Form 47: Notice by Advertisement
Form 47 is a public notice used only after the court gives permission to deliver papers by advertising when regular delivery will not work.
You cannot choose advertisement instead of personal service on your own. First obtain an order allowing an alternative method of service. If the court orders notice by advertisement, Rule 182(3) requires Form 47, and the applicant pays for the ad.
When may the court permit notice by advertisement?
Rule 182 allows an application for alternative service when ordinary service is not practicable. Before permitting an alternative method, the court must be satisfied that the person cannot be found despite a diligent search, is evading service or is temporarily outside British Columbia. Whether an advertisement is suitable, where it runs and what it says depend on the actual court order.
Consider a case management application where appropriate; confirm the relevant process with the registry and court order. An advertisement is not a shortcut for an inconvenient address.
How to prepare and publish Form 47
- Keep a careful record of the genuine steps taken to locate and serve the person, and apply for an order authorizing alternative service.
- Read the signed order to confirm whether the court specifically ordered service by advertisement and its publication terms.
- Identify the correct court registry, file number, person to be notified, party applying, and document(s) being served.
- Use the official Form 47 to state what orders are sought and the court-directed response or appearance requirement. Complete the appropriate option rather than combining inconsistent directions.
- Arrange publication strictly as ordered. Under Rule 182(3), the person who applied for the order bears the cost.
- Keep the publication date, copy, invoice and any evidence the court requires to show the notice ran as directed.
Advertisement is different from other alternative service
Rule 182(2) requires a copy of the alternative-service order, the application for that order and any supporting documents to be served with the underlying document when an alternative method is authorized. However, Rule 182(2) expressly excepts notice given by advertisement from that accompanying-document requirement. Do not apply the ordinary alternative-service document package automatically to a Form 47 newspaper or other court-authorized advertisement.
Use the exact publication and timing directions in the court order. Rule 182(3) requires Form 47 and places the advertising cost on the party who sought the alternative-service order.
What deadline belongs in the advertisement?
The official Form 47 has alternative wording for a reply or a court appearance. Its reply option says within 30 days or another time specified by the court. That does not mean every notice in every case automatically has a 30-day deadline. Follow the court’s order and the appropriate option printed on the official form. The notice warns that the court may proceed in a person’s absence if they do not respond as required.
Practical example
A person cannot be located after documented searches and attempts to serve. The applicant seeks an alternative-service order. Only if the judge or family justice manager authorizes notice by advertisement does the applicant prepare Form 47 and arrange the publication specified in the order.
Common mistakes
- Publishing an advertisement before obtaining the required court order.
- Assuming every missing-person situation automatically justifies an advertisement.
- Inventing a response deadline or publication requirements instead of following the actual order.
- Not preserving proof of publication, or assuming the registry pays the advertising fee.
Official sources
- BC government Form 47 (PDF)
- BC Provincial Court Family Rules — Rule 182
- BC government Provincial Court family forms library
Primary-source review: October 13, 2026. Limited to the form and stated procedural requirements, not a certification of every circumstance or future amendment.