Who can use it?
- For
- Person who served documents
- Court rules
- Rules 1–5
When do you need Form 4?
Before using this form, check that your case belongs in Provincial Court and that this form fits your situation. Read the current court rule and official form. Most eligible claims of $5,000 or less start with the Civil Resolution Tribunal, not a new Court Notice of Claim. Some kinds of claims follow different rules.
What to prepare
List and attach copies of the documents served, identify the parties, and state the method and service details accurately.
Complete Form 4: the important fields
- File and registry: use the Small Claims court file number and the registry where the case is proceeding.
- Person who served: identify the actual server, not someone who later prepared the certificate.
- Recipient: state who received the documents. If there are multiple defendants or other parties, prepare separate certificates where required.
- Date and place: enter when and where the service occurred; keep delivery details if proof is challenged.
- Documents and method: list every document served, attach copies and select the service method actually used.
- Signature: complete the certificate accurately and check whether additional proof is required for your method.
Use the prescribed service method for the particular document. Emailing a notice of claim, for example, is not automatically permitted merely because email is an option for other court papers.
Use the names, addresses and court file number already on your case. Keep the documents and calculations together, and make copies for everyone who needs them. Filling in a form does not prove your case.
File the form and give copies to others
Important for this form: Form 4 records valid service; it is not a substitute for serving the underlying document in the manner Rule 2 or Rule 18 requires. For an ordinary default-order request Rule 6(3) requires the claimant to file a copy of Form 4, and for third-party claims Rule 5(5) generally requires the certificate within 30 days after the third-party notice is filed unless the third party has replied.
File proof when required by the Rules, including when progressing a claim or third-party notice where a reply has not been filed.
Follow the wording and instructions on the official form. You may need to give different copies to different people. The provincial Filing Assistant can help you fill out certain forms. It cannot tell you whether your case belongs in this court or whether your filing will be accepted.
What proof do different methods need?
- Personal service: Rule 18(14) generally allows Form 4 with a copy of the documents, except that a summons to a payment hearing uses an affidavit of service.
- Registered mail: include copies of the documents plus Canada Post’s signature record or delivery-confirmation printout.
- Ordinary mail: attach copies of what was mailed. Rule 18(13) has a presumed service date that can differ from the mailing date.
- Email where permitted: attach a printout showing sender, recipient, date and time. If the document names do not appear as attachments on that printout, also attach copies of the emailed documents.
The official BC Small Claims serving-documents guide has additional examples. Rule 18 contains the controlling service and proof requirements.
Deadlines and fees
Timing: Service rules vary by the document and recipient. See Rule 2 and Rule 18; the 30-day third-party proof rule is a separate requirement.
Fees: Filing the certificate itself generally has no separate listed Schedule A fee; serving the documents can cost money.
If you must give a copy to another person, follow the delivery rules for that form. Write down when and how you delivered it. Filing a form with the court is different from giving it to someone else. Estimate ordinary CRT / original Court claim costs. This calculator does not cover every special form or every way to collect money after a judgment.
Worked example: proof after registered mail
A claimant serves a defendant using registered mail, where the Rules permit that method. The claimant keeps a copy of the served package and Canada Post delivery confirmation, then prepares Form 4 listing the documents and service information. They attach the required proof when filing the certificate, including for a default-order application if no reply has been filed. A tracking number without the prescribed supporting material may not be enough.
Watch out for this mistake
Using an unpermitted service method, treating a mailing date as a guaranteed service date, or failing to attach the actual documents.
Check the current fee, courthouse and hearing instructions. Small-claims procedures can differ at Vancouver Robson Square and Richmond.