What to Do When Someone Dies in Canada: 5-Step Official Checklist

1. 1

   Obtain Medical Pronouncement and the Medical Certificate of Death

   Before a funeral provider can transfer the deceased or register the death, an authorized healthcare professional or coroner must pronounce death and complete the provincial Medical Certificate of Death (in Quebec, the Attestation of Death, form SP-3) [1][2][5]:

   • Death in a hospital, hospice, or long-term care facility: The attending physician, registered nurse in an extended role, or nurse practitioner pronounces death, completes the medical certificate, and coordinates release of the body to your chosen funeral provider [2][4].
   • Expected death at home under palliative care: Contact the home palliative care nurse or attending physician according to the care plan (rather than calling 911 first, if a planned home-death protocol is in place) so they can pronounce death and sign the medical certificate [2].
   • Sudden, unexpected, or unattended death outside a hospital: If the death occurs unexpectedly at home, in a hotel, or in a public place, call 911 and do not move the body [2]. Police and paramedics will attend, and the provincial Coroner or Medical Examiner Service (for example, the Office of the Chief Coroner in Ontario, the BC Coroners Service in British Columbia, or the Bureau du coroner in Quebec) will take jurisdiction to determine the cause and manner of death and issue the medical certificate before releasing the remains [2][4][5].
2. 2

   Appoint a Licensed Funeral Provider and Register the Death with Provincial Vital Statistics

   Check whether your family member left written funeral instructions, a prepaid funeral or cemetery contract, or life/burial insurance, and appoint a licensed funeral home or transfer service [1][2][3]:

   • Provincial funeral regulation and directories: Funeral providers are licensed at the provincial level - for example, by the Bereavement Authority of Ontario at 1-844-493-6356 or [email protected] [3], by Consumer Protection BC in British Columbia [4], and nationally through the Funeral Service Association of Canada [6].
   • Civil death registration: In every province and territory, the licensed funeral director normally coordinates death registration for the family [2][4][5]. You provide the deceased's personal details and Social Insurance Number (SIN) to complete the statement or declaration of death, and the funeral director submits it alongside the Medical Certificate of Death to the local or provincial registry - such as ServiceOntario (Office of the Registrar General) in Ontario [2], the BC Vital Statistics Agency in British Columbia [4], or the Directeur de l'état civil in Quebec [5].
   • Death certificates: The funeral director immediately issues a Funeral Director's Statement of Death (accepted by Service Canada, the Canada Revenue Agency, and many banks for initial notifications) and issues the burial or cremation permit [1][2]. Order several official provincial Death Certificates from the provincial Vital Statistics office (or the Directeur de l'état civil in Quebec) for probate, real estate transfers, and life insurance claims [2][4][5].
3. 3

   Notify Federal and Provincial Government Agencies and Cancel Identity Documents

   Once you have the Funeral Director's Statement of Death or official Death Certificate, report the death to stop ongoing government payments (preventing overpayments that the estate must repay) and cancel identity records [1]:

   • Service Canada: Contact Service Canada at 1-800-277-9914 (TTY 1-800-255-4786) to report the death for Old Age Security (OAS), the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), Employment Insurance (EI), and the Social Insurance Number (SIN) register [1][7]. Payment is valid for the month in which the person died, and any payments issued for subsequent months must be returned [1].
   • Canada Revenue Agency (CRA): Report the date of death to the Canada Revenue Agency at 1-800-959-8281 (or by submitting the 'Notify the CRA of a death' form with a copy of the death certificate) to stop GST/HST credit payments, the Canada Carbon Rebate, or Canada Child Benefit payments and to register the executor as the legal representative [1][9].
   • Passports and provincial cards: Cancel the deceased's Canadian passport through the Passport Program, and cancel their provincial health card (such as OHIP in Ontario, MSP in British Columbia, or RAMQ in Quebec), driver's licence, and vehicle registration through the relevant provincial service center [1][2][4].
4. 4

   Apply for CPP or QPP Death and Survivor Benefits

   Federal and provincial public pension death benefits are not paid automatically; the estate executor or eligible family members must submit an application [7][8]:

   • Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Death Benefit: If the deceased made sufficient contributions to the CPP, the estate (or, if no estate applies within 60 days, the person who paid funeral expenses, surviving spouse/common-law partner, or next of kin in that statutory order) can apply to Service Canada using Form ISP-1200 for a one-time lump-sum CPP Death Benefit of $2,500 [7]. For deaths occurring on or after January 1, 2025, an additional $2,500 top-up (bringing the total payment to $5,000) is paid if the deceased never received a CPP or QPP retirement or disability pension and left no surviving spouse or common-law partner eligible for a CPP Survivor's Pension [7].
   • CPP Survivor's Pension, Children's Benefit, and Allowance for the Survivor: Depending on family relationship, a legal spouse or common-law partner may apply for the monthly CPP Survivor's Pension (Form ISP-1300) and, if aged 60 to 64 with low income and living in Canada, the Allowance for the Survivor under the Old Age Security program; dependent children under 18 (or 18 to 25 in full-time education) may qualify for the CPP Children's Benefit [1][7].
   • Quebec Pension Plan (QPP): If the deceased worked in Quebec and contributed to the QPP, apply instead to Retraite Québec at 1-800-463-5185 for the QPP Death Benefit (up to $2,500) and any surviving spouse's or orphan's pension [8].
5. 5

   Administer the Estate, Probate, and Final CRA Tax Returns

   The executor (called the estate trustee in Ontario and the liquidator in Quebec) or court-appointed administrator is responsible for securing assets, paying debts and taxes, and distributing the estate [2][9]:

   • Will search and provincial probate: Locate the original will (in British Columbia and Quebec, check the provincial Wills Registry or the Chambre des notaires du Québec / Barreau du Québec wills registers if needed) [4][5]. Before financial institutions or land registries release solely held assets above institutional thresholds, the executor usually must apply to the provincial superior or probate court for a grant of probate (called a Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee in Ontario, a Grant of Probate in British Columbia and Alberta, or probate before the Superior Court / notarial verification for non-notarial wills in Quebec) [2][4].
   • Registered accounts and insurance: Contact banks, life insurers, and investment institutions regarding RRSPs, RRIFs, TFSAs, and life insurance policies, as accounts with a named beneficiary (or successor annuitant/holder) may transfer outside the probate estate while still having tax implications on the deceased's final return [9].
   • Final T1 tax return and CRA Clearance Certificate: Under Canadian tax law, a deceased person is generally deemed to have disposed of all capital property and registered retirement accounts immediately before death (unless rolled over to a qualifying surviving spouse, common-law partner, or financially dependent infirm child) [9]. The legal representative must file the Final T1 Income Tax and Benefit Return with the Canada Revenue Agency by April 30 of the following year (or within 6 months of the date of death if the death occurred between November 1 and December 31), plus any T3 Trust Income Tax and Information Return for estate income earned after death [9]. Once all tax assessments are paid, apply for a CRA Clearance Certificate (Form TX19) before making final distributions to beneficiaries; distributing estate assets without a Clearance Certificate can make the executor personally liable for unpaid taxes owed by the deceased [9][10].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   What to do when someone dies — Government of Canada
2. [2]
   What to do when someone dies in Ontario — Government of Ontario (ServiceOntario)
3. [3]
   A Guide to Death Care in Ontario — Bereavement Authority of Ontario (BAO)
4. [4]
   After a Death — Government of British Columbia
5. [5]
   Declaration of death and certificates — Directeur de l'état civil (Gouvernement du Québec)
6. [6]
   Funeral Service Association of Canada — Funeral Service Association of Canada (FSAC)
7. [7]
   Canada Pension Plan death benefit — Government of Canada (Service Canada)
8. [8]
   Survivors' Benefits - Québec Pension Plan — Retraite Québec
9. [9]
   Doing taxes for someone who died — Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)
10. [10]
    Clearance certificate (Form TX19) — Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)