Clerk Services

The Clerk's Department offers the public a Commissioner of Oaths service. In order to have a document commissioned, all parties required to sign the document must be present and must provide valid government issued photo identification.

Please ensure that your document allows signing by a Commissioner of Oaths.

The entire document must be presented before the Commissioner of Oaths. A Commissioner is available during regular business hours, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. 

Commissioner of Oaths services are by appointment only. A $20.00 fee will be charged for commissioning services

Our Commissioners will not sign:

• Wills, Living Wills, Codicil to a Will
• Powers of Attorney
• Divorce, Separation, Marriage or Cohabitation documents or agreements
• Custody documents
• Ministry of Community and Social Services Family Responsibility Office forms
• Real estate related documents, statements, transfer of land
• Any court-related documents
• Age of Majority/Bring Your Identification (BYID) Card Application
• International educational institution or association documents, including photographs
• Letters of Invitation
• Documents noting the signature of a Notary Public

We reserve the right to refuse commissioning services of any document.

All deaths occurring in the Town of Prescott must be registered with the Vital Statistics Office of the Clerk's Division. Copies of Death Certificates can only be obtained by sending an application with the applicable fee to The Office of the Registrar General.

Application forms for this purpose are available from the Vital Statistics Office or by clicking on the following link: Request for Death Certificate.

The Office of the Registrar General
P. O. Box 4600 
189 Red River Road 
Thunder Bay, ON P7B 6L8
Telephone: 1-800-461-2156

Ontario's Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) provides an individual with the right to access records of information, including one's own personal information, under the custody and control of a local government institution.

Basis of the Act

• Access rights are balanced with privacy protection.
• All paper documents, microfilm/fiche, computer files, e-mail and other forms of stored data are all considered to be records of the "institution" (i.e. the Corporation of the Town of Prescott).
• Subject to certain limitations, there is a right of access by the public to records in the Town's custody and control.
• Subject again to certain limitations, the personal information of individuals has to be protected and is not accessible by other individuals.

Information Links

Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario

Corporate Freedom of Information and Privacy Office

Formal Requests under Ontario's Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act

Individuals wanting to submit a formal request for information under the access to information legislation (MFIPPA) may contact the Town of Prescott contact, listed below.

Formal requests must be made in writing using the MFIPPA Access/Correction Form and be accompanied by a $5 application fee. In addition to the application fee, you may be required to pay other applicable fees. The rules regarding the payment and amount of fees are set out in the Act and its regulations.

MFIPPA Access/Correction Form 

For more information, please contact:

Director of Administration/Clerk
360 Dibble Street West
Prescott, ON K0E 1T0
Phone: 613-925-2812, ext. 6225
Fax: 613-925-4381

If you are planning an event that includes a lottery, raffle, bingo, etc. you may be required to obtain a lottery licence from the Town. Below you will find the information you need to know before considering a lottery, as well as application forms and reports for the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.

Eligible charitable, religious and non-profit organizations may be licensed to conduct lotteries.

The Town of Prescott licenses the following:

• Raffles with prizes of up to $50,000
• Bingos with a prize board of up to $5,500
• Break Open Tickets
• Lottery Events at a Bazaar

All other types of lottery licences are issued by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.

Eligibility and Use of Proceeds

The Town will review all relevant documentation to determine eligibility for lottery licences. These decisions are based on what is considered charitable in law, including the Criminal Code of Canada, previous court decisions, Order in Council 1413/08 as amended, and the policies issued by the Registrar of Alcohol and Gaming.

To be eligible for lottery fundraising, the courts have determined that the term "charitable" refers to organizations which provide programs for:

a) Relief of Poverty

• Must assist those who are in financial need, distressed, suffering or experiencing social disadvantage, such as:
• The homeless
• Disabled persons
• Victims of crime

b) Advancement of Education

• Must provide programs that are geared to scholastic and vocational training for individuals.
• It is the provision of opportunity, supplies or facilities, for such as:
• Public schools,
• Colleges/universities,
• Parent/teacher associations which are non-profit and which support any of the institutions.

Note: The applicant organization should be the parent entity, i.e. the school itself and not a class or department within the school. 
An organization that provides any type of program or curriculum that promotes racism, intolerance or violence is not eligible for lottery licensing. 
Education that forms part of the professional development of a person or group of people, such as training courses for teachers, lawyers, nurses etc., are not accepted for educational purposes

c) Advancement of Religion

• An organization must demonstrate that its programs and services serve in religious services and programs to the community, interpreted to include the provision and maintenance of places of public worship

d) Any Purpose Beneficial to the Community

• The purpose must benefit the general public.
• The purpose must be exclusively charitable.
• A purpose is charitable even if some of the objects are not, so long as those objects are ancillary to the main charitable object.
• Purposes beneficial to the community include:
• Groups dedicated to community projects
• Certain service clubs
• Improvement for cultural or ethnic groups
• Improvement of quality of health
• Medical research
• Sporting and recreational public facilities

• the relief of poverty;
• the advancement of education;
• the advancement of religion;
• other charitable purposes beneficial to the community.

Requirements

Each application is unique. Determinations of eligibility will depend on the specific organization and its proposed use of proceeds.

The following pre-requisites are mandatory to be considered eligible for a lottery licence:

• Organizations must have been in existence for at least one (1) year before being considered eligible for lottery licences.
• The organization must have a place of business in Ontario, demonstrate that it is established to provide charitable services in Ontario and use proceeds for objects or purposes which benefit Ontario residents.

When an organization applies for a lottery licence, the following documents or information are required so that eligibility can be reviewed:

• Incorporation Papers (Letters Patent)
• Constitution and By-Laws
• Notification of Charitable Registration (Canada Customs and Revenue Agency) (if applicable)
• The most recent Registered Charity Information Return & Public Information Return, as submitted to Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (if applicable)
• Financial Statement for Previous Fiscal Year (audited, where applicable)
• Detailed outline of all programs/services provided in the previous year and specific costs incurred in delivery
• Detailed outline of all programs/service currently provided and specific costs incurred in delivery
• The current operating budget
• Current Listing of the Board of Directors
• Any other information that will assist in determining the charitable nature of the objects and purposes. This could include an annual report, correspondence relating to its charitable number for income-tax purposes, and confirmation that it meets the reporting requirements of the Charities Accounting Act
• The proposed use of proceeds, which must be consistent with the primary objects and purposes of the organization and of a charitable nature consistent with at least one of the four classifications of charitable purposes.

Application

Organizations are encouraged to contact the Clerk's Department to obtain information on the application process, to discuss requirements, licensing fees, qualification, etc. before completing an application. Inquiries can be sent email to admin@prescott.ca or by phone at 613-925-2812 X 6225.

The Town of Prescott offers non-denominational marriage ceremonies. Before having a civil marriage in Ontario you must obtain a marriage licence. Services are offered by appointment only.

Licence Requirements

You can download the Marriage Licence or Marriage Certificate forms on the Government of Ontario website or by clicking on the links below. Marriage Licence forms can also be acquired in person at Town Hall. Once the application is completed, it can be emailed to lveltkamp@prescott.ca 

Marriage Licence Application Form

A Marriage Licence can only be issued to the applicant(s). The issuing process takes approximately thirty minutes, assuming all conditions have been met and required paperwork is provided. You must book an appointment to verify your identity and complete the application form.

The fee for the Marriage Licence is $125.00 and it is valid for three (3) months from date of issue anywhere within the Province of Ontario. Marriage Licence fees are non-refundable. 

Either Applicant may submit the completed Licence Application in order to obtain the Marriage Licence, provided that he /she presents the required identification for both parties upon signing.

A person under the age of 16 is not permitted to marry in the Province of Ontario. Parental consent is required for persons who are 16 or 17 years of age.  A special consent form is available upon request.

Identification Required

Two (2) original pieces of government issued identification are required for each of the parties (photocopies are not accepted).

One of the following:

• Birth Certificate and any Change of Name Certificates
• Record of Immigrant Landing
• Canadian Citizenship Card
• Permanent Resident Card

Together with one of the following Photo Identification:

• BYID Age of Majority Card
• Driver's Licence
• Valid Passport
• Valid Ontario Photo Card

Divorce Documents

When an Applicant has been divorced and the Divorce was granted in Canada, the original or a Court Certified Copy of the Decree Absolute or Certificate of Divorce is required. A Copy can only be certified by the Court in which the Applicant was divorced (a photocopy will not be accepted). In the case of a Divorce granted in Quebec, the Divorce Judgment will only be accepted if it was issued before 1986.

A digital copy of a divorce certificate can be accepted if it is accompanied by the email from which it was sent by the courthouse or lawyer's office. If this cannot be obtained, an original hard copy must be provided. 

Any divorce(s) granted outside of Canada requires special authorization from the Province BEFORE the Marriage Licence application can be processed by the municipal licensing officer. If the Divorce was granted outside of Canada, please consult the Clerk's Division for further details. The process of applying for and receiving the necessary authorization may result in a delay in the issuance of the Marriage Licence.

More information can be found at: https://www.ontario.ca/page/getting-married

Civil Marriage Ceremony

The Clerk's Department offers non-denominational civil marriage ceremonies. The fee for a marriage ceremony is $300 + HST during regular business hours and $350 + HST afterhours. Rehearsal ceremonies are offered at a rate of $50 + HST.