Financial Consumer Agency of Canada
www.fcac-acfc.gc.ca
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Cashing your Government of Canada Cheque for Free
What do you need to cash your cheque?
To cash your cheque you will have to show one piece of identification (I.D.) with both your photo and your signature, such as a driver's licence.
If you don't have any I.D. that has both your photo and your signature on it, you will have to show two pieces of I.D.
You must use original I.D. – not a photocopy.
What can you use for identification (I.D.)?
Here is a list of what you can use as I.D. You can show:
- a Canadian driver's license
- a Social Insurance Number (SIN) card
- a Canadian birth certificate
- a provincial or territorial health insurance card (but this cannot be used in Ontario, PEI or Manitoba)
- a current Canadian passport
- a debit card or bank card that has your name
and signature on it - a Canadian credit card that has your name
and signature on it - an Old Age Security card with your Social Insurance Number on it
- a Certificate of Indian Status
- a current passport from another country
- a Certificate of Canadian Citizenship or Certification of Naturalization
- a Permanent Resident card or a Citizenship and Immigration Canada Form IMM 1000, IMM 1442 or IMM 5292
What if you have only one piece of I.D. and it doesn't have both your photo and signature?
You can show only one piece of I.D. if you also have someone the bank knows confirm that you are who you say you are.
Can you show other types of I.D.?
Yes.
To find out what they are, call the
Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC)
toll-free at: 1-866-461-3222.
