Canadian Birth Records by Province
Select a province to get a full guide — official sources, how to order records, and what to do when records are missing.
Alberta
Public access: 120 years
Birth records become public after 120 years. Older records held at the Provincial Archives of Alberta.
View guide →British Columbia
Public access: 120 years
Birth records public after 120 years. The BC Archives (Royal BC Museum) holds digitized vital records searchable online.
View guide →Manitoba
Public access: Varies (generally 100+ years)
Civil registration began in 1882. Vital Statistics and the Archives of Manitoba both hold records.
View guide →New Brunswick
Public access: Varies (generally 100+ years for public search)
Civil registration began in 1888. The Provincial Archives of New Brunswick holds extensive vital and church records.
View guide →Newfoundland & Labrador
Public access: Varies
Newfoundland joined Canada in 1949. Church records dominate pre-Confederation research. Critical note: pre-1949 births require special analysis.
View guide →Nova Scotia
Public access: Varies (older records publicly accessible through Archives)
Civil registration ran 1864–1876, then restarted province-wide in 1909. There is a gap period. Nova Scotia Archives holds both eras.
View guide →Ontario
Public access: 104 years
Civil registration began in 1869. Records public after 104 years. Archives of Ontario and FamilySearch are the primary research tools.
View guide →Prince Edward Island
Public access: Varies (older records publicly accessible)
Civil registration began around 1906. Earlier records are church-based. Baptism records searchable through the PEI Public Archives.
View guide →Quebec
Public access: Special — see details below
The most complex province for records. Civil registration was not standardized until 1994. Navigating the DEC, BAnQ, and the Drouin Collection is essential.
View guide →Saskatchewan
Public access: Varies
Civil registration began in 1878 as part of the North-West Territories. eHealth Saskatchewan manages genealogy queries for vital records.
View guide →US Records Sources
If your Canadian ancestor emigrated to the US, US government records can document their Canadian birth and identity.
| Source | What You Can Get | Link |
|---|---|---|
| USCIS Genealogy Program | Alien files (A-files), naturalization records of deceased immigrants | Visit ↗ |
| Social Security Administration FOIA | SS-5 application forms with birthplace, date, and parents | Visit ↗ |
| FamilySearch | Free genealogy database; supports wildcard search | Visit ↗ |
| Ancestry.com | Paid database; often free through public libraries | Visit ↗ |