Office of the Registrar General
Important: Please read through this guide thoroughly before starting the application process. Incomplete information may result in delays in processing your request.
The following information outlines your options when making a request to Register a Notice of Contact Preference or a Withdrawal of a previously registered Notice of Contact Preference. If you are adopted and the adoption is registered in Ontario, you may apply to register a Notice of Contact Preference.
If you are applying as a birth parent, please refer to the Birth Parent’s Guide. If you require additional information about the adoption information disclosure reforms taking place in Ontario, such as information about a Disclosure Veto or a No Contact Notice, please see our website www.ServiceOntario.ca select “Health and Social Services” link on the left hand side of the home page and click on to Adoption Information Disclosure.
As an adopted person 18 years of age or older, you may apply to register a Notice of Contact Preference outlining how you wish to be contacted by one of your birth parents. You do not need to know the name of your birth parent when applying to register a Notice of Contact Preference. Once the Notice of Contact Preference is registered, if the birth parent identified in the Notice requests and is entitled to disclosure of the identifying information contained in your birth records and registered adoption order, your identifying information will be released to him or her along with your contact preference(s).
You must make separate applications to register a Notice of Contact Preference if you want contact preferences to apply to both birth parents.
Please read prior to submitting your application.
When a Notice of Contact Preference you file is registered, it replaces any Notice of Contact Preference, Disclosure Veto or No Contact Notice intended for the same person that you previously filed and is currently in effect.
If you have previously filed a Notice of Contact Preference and wish to change information in the statement about how you would prefer to be contacted (page 4 of the application) you must submit a new application to Register a Notice of Contact Preference. Only the new Notice will be in effect and information contained in the new statement, if completed, will be disclosed to an entitled parent.
Once a Notice of Contact Preference has been registered you may apply to withdraw the Notice of Contact Preference.
Please read prior to submitting your application:
When a Notice of Contact Preference Withdrawal you file is registered, it causes the Notice of Contact Preference intended for the same person, which you previously filed, to no longer be in effect.
The application has several sections. Please fill in all the information requested to the best of your ability by printing clearly in blue or black ink.
Some areas of the application will not apply to you and should be left blank.
Please indicate your current legal surname (your last name) and your first and any middle names you may have.
Your legal name is usually the name on your current birth certificate.
A mailing address is necessary so we can contact you in case additional information is required.
A telephone number is optional. If provided, it may be used to contact you if clarification is required. If you do not wish to be contacted by telephone, leave blank.
Request only one service type either to register a Notice of Contact Preference or to Withdraw a Notice of Contact Preference. If you select more than one service type, your application will not be accepted and will be returned for correction.
Register a Notice of Contact Preference: Select this option if you are applying to register a Notice of Contact Preference intended for one of your birth parents or to replace a previous Notice of Contact Preference. If you wish to change information on a previous statement included with a Notice of Contact Preference, you must replace the old Notice of Contact Preference by registering a new Notice of Contact Preference. When replacing a previously filed Notice of Contact Preference, if possible, please provide the date of your previous application to register a Notice of Contact Preference.
Withdraw a Notice of Contact Preference: Select this option only if you have previously filed a Notice of Contact Preference and now wish to withdraw the Notice of Contact Preference. If possible, please provide the date of your previous application to register your Notice of Contact Preference.
Additional Information Included with this Notice of Contact Preference (Page 1 of the application): When applying to register a Notice of Contact Preference, you must provide a brief statement about how you would like to be contacted and your contact information on page 4 (See sec. 48.3 of the Vital Statistics Act), and check the box in this section of the application.
Identification of the Applicant (Page 1 of the application): Please use this section to confirm you are the adopted person by checking only the box beside adopted person in this section of the application.
Who should this Notice of Contact Preference or Withdrawal apply to? (Page 1 of the application): As the adopted person requesting to register or withdraw a Notice of Contact Preference, you must indicate the birth parent you want your contact preferences to apply to by checking one box in this section. If you check more than one box, your application will not be accepted and will be returned for correction.
As the adopted person, please fill in the information requested to the best of your ability. Please try and include at a minimum: your legal surname (last name) and first name, sex, date of birth, place of birth (country, province/state, city and/or town), legal surname (last name) of adoptive parents after adoption, and birth registration number found on your birth certificate, if known (e.g. 1954 05 234567).
Additional information requested in this section of the application may help us process your application more quickly.
Note: This area is intended primarily for applicants who are birth parents. If, as an adopted person, you are aware of some of the particulars of your birth parents, or birth details prior to adoption, please provide those details in this section. Otherwise, as the adopted person, you may leave this section blank.
(Please skip this section if you are only withdrawing a Notice of Contact Preference)
If you are making a request to register a Notice of Contact Preference please complete this section of the application form.
Please indicate the date of your application and the new name you were given when you were adopted. Hint: if you changed your name due to marriage or as a result of any other legal name change, indicate your name before this change.
You must indicate the birth parent you want your contact preferences to be given to by checking one box in this section. Do not check the “Adopted Person” box (the box that you check should be the same box that you checked previously in the “Who should this Notice of Contact Preference or Withdrawal apply to?” section on page 1 of the application). If you check more than one box, your application will not be accepted and will be returned for correction.
Once the Notice of Contact Preference is registered, if the parent the notice is intended for requests and is entitled to disclosure of your identifying information, a copy of the Notice along with the statement including your contact preferences (pages 3 and 4 of the application form) will be given to that birth parent by the Registrar General.
(Please skip this section if you are only withdrawing a Notice of Contact Preference)
You must provide a brief statement about how you would like to be contacted by a birth parent and the contact information (for example, contact by telephone, e-mail, exchange of letters/ information, meet in person, through an intermediary or third party). Hint: Do not forget to include your current telephone number, e-mail address, mailing address or other information that you want the birth parent to use when contacting you.
Please note: Any information you may have provided in a previously filed Notice of Contact Preference, Disclosure Veto or No Contact Notice for the birth parent indicated on page 3, will no longer be provided to him or her.
Please print or type clearly in blue or black ink and do not exceed the allocated space. The Registrar General can only accept the written text you supply in the space provided. Any additional material cannot be included with the application and will not be accepted by the Registrar General.
(Please skip this section if you are making a request to register a Notice of Contact Preference)
Once a Notice of Contact Preference has been filed you may apply to withdraw the Notice of Contact Preference by completing this section of the form.
Please include the date of your application and the new name you were given when you were adopted. Hint: if you changed your name due to marriage or as a result of any other legal name change, indicate your name before this change.
Please check only one box to confirm who the Notice of Contact Preference was intended for. Do not check the “Adopted Person” box (the box that you check should be the same box that you checked previously in the “Who should this Notice of Contact Preference or Withdrawal apply to?” section on page 1 of the application). If you check more than one box, your application will not be accepted and will be returned for correction.
Once the Notice of Contact Preference Withdrawal is registered, if the birth parent the notice is intended for requests and is entitled to disclosure of your identifying information, the Registrar General will disclose identifying information to that parent. A copy of the statement (page 4 of the application form) that was included with the Notice of Contact Preference that was withdrawn will not be given to the birth parent.
As the applicant, you must sign and date the application as indicated on page 6 in order for it to be processed.
Under the Vital Statistics Act, if you wilfully make or cause to be made a false statement in this application, you may, on conviction, be liable to a fine of not more than $50,000 or to imprisonment for a term of not more than two years less a day or both.
Once you have completed your application, you must mail it to:
Office of the Registrar General
PO Box 9000
Thunder Bay ON
P7B 0A5
The Registrar General cannot accept applications that have been faxed, e-mailed or hand-delivered.