Special report – The Directeur de l’état civil must take action to ensure acceptable waiting times for death certificates

  • June 4, 2025
  • Civil Status, Family
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Cover image of the special report on the Directeur de l'état civil showing a pensive woman.
Corps

During the year, many citizens who applied to receive death certificates from the Directeur de l’état civil (DEC) faced unacceptable waiting times. These delays triggered an exceptional volume of complaints to the Protecteur du citoyen: over 700 in the space of a few weeks. This is what led to the special investigation.

Role of the DEC

In Québec, the DEC – which reports to the Ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale – is responsible for recording life events in the register of civil status: birth, marriage, civil union, death. Subsequently, at the request of citizens, it issues copies of the related certificates, including death certificates.

An essential document for the estate and grieving

Until the death certificate is issued, financial institutions usually freeze the deceased’s assets. This means that the deceased’s relatives do not have access to the funds they need to meet the deceased’s ongoing obligations.

Moreover, for many people, the grieving process does not truly begin until the estate has been settled.

Causes for the delays

The Protecteur du citoyen’s investigation identified five causes for long delays:

11 recommendations

The Protecteur du citoyen recommends, in particular, that the DEC:

For more information

For more information, see the special report (in French).

If you have problems with the Directeur de l’état civil, whether it is in relation to a request for a certificate or another service, you can file a complaint with the Protecteur du citoyen. Our services are free and easy to access.