Appointment fee
Last updated on September 12, 2024NOTICE: BC Commissioner Program on HOLD until further notice
The Commissioners for Taking Affidavits for BC Program is on hold pending staffing measures and is not accepting applications at this time.
If you have applied for an appointment and do not hear from us by October 1, 2024, your application was unable to be processed in time. Unprocessed applications will be returned and appointment fees will be returned or refunded, as applicable.
While on hold, the program is unable to accept change requests to current appointments or respond to queries.
We hope to be able to resume operation and begin receiving applications again towards the end of 2024. Please monitor this website for updates.
A $50 appointment fee is required when you submit an application to be considered for appointment.
Include the appointment fee in the same package with your application and examination, to ensure your fee is applied to the correct file. See Apply for an appointment for detailed instructions on how to apply.
Applications sent without the appointment fee will not be processed and will be immediately returned to the sender. See Review and approval process for other common issues with applications.
On this page:
- Accepted payment types
- What if I am exempt from payment?
- What if my application is declined?
- What if my application is approved?
- NSF bank charges on failed cheque or money order
Accepted payment types
When filling out the application form, you will be prompted to select either:
- Pay online with Mastercard, Debit Mastercard, Visa, Visa Debit or American Express, or
- Mail in the fee with your application, as a cheque or money order for $50, made payable to the "Minister of Finance"
Cash is not accepted. Do not submit cash.
Online payment is recommended to avoid delays with processing your appointment fee. Cheques can become stale-dated (over 6 months past the date) or may be unable to be processed for other reasons (see NSF bank charges on failed cheque).
What if I am exempt from payment?
Section 58 of the Evidence Act exempts some applicants from this appointment fee.
If the Commissioners for Taking Affidavits Program identifies you as exempt when reviewing your application, our office will notify you and will either refund your online payment or return your cheque or money order to the mailing address provided on your application form, as applicable.
What if my application is declined?
If your application is declined (or if you are identified as exempt), our office will notify you and will either refund your online payment or return your cheque or money order to the mailing address provided on your application form, as applicable.
What if my application is approved?
If your application is approved, then your appointment order will be sent to you and your appointment fee will be processed. It can take 1 month (or 20 business days) for cheques to be processed.
NSF bank charges on failed cheque
If your cheque is stale-dated (over 6 months past the date) or unable to be processed for any other reason (such as insufficient funds, account closures or account freezes), an additional $30 Non-Sufficient Funds (NSF) fee will be charged by the bank.
Our office will contact you with instructions to pay the $30 NSF fee. If your application was approved, you will also have to pay the original $50 appointment fee in addition to the $30 NSF fee.
The Commissioners for Taking Affidavits Program does not provide any commissioner services.
Our office cannot provide advice as to whether a particular form or document can be witnessed by a commissioner. You may wish to consult a lawyer in such cases.