After a death in Ontario, the certifying physician, coroner or nurse uses this Office of the Registrar General form to certify the medical cause of death so the death can be registered under the Vital Statistics Act. It must be completed before a burial permit can be issued, and it records particulars of the deceased, the cause of death in Parts I and II, pregnancy status, recent surgery, autopsy and injury details.
The attending physician, a coroner, a coroner investigator who is an RN or RN(EC), a registered nurse in the extended class, or a registered nurse in prescribed circumstances completes and signs it. An RN must not complete it if the death resulted from MAID, and the division registrar completes the registration box.
Download the current version from the source each time; forms change without notice.
Medical Certificate of Death - Form 16
Certificat médical de décès – Formulaire 16
Upload the fillable PDF once and Vero Documents fills it from the visit note and the chart, ready for you to review and sign. Download, print, or email the finished form, with the patient’s consent.
A form is listed only after its name and number were confirmed on the issuing agency’s or insurer’s own website, or in the form itself. Each entry links to that source. The list was last checked in October 2026. Forms change without notice, so download the current version from the official page before you fill it in.
Vero is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the agencies and insurers listed here. Read our editorial policy.
A legally qualified medical practitioner, a coroner, an RN(EC), an RN in prescribed circumstances only, or a coroner investigator who is an RN or RN(EC) appointed under the Coroners Act. Section 21 of the Vital Statistics Act and section 35 of O. Reg. 1094 set these requirements.
The medical condition, meaning the illness, disease or disability as classified in the current International Classification of Diseases, is recorded as the cause of death, and MAID is not written on the certificate. A registered nurse must not complete and sign Form 16 when the death resulted from MAID.
The form asks whether an autopsy is being held, whether the stated cause takes account of its findings, and whether more information may be available later. If findings are not reflected or more information is expected, the Registrar General may start a supplementary enquiry with the certifier.