Ontario's competent authority is Official Documents Services (ODS), operated under the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery. ODS verifies signatures and seals on Ontario documents against its registry and issues either an apostille (Hague destinations) or a certificate of authentication (non-Hague destinations).  You can check more details at the official page.

ODS relocated on April 28, 2025. The current address is:

Official Documents Services 777 Bay Street, Lower Level Toronto, ON M7A 2J8

The Jarvis Street location is permanently closed. Many online guides still list that address. Mailing there causes your package to be returned or lost. This is one of the most preventable delays in the Ontario apostille process.

In-person service is available at five locations:

• Toronto - 777 Bay Street, Lower Level
• Ottawa - 161 Elgin Street, 4th Floor
• Sault Ste. Marie
• Windsor
• Thunder Bay

Mail-in requests are processed through Toronto only.

• Ontario vital statistics: birth, marriage, death certificates
• Ontario Business Registry documents issued since 1991
• Ontario court documents
• Ontario postsecondary credentials
• Any document certified by an Ontario notary public or lawyer

Four categories of Ontario-issued documents can go directly to ODS without prior notarization:

• Vital statistics documents, including polymer birth certificates
• Business registry documents from the Business and Personal Property Branch or Ontario Business Registry (issued since 1991)
• Court documents from the Superior Court of Justice or Ontario Court of Justice issued on or after July 10, 2023
• Postsecondary credentials from Ontario public institutions issued since January 1, 2019

For court documents issued before July 10, 2023 - including older divorce certificates - the document must either be notarized or reissued. Reissued certificates from the originating court carry a new signature and qualify without notarization.

• $16 per notarized document
• $32 per Ontario government-issued official document

Mail: up to 15 business days from receipt in Toronto. Not including mailing time in both directions.

In-person: same day. Documents are often processed within a few hours of submission. This is the only same-day apostille option in Canada.

ODS requires physical, hard-copy documents with wet-ink signatures. It does not accept digitally signed or Remote Online Notarization (RON) documents. A PDF with an e-signature, a diploma emailed from a registrar, or a document signed via DocuSign - none of these can be submitted to ODS directly.

The fix: print the document, have an Ontario notary certify it as a true copy with wet ink and an embossed seal, and submit the physical paper copy.

Non-English/French documents require certified translation before ODS can process them. Translation must be provided by a member of a recognized provincial translators' association (under CTTIC) or by an Ontario notary who speaks both languages and includes the required attestation.

Because ODS accepts any document notarized by an Ontario notary - regardless of where the original was issued - it is sometimes possible to use ODS for documents from other provinces. A document from Manitoba or Nova Scotia, notarized as a certified true copy by an Ontario notary, can be submitted to ODS.

The apostille attaches to the notarized copy, not the original. This only works if the destination country accepts an apostille on a notarized copy. Many countries require originals. Confirm with the consulate or receiving institution before relying on this route.