Status and Identification Cards

A Certificate of Indian Status, more commonly known as a Status card, is an identity document issued by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) to confirm that you are registered as a Status Indian under the Indian Act. A Status card gives you access to benefits, programs and services administered by federal agencies and provincial governments.

Important changes were made to the Indian Act in 2011 with Bill C-3: Gender Equity in Indian Registration Act.

• Apply for a Status card

If you are researching your family's Aboriginal heritage, Library and Archives Canada can help with:

• Researching your Genealogy and Family History

If you were adopted in Ontario, ServiceOntario can help with:

• Searching for Adoption Information

The word Métis is used to describe people with mixed First Nations and European ancestry who identify themselves as Métis, distinct from First Nations, Inuit or non-Aboriginal people. Métis cards are issued to people who have genealogical documentation and proof of their Aboriginal ancestry.

• Apply for a Métis card

In Ontario, there is a tax of 14.7 cents per litre on gasoline. First Nations people with a gas card do not have to pay this tax if they buy gasoline for personal use from an authorized service station on a reserve.

• Apply for a Certificate of Exemption (Gas Card)

Inuit need a First Nations Inuit Health Branch Client Identification Number (N-Number) to receive non-insured health benefits from the Federal government. This number begins with the letter "N" and is followed by eight digits.

• Apply for a N-Number