How to find a Divorce – Central Divorce Registry

Central Registry of Divorce Proceedings (CRDP)

The Central Registry of Divorce Proceedings (CRDP) in Ottawa is run by Department of Justice Canada. The Central Divorce Registry maintains a divorce database of all divorces in Canada. Records maintained by the Central Divorce Registry cover the period from July 1968 to present date.

The registration of divorce proceedings through the Central Registry of Divorce Proceedings arose from the need to eliminate duplicate divorce proceedings and to provide a way to find your divorce or find a divorce filed by any other person in any court registry in Canada.

The divorce application form for a divorce is completed by the husband, the wife, or both spouses jointly and filed with a court registry. The registrar of the court sends details of the divorce application to the Central Divorce Registry in Ottawa, which maintains a record of pending divorce proceedings.

How to find a divorce file

If you do not know the exact court location of a divorce filed in Canada and you are trying to find divorce papers, need a divorce certificate or divorce judgment, or to locate any other divorce documents, a full search of the Central Registry of Divorce Proceedings in Ottawa must be conducted.

Having an agent conduct a Canada wide search of the Central Registry of Divorce Proceedings is the best way to find your divorce or to find a divorce filed by anyone in Canada. The results of the Central Divorce Registry search will provide you the exact location of a divorce file and the divorce file number. When you have received this information, you can then proceed to downloading a Divorce Certificate Application from the Province your divorce was granted in.

What information does the Central Divorce Registry search provide?

In order to find where particular divorce papers can be located, you will need to obtain the following information from CRDP: court location, file number, the date proceedings were started and the date the divorce became effective.

Who can obtain this information?

In order to receive the details of the marriage/divorce, including the Central Divorce Registry Search and obtaining a copy of a Divorce Judgment, one must be A) a party to the divorce, B) a trustee, an executor or executrix of one of the parties and show proof of that, or C) a person authorized by one of the parties involved.

If you have the details of the marriage, either through the search or a copy of the Judgment, any person can order a Divorce Certificate.

Need a Central Divorce Registry Search?

To contact the Registry:

  • call 613-957-4519; or
  • for the hearing impaired only 1-800-267-7676; or
  • complete a Search Request Form (PDF, 36KB) and send it to the address provided on the form; or
  • complete a Search Request and Consent Form (PDF, 68KB) if you need to obtain information about someone else’s divorce and send it to the address provided on the form. (The consent portion of the form must be signed, except in specific situations explained on the form.)

If you ask for the information by telephone, please make sure you have the following information at hand when you call:

  • the full name and date of birth for both you and your former spouse; and
  • the date you married