No, they can either authenticate the original document, if it has an official signature recognized by ODS or a notarized copy made by a Ontario Notary or a Commissionaire of Oaths. The authentication process requires the document to be physically present because it is reliant on the official signature on the document and not the content of the document. What ODS is doing when authenticating a document is verifying the official signature on your document and confirming it matches the one in their registry. If the document is a digital scan or photocopy there is no real signature to authenticate only a copy of a signature. If you need help with sending your document to us for authentication, simply ask your ALSC agent about our easy shipping solutions.

When using a document internationally it’s important to check with the requesting party in-country for requirements to find out the correct type of document that you need. In most cases, they will need you to provide your document in a certain format style or the original document itself. To reiterate, in no way can a digital scan or photocopy of a document be authenticated with ODS.

Category: ON Authentication