To prevent fraud, the Law Society of Ontario (LSO), which governs Lawyers and Paralegal in the Province of Ontario, Canada, issued its Bylaw 7.1, section 23 which requires all licensed Paralegals to obtain and keep records of ALL clients's identification.
As a result, please be advised that the below information is required for indentification and verification before services are delivered:
- Full name (individual) or registered name (corporation)
- Business identification number and the place of issuance (if applicable)
- The general nature of the type of business or businesses of activity or activities engaged in by the organization (not required for financial institution, a public body, and reporting issuer)
- Name, position and contact information of all individuals authorized to provide instructions on behalf of the organization
- (Home/ Business) Address
- Telephone number
- E-mail address
- Occupation
- Copy or photograph of the document where the seal lands.
Effective January 01, 2024, licensees who choose to verify the identity of an individual using video conferencing technology or other forms of virtual communication will be required to authenticate the government-issued photo identification document. Verifying identity by only viewing an individual and their government-issued photo documentation virtually will no longer be permitted.
You can use the following acceptable documents for your identification. Please be advised that the document MUST be valid and non expired when presenting to Notary Public:
- Passport - Canadian or Foreign stating the full legal name
- Driver's Licence
- Canadian Citizenship Card
- Permanent Resident Card
- Indian Status Card
- Ontario Photo Card
- Canadian Federal Firearms Licence
- Nexus Card
- Canadian National Institute for the Blind Identification Card CNIB
- Canadian Armed Forces/ Military Identification Card
- Foreign National Identification Card issued by a Government Agency Articles of Incorporation
The following document may be used as secondary identifications but not required if you do not have any of the above listed identifications:
- Canadian Social Insurance Number (SIN) or Social Security Card
- Provincial Health Card Card (example: OHIP)
- Old Age Security Card
- Professional Licence Board and Membership Cards (Law, Medicine, Dentistry, Engineer, Law Enforcement, Paramedics).
