How to Get a Death Certificate in Alberta Through a Registry

Banks, insurers, pension offices and government agencies usually ask for an official death certificate. Knowing how to order one, and how many to get, saves repeat trips.

This article explains the Alberta process: who is allowed to apply, what to bring, the cost and the timing. It is general information and your situation may differ.

This article covers the law of Alberta.

Before you order: the death must be registered

A death certificate cannot be issued until the death is registered. The funeral home usually registers the death and sends the original documents to Vital Statistics. Vital Statistics processes a complete application within 3 business days only if the death is registered.

The Registration of Death form is usually completed at the funeral home when arrangements are made. Registering a death in Alberta is free within one year of the date of death. After one year a delayed registration process applies, which needs evidence and additional fees. If you are not sure whether the registration has happened, the funeral home is the first place to ask.

How to order through a registry agent

Complete the Application for Death Documents (form DVS11164D) and take it with acceptable ID and eligibility documents to a registry agent. Applications sent directly to Vital Statistics will not be processed.

• Completed form DVS11164D
• Acceptable ID for yourself
• Documents showing you are eligible, such as a copy of the will or proof of relationship
• Payment for the government fee and the agent's service fee

Who can apply

• An executor, personal representative or administrator named in the will, with a copy of the will
• Next of kin: parent, step-parent, sibling, step-sibling, child, step-child, spouse or partner, with proof of relationship
• A funeral home representative making arrangements
• A lawyer for an eligible person, a joint tenant on the property title, a guardian or trustee, or a person with an Alberta court order issued within the past year

There are exceptions. A former spouse or former adult interdependent partner can apply with proof of relationship, although exes and grandchildren are not in the next-of-kin category. A more distant relative can apply only if there are no living next of kin. The Public Trustee, or an organization with a particular interest (with a letter explaining it), may also apply.

Cost, timing and how many copies

Missing or inconsistent information can cause delays. How many copies you need depends on how many institutions will want an original, such as banks, insurers and pension offices. Many people order several at once so they do not repeat the trip, and each copy carries the $20 fee.

Because the fee is charged per document, it helps to make a list before you go. Think about each bank, insurer, pension office or government office that will ask, and ask each one whether it accepts a copy or needs an original. Those answers vary by organization, so it is worth checking first.

Which document do you need?

A death certificate is a certified extract from the Registration of Death, showing name, age, sex, marital status, residence, date and place of death, registration number and date, and issue date. A photocopy of the Registration of Death, which includes burial or cremation information, is mainly used for genealogy. A photocopy of the Medical Certificate of Death shows the medical cause of death and the attending physician or medical examiner.

What to do next

• Confirm with the funeral home that the death is registered
• Gather ID and proof of your eligibility
• Complete form DVS11164D and visit a registry agent
• Decide how many certificates you need and ask about the agent's service fee
• Keep the certificates safe for the estate work ahead

A death certificate is often the first of several steps. Depending on the person's situation, these are some of the notices and applications that may come up, and each one is worth confirming for your circumstances.

• Service Canada: report the death of a CPP or OAS recipient as soon as possible, by phone at 1-800-277-9914 with the SIN ready. Proof of death is only needed if Service Canada asks, and accepted documents include an official death certificate, a funeral home certificate, or a letter from an estate administrator or court-appointed trustee.
• CPP death benefit: a basic $2,500, with a possible $2,500 top-up in limited cases. If an estate exists, the executor should apply within 60 days of the date of death.
• Canada Revenue Agency: contact the CRA as soon as possible, because money received after death may need to be returned. Before distributing cash or assets, the representative can apply for a clearance certificate to find out whether tax is still owing.
• Alberta Seniors Benefit: it stops the month after a recipient's death, and you can contact the Alberta Supports Contact Centre at 1-877-644-9992.
• Alberta health care: for a death outside Alberta, notify AHCIP in person at a registry agent or the AHCIP office, then securely destroy the health card.

If you are not sure whether there is a will, Alberta has no will registry, so it may be in a locked cabinet, a safe, a bank safety deposit box, or with a lawyer. How the estate is handled depends on the facts, so it is worth confirming with a lawyer.

Frequently asked questions