The Archives of Ontario holds death registrations and the indexes (where they exist), for 1869 to 1953. We also hold registrations of deaths of Ontarians overseas for 1939 to 1947.
Where to find the records
Online at Ancestry – Registrations of deaths for 1869-1950 and registrations of deaths of Ontarians overseas for 1939-1947 are available on www.ancestry.ca. Free access to this site is available in the Archives of Ontario reading room and at all Ontario public libraries.
Death registrations for 1951-1953 are closed for digitization. We are actively working with Ancestry to make these records available online.
Online at FamilySearch - Registrations of deaths for 1869-1937 and registrations of deaths of Ontarians overseas for 1939-1947 are available on www.familysearch.org.
On microfilm - Registrations and indexes of deaths for 1869-1943 are available on microfilm, in the Archives of Ontario reading room and through the Microfilm Interloan Service. If you require a certified copy of a death registration in our holdings for legal or humanitarian purposes, please contact the reference team at the Archives of Ontario by emailing reference@ontario.ca, or by calling 416-327-1600, or toll-free within Ontario at 1-800-668-9933.
Click on the links below to access microfilm lists directly:
For step-by-step instructions on searching these records, consult the Pathfinder to Death Registrations -- Word, PDF.
For more information about death registrations held at the Archives, consult research Guide 202, Vital Statistics Records - Word, PDF.
Click here to view examples of death registrations.