Ontario Public Records & Courts

Courts & Court Records in Ontario

Ontario's trial courts are the Ontario Court of Justice and the Superior Court of Justice, with the Court of Appeal for Ontario above them. Judgments are free on CanLII's Ontario collection; civil case files can be searched through the province's Justice Services Online portal.

Vital Records: Restricted, With a Genealogy Door

ServiceOntario issues birth, death, and marriage certificates — $25 to $75 depending on the document — restricted to the person named, parents, or next of kin. Historical registrations open for genealogy through the Archives of Ontario.

Land, Property & Business Records

Ontario's land registry records are searchable through the OnLand portal, and corporations through the Ontario Business Registry — both official provincial systems linked below.

Records Nobody Publishes

Criminal records are not public anywhere in Canada — checks go through police services with the subject’s consent. For unpublished government records, Ontario’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) gives anyone the right to file an access request with a provincial or municipal body, the provincial cousin of the federal ATIP process described in our Canada Public Records guide.