My order is taking months. Did I order the right thing?
Long waits are common, and people report months for BAnQ and the Archives of Ontario. Make sure you asked the right office for the right year, because a wrong order costs the most time.
Check three things against your order: the office (does it hold that year?), the record type (a certified copy of the full entry, not a short certificate or an uncertified image), and the details the office asked for, such as the registration number for Ontario 1869 to about 1919.
Delivery times on the office pages are estimates. Members of the groups report months, so build the wait into your plan.
Québec, 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.
Ontario, 1869 to about 1919
- Who has it
- Archives of Ontario
- What to ask for
- Certified copy of the birth registration
- What it costs
- About CA$33 plus printing and delivery (about CA$11 to CA$19 plus HST).
- How long
- About 14 business days. No rush option.
The full guides
- Québec Baptism Record for Canadian Citizenship by Descent (BAnQ)
- Ontario Birth Registration, 1869 to 1919, for Citizenship by Descent (Archives of Ontario)
More questions
- BAnQ or DEC: which one has my ancestor’s birth record?
- 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?
- 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.