Commissioner for Oaths

A Commissioner for Oaths can:

• administer oaths to a person who is demonstrating the truth of a statement;
• administer and receive affirmations (can be used if a person objects to being sworn on the basis of religious belief and is as binding and effective as an oath); and
• receive declarations (a written account of truth).

An appointment as a Commissioner for Oaths in Saskatchewan lasts for five years.

Commissioner for Oaths appointments are generally required for:

• work-related purposes for clients or for internal business or government organizations;
• personal use to provide services to the public; and
• administrative work.

Documents that are typically commissioned by Commissioner for Oaths include:

• mortgage, divorce, estate, land transfer/title documents;
• real estate, insurance, loan, brokerage documents;
• contracts, surface lease agreements, proof of loss;
• sale documents;
• bond documents;
• insolvency documents;
• affidavit of service; and
• government documents.

Commissioners for Oaths must ensure that they restrict the use of the appointments to those powers set out in The Commissioner for Oaths Act, 2012. A Commissioner for Oaths cannot certify or verify documents (make a photocopy of an original document and state that it is a true copy of the original).

You can apply to become a Commissioner for Oaths in Saskatchewan if you are over the age of 18.

Certain individuals are Commissioners for Oaths because of their position or office, and are not required to apply for an appointment. The appointment ends as soon as you no longer hold that position or office. These individuals are:

• Lawyers in good standing in Saskatchewan;
• Members of the Legislative Assembly;
• Senior officers of the Canadian Armed Forces, including permanent and/or reserve officers;
• Court officials who are appointed pursuant to The Court Officials Act 2012;
• All police officers; and
• Certain provincial government officials who need the appointment to perform their duties.

You can review The Commissioners for Oaths Act, 2012 and The Commissioners for Oaths Regulations, 2013 to determine if you are a Commissioner for Oaths because of your office or status.

Renewing Your Commissioner for Oaths Appointment

You may apply for a renewal of your appointment in advance of your expiry date.

If you apply for your renewal prior to the month in which your existing certificate expires, the month in which your appointment expires will change. For example, if your appointment expires in June and you apply to renew in February, your new appointment expiry date will be in February.

You will need to apply through an online application system to become a Commissioner for Oaths in Saskatchewan.

Before you begin, you will need to:

• Login to or create a Saskatchewan Account.
• Review the Guidelines for the Use of Commissioners for Oaths, The Commissioners for Oaths Act, 2012 and The Commissioners for Oaths Regulations, 2013.
• Complete the Commissioner for Oaths online educational component and application form. Allow approximately 30 minutes to complete the application. You can refer to the Guidelines, Act and Regulations during the application process to reinforce your understanding of the duties and obligations of a Commissioner for Oaths.
  • For employees of the Government of Saskatchewan, a Saskatchewan municipal police force or the RCMP, you'll need to provide the name, telephone number and email of the person who will authorize your appointment, such as your direct supervisor (known as the Authorizing Official).
• If you have a criminal record, the information you provide will be reviewed by a Ministry of Justice official to determine your eligibility for appointment.

Processing Applications

Applications take approximately two to three weeks for processing.

Upon approval, you will receive an invoice to pay the Commissioner for Oaths appointment fee of $100. Exceptions to this are:

• Employees of a Saskatchewan municipal police force or the RCMP pay a reduced fee amount of $10.
• Government of Saskatchewan employees are exempt from the appointment fee. All other government agencies, boards, commissions and Crown Corporations are not exempt.

For information on how to pay your invoice, see the apply section below.

Appointments are approved by officials authorized to act on behalf of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General. Appointments are effective from the date the Certificate of Appointment is issued.

Apply for or renew your appointment as a Commissioner for Oaths using the online application system.

Start Commissioner for Oaths Application

Invoices

To pay your invoice you will need to sign in to your Saskatchewan Account and follow the directions below:

• Once you have logged in, ensure you are on the "My Services" tab.
• Scroll down the page until you see a box that says Commissioner for Oaths or Notary Public.
• Click "Use Service" on the option you require.
• You should now be on the "Tasks" page.
• Scroll down to "View My Invoices" and click.
• You will now have the option to pay.

You can print your certificate on the "View My Invoices" page.

Commissioners for Oaths commission documents to be used for certain purposes in Saskatchewan only. You can find a Commissioner for Oaths through:

• banks;
• insurance brokers; or
• the Yellow Pages.

In addition, all lawyers are Commissioners for Oaths.

You can use your Saskatchewan Account to:

• check the status of your application;
• pay the appointment fee;
• view and download your Certificate of Appointment; and
• update your personal and employment information should these change following your appointment.

Use your Saskatchewan Account to sign in to the online Commissioner for Oaths system and manage your appointment details.