How to check a lawyer’s license and discipline record in Canada

Lawyers are licensed and disciplined by a law society in each province and territory. In Québec, lawyers are regulated by the Barreau du Québec; Québec notaries are separate legal professionals, regulated by the Chambre des notaires du Québec. In Ontario, the Law Society of Ontario licenses both lawyers and paralegals. The Federation of Law Societies of Canada lists every law society.

Check with the law society for the province or territory where your matter is. A lawyer licensed in one province is not automatically entitled to practise in another, so ask the lawyer where they are licensed.

1. Open the official directory for your province or territory (links below).
2. Search by the lawyer’s name. If there are several matches, use the city or firm to find the right person.
3. Read the status. Terms vary, but you will usually see whether the lawyer is practising, non-practising, suspended, or no longer a member.
4. Note anything else the record shows, such as restrictions on the lawyer’s practice or public discipline.
5. Write down what you found and the date you checked it.

Links go to each law society’s own website. We checked them on September 24, 2026; if a link has moved, search the law society’s site for its lawyer directory.

Scroll the table sideways to see every column.

Some law societies show discipline, conditions, or restrictions on the lawyer’s directory record. The Barreau du Québec, for example, explains that a status check tells you whether a lawyer is a member in good standing and whether they have been subject to disciplinary sanctions.

Others also publish decisions and notices separately, for example Ontario’s current regulatory actions, British Columbia’s Law Society Tribunal hearing files and decisions, Saskatchewan’s discipline decisions, Yukon’s discipline proceedings, and Québec’s notices of striking off, limitation and suspension.

• Read the decision itself, not just the outcome.
• Note what the conduct was, when it happened, and whether any conditions have been completed.
• If something concerns you, ask the lawyer about it directly.

A clean record is a good sign, but not a guarantee: most complaints do not lead to public discipline, and a directory does not measure skill or fit. Practice areas shown on a profile are often described by the lawyer. Ontario runs a certified specialist program; elsewhere, ask the lawyer directly about their experience with matters like yours.

Use the directory as one input, together with the consultation. Our questions to ask a lawyer before hiring and lawyer vetting checklist work in Canada too.

Each law society handles complaints about the lawyers it regulates, and its website explains how to raise a concern. In Québec, complaints about lawyers go to the Barreau’s office of the syndic. VettedCounsel does not handle complaints or give legal advice.