Making a statutory declaration

You make a statutory declaration when you need to confirm that something is true. It’s a written statement that must be signed and witnessed by an official person face to face.

A statutory declaration might be used to give evidence about, for example:

  • your identity — if you lose important identity documents
  • property that was damaged by a natural disaster — for an insurance claim.

It’s your responsibility to make sure your declaration is correct and meets all the necessary legal requirements. It’s a crime to make a false declaration.

Statutory declaration forms

Download a declaration form as a PDF or text file and type in the details of your declaration.

You’ll need to print the form and then sign it in front of a witness.

Statutory declaration form for downloaded documents

It’s also ok to write a declaration by hand — as long as you include all the necessary information.

What you need to include in your statutory declaration

A statutory declaration must:

  • have your full name, job and address
  • include the words, “solemnly and sincerely declare that” before the facts you are declaring as true.
  • contain all the evidence you want to be verified, including additional documents
  • be written in the first person (for example, ‘I saw…’, ‘he said to me…’)
  • be signed by you — if there is more than 1 page they must also be initialled.

Your full name, job and address must be in English. Other information can be in a different language but the witness must be able to read and understand it — you may have to provide a translation.

If you’ve made a mistake on your statutory declaration

Any changes you make must be initialled. If you’ve already submitted your declaration, contact the court immediately and ask them what to do. Usually you will be asked to complete a new declaration.

Before you sign the form and fill in the date and place

You need to find an official witness and meet them in person — you cannot use e-signatures or meet over a video call.

The witness must view you completing the statutory declaration and also sign it themselves.

Who can be a witness

Only certain people can witness a statutory declaration. These include:

Who to contact for more help

If you need more help or have questions about the information or services on this page, contact the following agency.

Utility links and page information

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