has known you personally for a set time, often 2 years
- works in an approved profession (for some applications)
Here’s how two common applications compare.
For a Canadian passport
Your guarantor must be a Canadian citizen aged 18 or older who has known you for at least 2 years, and hold a 5- or 10-year Canadian passport that’s valid or expired no more than 1 year. They don’t need a special profession, and they can be a family member. See who can be a guarantor for a Canadian passport for the details.
For an Ontario birth certificate
Your guarantor must be a Canadian citizen who has known you personally for at least 2 years, and currently work in an approved role, such as:
- mayor, judge or justice of the peace, or member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
- notary public or lawyer
- police officer (municipal, provincial, RCMP or First Nations)
- physician, surgeon, nurse, midwife, dentist, chiropractor, optometrist, pharmacist, psychologist or veterinarian
- teacher, principal or vice-principal of a primary or secondary school
- senior administrator or professor at a university, or senior administrator at a community college or CEGEP
- professional engineer or professional accountant
- social worker or social service worker
- signing officer of a bank, credit union or trust company
- minister of religion authorized to perform marriages
- Chief of a band recognized under the Indian Act
- municipal clerk or treasurer (member of AMCTO)
Professionals must be practising members in good standing. See ServiceOntario’s full list.
Can't find a guarantor for your passport?
Guarantor vs. Reference vs. Notary
These three roles are easy to mix up:
- Guarantor: knows you personally and signs your application to confirm your identity.
- Reference: someone the government can contact about you. They’re listed on your application but usually don’t sign it. For a passport, your references can’t be your guarantor or close relatives.
- Notary public: an official who witnesses your signature and administers oaths. A notary doesn’t need to know you, and doesn’t vouch for who you are beyond checking your ID.
Can a NotaryPro Notary Be My Guarantor?
No. Guarantors must have known you personally, usually for 2 years, and our notaries meet clients for the first time at their appointment. We won’t sign as a guarantor for anyone.
What a notary can do is witness a Statutory Declaration in Lieu of Guarantor, the form you use for a passport or travel document when you can’t find a guarantor.
What If You Don’t Have a Guarantor?
There’s usually another route. Here’s what to do for the most common applications.
Canadian passport
Complete a Statutory Declaration in Lieu of Guarantor (PPTC 132) and swear it in person in front of a notary public or other authorized official. The notary also signs one of your photos and any ID copies.
Refugee travel document or certificate of identity
Use PPTC 326, the declaration for non-Canadians. It’s also sworn in person.
Ontario birth certificate
ServiceOntario doesn’t use a declaration. Instead, you send two letters by mail to the Office of the Registrar General in Thunder Bay:
- a letter explaining why you can’t provide a guarantor
- a reference letter from someone in an approved role who has known you for less than 2 years (or a non-citizen in an approved role who has known you for 2 years or more), with their name, job title, address, phone number, how long they’ve known you, and their signature and date
Processing takes longer, and the online service guarantee doesn’t apply (ontario.ca).
Secure Certificate of Indian Status
Use the Indigenous Services Canada declaration form (83-170E). Our guide to Canadian Statutory Declaration in Lieu of Guarantor forms explains all three declaration forms and where to get them.
A Different Meaning: Loan and Rental Guarantors
Outside government applications, “guarantor” can also mean someone who agrees to pay a debt if the borrower doesn’t. Landlords and lenders sometimes ask for one, for example when a student rents their first apartment or someone with limited credit takes out a loan.
This is a financial promise, not an identity check. If you’re asked to sign a guarantee for someone else’s loan or lease, make sure you understand what you’re agreeing to. A lawyer can explain your obligations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a guarantor in simple terms?
Someone who knows you and signs your application to confirm you are who you say you are.
Can a family member be my guarantor?
It depends on the application. For a Canadian passport, yes, if they meet the rules. ServiceOntario doesn’t list family members as excluded, but they must work in an approved role. Check the rules for your application.
Can a notary be my guarantor?
Only if they’ve known you personally for long enough and meet the other rules. NotaryPro notaries can’t be your guarantor, because they don’t know you personally.
Do I need a guarantor for a birth certificate in Ontario?
Yes, if you’re 9 or older. If you don’t have one, you can send an explanation letter and a reference letter instead.
What if I don’t have a guarantor for my passport?
Use a Statutory Declaration in Lieu of Guarantor (PPTC 132) and swear it in person in front of a notary public.
Can a guarantor charge a fee?
No. For a passport, a guarantor can’t charge you for signing your application.
Next Step: Check the Rules for Your Application
Guarantor rules change from one application to the next, so start with the office handling yours. If you’re applying for a Canadian passport, our passport guide covers who can be your guarantor, who can’t, and what to do if you can’t find one.