What to Do When Someone Dies in Canada: First Steps

Nobody is expected to do all of this at once. This checklist follows the order things usually happen in Canada. It is general information, not legal advice, and rules differ between provinces and territories, most of all in Quebec.

In the first 24 to 48 hours

• Get the death pronounced. If the death was expected at home, call the doctor, nurse or palliative care team. If it was unexpected, call 911.
• Tell close family and friends.
• Arrange care for dependants and pets.
• Contact a funeral home. Check for written wishes and any pre-arranged funeral plan first. Pre-arranged funeral contracts are regulated by each province.
• Find the will. Look for the signed original. In Quebec, the notary keeps the original of a notarial will, and the will registers of the Chambre des notaires and the Barreau du Québec can be searched.

In the first week

• Register the death. The funeral home usually registers it with the province or territory and can give you a funeral director's statement of death. Order official death certificates from the vital statistics office.
• Tell Service Canada. Call 1-800-277-9914 to stop Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security (OAS) payments. The payment for the month of death is kept; payments for later months must be returned.
• Apply for the CPP death benefit. A one-time payment of up to $5,000. In Quebec, apply to Retraite Québec for the Quebec Pension Plan benefit.
• Tell the employer, and ask about final pay, group insurance and pension benefits.

In the first month

• File life insurance claims, and contact banks, investment firms and pension plans.
• Tell the Canada Revenue Agency the date of death, by phone or by mail on Form RC4111.
• Find out whether probate is needed. Banks and land registries often ask for it; in Ontario it is called a certificate of appointment of estate trustee. A notarial will in Quebec does not need it.
• Ask about survivor benefits. A surviving spouse or common-law partner may qualify for the CPP survivor's pension and, aged 60 to 64 with a low income, the OAS Allowance for the Survivor.
• Arrange mail forwarding to the executor through Canada Post.

Within the year

• File the final income tax return. For a death from January to October, it is generally due by April 30 of the next year; for a death in November or December, six months after the death.
• Get a clearance certificate before distributing the estate. It confirms with the CRA that the taxes are paid; without one, the executor can be personally liable.
• Pay debts from the estate first. Family members usually do not have to pay a relative's debts from their own money unless they co-signed, guaranteed or jointly held the debt.
• Keep a record of every payment and decision made for the estate.

Sources

• Canada.ca: Notify the government of a death
• Canada.ca: Cancel CPP and OAS benefits after a death
• Canada.ca: CPP death benefit
• Canada.ca: Allowance for the Survivor
• CRA: Notify the CRA of the date of death
• CRA: Filing deadlines for final returns

Last reviewed 2026-10-31. General information, not legal, tax, financial or medical advice.