The short answer
Under O. Reg. 431/20 made under the Commissioners for Taking Affidavits Act, a commissioner in Ontario can administer an oath, affirmation or declaration by audio-visual communication technology, provided certain conditions are met. That covers a large share of everyday affidavits and statutory declarations.
The conditions that matter
The signer and the commissioner interact in real time by two-way video; the commissioner confirms the signer’s identity; the process guards against fraud and duress; and the jurat records that the oath or declaration was taken remotely. If any of those can’t be met, the appointment moves in person.
What it does not cover
Remote commissioning is about oaths and declarations. It is not a general power to do everything a notary does. Notarial acts such as certifying that a copy is a true copy of an original, or issuing a notarial certificate for use abroad, generally still need an in-person appointment. And some documents — wills and powers of attorney among them — follow their own execution rules.
Acceptance is still the receiving body’s call
Even when Ontario permits remote commissioning, the court, government office or foreign authority receiving your document can set its own requirement — for example, an original wet-ink signature. It is worth confirming what they will accept before you book.
How to tell which path you’re on
The simplest way is to start with the document itself: what it is, where it’s going, and who signs it. Our eligibility step runs those questions and tells you whether your document is online-eligible, needs an in-person step, or should be reviewed first.