B.C. Vital Statistics Online Certificate Ordering System

Order BC Birth Certificates, Death and Marriage Certificates, or Register a Wills Notice

This Electronic Certificate Ordering System (eCOS) was developed by the B.C.Vital Statistics Agency, Ministry of Health. With eCOS, you can order birth, death or marriage certificates and/or certified photocopies of birth or marriage registrations for events that took place in British Columbia. You can also register the location of your will. Applying is fully electronic - no need to download an application form and mail it in!*

On November 15, 2024, a national mail service disruption began resulting in mail delivery operations being shut down. As a result, the Vital Statistics Agency’s business operations including the delivery and receipt of mail, and couriered mail, have been significantly impacted.

*NOTE: eCOS is no longer available for applying for a legal BC change of name. Effective September 1, 2024, the Name Act was amended and the requirements and application forms for a legal change of name have changed. Please read the information and instructions carefully before applying.

For more detailed information on these documents and to view certificate samples, visit the Vital Statistics website.

Fees

• Certificate of Birth, Death, or Marriage - $27.00*
• Certified True Copy of Birth or Marriage Registration Document - $50.00*
• Wills Notice - $17.00

*Fee includes the cost of the search of our records. If no record is found, the fee is applied to the search process. For an additional $33.00 fee, you may request rush processing which provides for in-office processing time of 24 working hours. (Not available for all services.) Courier delivery time is additional to this time.

IMPORTANT NOTES WHEN ORDERING CERTIFICATES ONLINE:

• If you are applying for a certificate or certified copy of a registration to support an application for other identification such as a passport, driver's licence, BC ID, Social Insurance Number, etc., please check with that organization to ensure you obtain the correct document. Certified copies of a registration are rarely needed by citizens and are generally only required for court purposes. They are not for use as identification.
• Documents are sent by mail unless courier service is requested. Courier delivery is not made to post office boxes, apartment complexes, homes that use Super Box (community) mailboxes, or basement suites. Instead, a delivery notice with instructions is left at the mailing address and the envelope is delivered to the nearest postal outlet. ID and signature are required upon pick up.
• If you require your time of birth, you must order a Registration of Live Birth for Genealogy. This service is not available to order online.
• Browser requirements
• One of the following: Internet Explorer 10+, Chrome 30+, Firefox 24+ or Safari 7+
• Javascript must be enabled
• Popups must be allowed

About the Vital Statistics Agency

The British Columbia Vital Statistics Agency is the division of the provincial government legislatively mandated to register, provide certification of, and identity information management services for all vital life events occurring in B.C. (Each province in Canada maintains its own registry.) See Statistics Canada website for a list Vital Statistics offices in other provinces.)



Frequently Asked Questions

What is a certificate or certified copy of registration? How much does a certificate cost? How long will it take to receive my order? What details will I need? How do I make a payment using this on-line service? Can I order both of my children's certificates at the same time? Is this a safe/secure way to order a certificate? How do I protect my personal information? What is a Wills Notice?