Library and Archives Canada genealogy records: what you can request and what stays closed

What to take away

What Library and Archives Canada holds, and what it does not

LAC is the federal archive. It keeps the records of the Government of Canada, plus private papers, photographs and maps. For a family historian that means census returns, military files, immigration lists, land grants and a few civil registration indexes.

The collection is strongest after Confederation. If your family arrived in Ontario, Quebec or British Columbia, federal records will often name them. The same holds for Alberta, Nova Scotia and Manitoba.

LAC does not hold provincial birth, marriage and death registers. Those stay with the provinces and territories. That split is where most beginners lose a week.

Sort what you already own before you order anything. A simple family history organization habit stops you paying twice for the same record.

If you are unsure which institution holds what, start at the Canada.ca culture portal. It is the front door to LAC and to federal heritage programmes. Culture, history and sport - Canada.ca

Census returns from 1851 to 1931, and what each one tells you

Census returns are the backbone of Canadian genealogy, and LAC holds 1851 through 1931. Statistics Canada runs the census and holds the later returns.

Statistics Canada census and genealogy datasets are closed for 92 years. That is why 1931 was the most recent return open to the public. The 1941 return is scheduled for release in 2026. The agency publishes release dates and historical context on its census pages. Statistics Canada census releases

The 1931 return was released in 2013. It is searchable by name, but the handwriting defeats a lot of searches. Work district by district when a name search comes back empty.

Census returns are free to view online. You pay only if you want LAC to make a copy. Keep a research log as you go, using a numbering and naming systems method to stop census entries from blending.

What stays closed, and which law closes it

Access restrictions under the Privacy Act apply to federal records that contain personal information. The Act governs how federal institutions collect, use and disclose that information. The Privacy Act - Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

In practice a federal file is closed while the person is alive. It usually opens 20 years after death, or 110 years after birth, whichever comes first.

You can still ask. LAC reviews the file and releases what it can, often with redactions, which are blacked out passages that usually hide third party names.

The rules differ by record type. A census return is open. A 1955 immigration case file is not. Read the finding aid before you assume anything. If a file is fully closed, you can make an access request under the Access to Information Act, listed among the Consolidated Acts. Consolidated Acts

How to request a record, step by step

Check the LAC website first. If the item is digitized you can view it free and skip the rest of this section.

Check the access status in LAC's online database before you order. Open the record description and read the access status field, which says open, closed or partially closed. Typical turnaround ranges from about two weeks for a digital scan to eight weeks or more for a large paper file. LAC publishes its service standards.

Worked example: you want the service file of a soldier who enlisted in 1916. His attestation paper is online, so that part is free. His full service file may be open, but copying takes weeks. You order it, pay the quoted fee and receive a PDF.

Worked example: you want a 1955 citizenship file. The subject may still be living, so the file is likely closed. You can ask for a review, and you should expect redactions or a refusal.

Keep every request in one place. A single organize a family collection file per surname stops you ordering the same record twice.

Copying fees: what LAC charges per page and per image

LAC charges for copying and reproduction under the Service Fees Act, which governs federal service fees. Service Fees Act

Charges depend on format. A digital scan of a text page costs less than a high resolution print, and a large map or photograph costs more than either.

Expect a per page rate for photocopies, a per image rate for scans, a higher rate for publication quality reproduction, shipping on paper copies, and a rush fee if you set a deadline.

Typical LAC copying rates run from about CAD 0.50 per page for a black and white photocopy to CAD 15 to CAD 40 per image for a high resolution scan. Publication licences are billed separately.

LAC quotes in Canadian dollars. Ask for the quote before you commit, and ask for the turnaround time in the same message. If you plan to publish the image, say so, because a permission or licensing fee is separate from the copying fee.

Some copying is free. Anything already digitized downloads at no charge, and self service copying during an Ottawa visit is free or close to it. Count the pages first, then decide what is worth the fee, as you would with library photo scanning.

Provincial and territorial archives, the next stop

LAC is federal. Most birth, marriage and death records are provincial, so the province or territory is your next stop once federal records run out.

Central and Atlantic Canada:

Western and northern Canada:

The Canadian Council of Archives coordinates many of these bodies. Each province sets its own access rules and fees, and Ontario, for example, closes birth records for a set period before opening them.

Provincial archives also hold land and property records, probate and estate files, local newspapers, photographs, and school and hospital records.

Search the online index first, and order copies only once you hold an exact reference.

Reading a finding aid before you order

A finding aid is a guide to a record group. It tells you what the collection contains, how it is arranged and whether it is open. Read it before you order.

Finding aids use four levels. A fonds is all the records of one person or body. A series is a group within it. A file is a folder. An item is a single document.

Look for the title and dates, the volume and file number, the access status, any note about reproduction, and the language of the record. If the finding aid says closed, do not order. Ask for a review first. If it says open, copy the reference exactly as written, because a wrong volume number wastes weeks.

Some finding aids are online. Others exist only on paper in Ottawa, and you can ask LAC to check one for you. A good finding aid also tells you whether the record is in French, which matters for Quebec and Acadian research. Sharpen your search with free reading for a beginner before you spend on copies.

Common questions

Can I see the 1941 census?

No. Statistics Canada census and genealogy datasets stay closed for 92 years, and the 1941 return opens in 2026, not before. Watch the Statistics Canada census pages for the release date.

Are all LAC records free to view?

No. Digitized records are free to view online. Copies that LAC makes for you carry a fee under the Service Fees Act, quoted before copying starts.

What happens if a record is closed under the Privacy Act?

You can ask LAC to review it. You may receive a redacted copy, or you can make an access request under the Access to Information Act. Expect weeks to months.

Do I have to visit Ottawa?

Not usually. Most requests go through the online form or email. A visit helps when a finding aid exists only on paper, or when a file is unindexed.