Note: This Declaration must be made in the prescribed form and witnessed by one or more persons; see Application Forms & Process, below.

Hours:  8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (except Holidays)

Step 1) When two people wish to register with the Province as Domestic Partners, they must first fill out an application form called Certificate Application, Domestic Partnership. You can download the form from the Internet, or you can get one by contacting the Vital Statistics Office (see contact information above).

On your application, you (a) request a registration form; and you can also (b) request that a Certificate of Domestic Partnership be mailed to you after your Partnership is properly registered. (Note: there are 2 fees involved here: one for the Registration, and a 2^nd for the Certificate.).  For more on those certificates, click here.

Step 2) When you have completed the Application, and paid the proper fees (see Price & Payment, below), you will receive a registration form called the Declaration of Domestic Partnership.

This Declaration can be registered only if both partners meet the following conditions:

1)  Both must be over the age of majority (19 years of age or older);
2)  Both must either (a) be ordinarily resident in Nova Scotia (which means that you have lived in this Province for at least the last 3 months), or (b) own property in the province on the day that the Partnership is registered.
3)  Neither can be currently married; (Note: if either person is divorced or widowed, proof must be provided.)
4)  Neither can be currently involved in another domestic partnership.

Step 3) The Declaration must be: (a) signed by both partners, (b) witnessed by one or more persons, and then (c) returned to the Vital Statistics Office.

If all the proper documents have been submitted, the Domestic Partnership will then be officially registered, and kept on file permanently at the Nova Scotia Registry of Vital Statistics.

If you have requested a Certificate, it will be mailed to you at that time.

B. Terminating a Domestic Partnership:

Please see Additional Information, below.

If you send in your application form and the proper fee, the Vital Statistics will send you a Declaration form. After the completed form and proper documents have reached the Vital Statistics Office, it will be processed within 10 business days. If you have requested a Certificate, it will be mailed to you. Please allow additional days for postal delivery.

Short form:  $ 28.84
Long Form:  $ 34.85

(The Long Form is a certified copy of the original Declaration which is registered with the Province.)  For more information, click here.

Payment at the Vital Statistics Office:  Cash, Interac debit card, Visa, Mastercard or American Express credit card, or cheque or money order made out to the Minister of Finance.

Payment by Mail:  Visa, Mastercard or American Express credit card or by cheque or money order made out to the Minister of Finance

1)  Proof of age for each of the partners (birth certificate, baptismal certificate, passport or driver's license);

2)  Proof of residency for each of the partners (Nova Scotia health card or Nova Scotia Drive''s License) or, alternately, proof of current ownership of real property in the province; ("Residency" is defined as living in the province for at least the last three months.)

3)  If either partner is divorced, proof of divorce (certificate of divorce or decree absolute);

4)  If either partner is widowed, proof of death (death certificate, funeral director's statement of death or obituary notice);

5)  A completed and signed Declaration of Domestic Partnership, witnessed by one or more persons.

1)  The partners live separate and apart for more than a year, and one partner files with the Vital Statistics Office a properly executed form called an Affidavit that Domestic Partnership Ended by One-Year Separation.

2)  The partners enter into a separation agreement, registered with the court, according to the Maintenance and Custody Act. Note: the parties must show proof of such an agreement in order to register the termination of the Domestic Partnership with the Vital Statistics Office.

3)  The partners (together) file a form called Statement of Termination with the Vital Statistics Office.

4)  One of the partners marries some third person.

When any of those events occurs, the Vital Statistics Office will record in the Registry that the Domestic Partnership has been terminated as of a certain date.

The Declaration of Domestic Partnership (with attached notice of Termination) will remain permanently in the Registry.