BAnQ or DEC: which one has my ancestor’s birth record?
It depends on the year. Births from roughly the last 100 years are with the Directeur de l’état civil (DEC), and older ones are baptisms held by BAnQ. The line sits around the early 1920s, so check before you order.
Québec never had one single birth office for all years. Recent births sit in the civil register run by the DEC. Older births are recorded as baptisms in parish registers, and BAnQ (Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec) holds those registers.
Free register images on BAnQ, FamilySearch and Ancestry are not certified copies. Use them to find the entry, then order the certified copy from the office that holds it.
Born in the last 100 years
- Who has it
- Directeur de l’état civil (Québec)
- What to ask for
- Copie d’acte de naissance (the full register entry, not the short certificate)
- What it costs
- About CA$64 by mail. No surcharge for non-residents.
- How long
- About 90 days to a US address.
Born more than 100 years ago
- Who has it
- BAnQ (Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec)
- What to ask for
- Certified reproduction of the baptism act (Catholic parish register)
- What it costs
- About CA$350 for the first copy and CA$100 for each additional copy (non-resident rate).
- How long
- No official estimate. Regular Canada Post shipping.
The full guides
- Québec Birth Record for Canadian Citizenship by Descent (Births in the Last 100 Years)
- Québec Baptism Record for Canadian Citizenship by Descent (BAnQ)
More questions
- Do I ask the DEC for a certificate or a copy of an act?
- Is my FamilySearch copy enough, or do I need a certified one?
- My ancestor was born before civil registration. Where is the birth record?
- Born in Ontario in 1919 or 1920: which office has the birth record?
- My order is taking months. Did I order the right thing?
- What if my ancestor’s birth record does not exist or was never archived?
Fees and times are approximate, checked against official pages on 2026-10-01. Confirm with each office before ordering. Legal questions go to a licensed Canadian lawyer or consultant.