Canada
Canadian Law by Province: Federal and Provincial Guide
Canada is one country with fourteen bodies of law: Parliament in Ottawa plus each of the ten provinces and three territories. Whether a legal rule is the same across the country or changes where you live depends entirely on the topic. Getting the right province is often more important than finding a single "Canadian" rule.
Information last verified on 18 July 2026. This hub presents general legal information, not legal advice.
Jurisdiction scope: This hub covers the law of Canada at the federal level and across all ten provinces and three territories. It signposts which level of government sets a rule and links to detailed, citation-backed guides. It does not cover United States or other countries' law. For those, see our US legal topics and world recording laws hubs.
How Canadian law is split: federal and provincial
Canada is a federation. The Constitution Act, 1867 divides legislative power between two levels of government, and almost every legal question turns on which level controls the topic.
Parliament holds the powers listed in section 91. These include criminal law (so the rules on recording, impaired driving, assault, and firearms are national), divorce, banking, telecommunications and broadcasting, interprovincial transport, patents, and copyright. Because these are federal, the rule is the same in St. John's and in Victoria.
The provinces hold the powers in section 92, most importantly "property and civil rights in the province." That single phrase covers the majority of the law people deal with day to day: employment standards, residential tenancies, wills and estates, most driving and licensing rules, consumer protection, and the administration of civil justice. Because these are provincial, the answer genuinely changes when you cross a provincial border.
The territories (Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut) work a little differently again. Their powers are delegated by Parliament rather than guaranteed by the Constitution, but in practice they run their own tenancy, licensing, and estate rules much like a province.
Quebec is a civil-law jurisdiction
One province stands apart. Quebec's private law is governed by the Civil Code of Québec, a codified civil-law system inherited from France, rather than the common law used in the other nine provinces and the territories. That is not a cosmetic difference. Concepts that common-law Canadians take for granted, such as the tort of defamation, family-property equalization, and spousal support for unmarried partners, either work differently in Quebec or do not exist in the same form. Quebec also runs distinct institutions: the Tribunal administratif du logement for rent disputes, the CNESST for labour standards, and a notarial-will system that needs no probate. Wherever the law is provincial, Quebec usually needs its own guide, and the French-language guide is often the one Quebec readers want.
Does the law vary by province?
Many everyday questions have a different answer depending on where in Canada you are, while a few important ones do not. The table below shows some of the biggest patterns. It is a starting point, not the full detail, and each topic links to fuller guides as they publish.
| Topic | Federal or provincial | How it varies | Quebec difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recording a conversation | Federal (uniform) | Consent rule is the same nationwide; civil privacy and evidence vary | Civil privacy under the Civil Code and the Quebec Charter |
| Impaired driving | Federal offence; provincial penalties | Criminal Code offence is uniform; licence suspensions and interlock rules differ | SAAQ administers licence sanctions |
| Child support | Federal Guidelines and Tables | Table amount depends on the payor's province; enforcement bodies differ | Quebec uses its own child-support model |
| Employment standards | Provincial (about 94%) | Termination and severance minimums differ sharply by province | CNESST under the Act respecting labour standards |
| Residential tenancy | Provincial | Tribunals, rent caps, and eviction rules all differ | Tribunal administratif du logement; the "bail" and "reprise de logement" |
| Wills and probate | Provincial | Probate fee formulas differ widely | A notarial will needs no probate in Quebec |
| Small claims | Provincial | Dollar limits range from $15,000 to $100,000 | Petites créances up to $15,000; lawyers are barred |
| Defamation | Provincial | Notice and limitation periods differ | A civil fault under the Civil Code; one-year limitation |
Two of the biggest topics on this site do not vary at all. Recording consent is set by the Criminal Code, so Canada is a one-party-consent country from coast to coast. Impaired driving is likewise a federal offence. Where those pages differ province to province, it is on the civil and licensing consequences layered on top of the national rule, not the rule itself.
Key Canadian law changes in 2025 and 2026
Several changes over the last year reset numbers that general guidance often still gets wrong. Dates matter, because entitlements change on a set day rather than gradually.
Freshness is where general legal guidance dates fastest. A page that still quotes the 2017 child-support tables, an old Ontario small-claims limit, or a privacy reform as though it had passed is already wrong. Our guides carry the effective dates so you can see what applies now.
Canadian law by province and territory
Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, and Quebec are home to roughly 86% of Canadians, and they anchor most of our provincial coverage. Ontario runs the Landlord and Tenant Board and, since October 2025, a $50,000 Small Claims Court. British Columbia uses the Residential Tenancy Branch and the online Civil Resolution Tribunal. Alberta renamed its lower court the Alberta Court of Justice and lifted its small-claims limit to $100,000. Quebec, as above, runs on the Civil Code with its own tribunals.
Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick get their own guides wherever the law materially differs, such as tenancy, employment termination, and estates. Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the three territories are covered in each hub's comparison, with dedicated pages where a cluster already has them.
Canadian law by topic
Each area below is a full guide with its own province-by-province breakdown, because in most of these fields the rule that decides your case is provincial, not federal.
- Employment and severance - termination notice and severance by province, wrongful and constructive dismissal, the federally regulated exception, plus a severance calculator.
- Tenant rights - eviction notice, rent increase caps, deposits, repairs and landlord entry, including Quebec's Tribunal administratif du logement.
- Consumer protection - why Canada has no lemon law, CAMVAP arbitration, car defect remedies, debt collection, wage garnishment and limitation periods.
- Small claims - the monetary limit in every province, from Quebec's $15,000 to Alberta's $100,000, and how to file and collect.
- Driving and traffic - impaired driving, careless versus dangerous driving, stunt driving, dash cams and per-province demerit points, plus a demerit points lookup.
- Wills, probate and estates - probate fees by province, powers of attorney, intestacy, executor duties and contesting a will, plus a probate fee calculator.
- Privacy and recording - PIPEDA, Quebec's Law 25, the Alberta and BC PIPAs, workplace surveillance, and the one-party consent rule for recording calls and conversations.
- Family law - divorce, separation agreements, what "common law" actually means in each province, parenting time and property division, plus a spousal support estimator.
- Criminal records and everyday criminal law - record suspensions and pardons, record checks, self-defence, citizen's arrest, peace bonds, and travelling with a record.
- Property and neighbours - power of sale versus foreclosure, adverse possession, fences and boundaries, noise bylaws, condo status certificates and BC strata rules.
Recording, surveillance, and privacy guides
These guides cover the site's core subject: when you can record and film in Canada, and how privacy law protects personal information. The consent rule is federal and uniform, so the national guide is the place to start, and the province pages add the civil-privacy and evidence detail that does vary.
- Canada Recording Laws: One-Party Consent Rules and Penalties (2026)
- Canada Data Privacy Laws: PIPEDA & Provincial Guide (2026)
- Canada Defamation Laws: Civil, Criminal & Defences
- Canada AI Copyright Law: Authorship and Training
Recording law by province and territory: Ontario · British Columbia · Alberta · Quebec · Manitoba · Saskatchewan · Nova Scotia · New Brunswick · Newfoundland and Labrador · Prince Edward Island · Yukon · Northwest Territories · Nunavut
On the federal privacy side, PIPEDA governs commercial handling of personal information across most of Canada, while Alberta, British Columbia, and Quebec have their own private-sector privacy laws (Quebec's Law 25 is the strictest). Reform has been in and out of Parliament: for the latest, see our explainer on the proposed federal privacy overhaul.
Child support and family guides
Child support runs on the Federal Child Support Guidelines, but the amount comes from a table keyed to the payor's province of residence, and Quebec uses its own model. Only Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Quebec are "designated provinces" whose own guidelines apply when both parents live there. The national guide explains the framework; each province page carries its table detail and enforcement body.
- Canada Child Support Laws: Guidelines and Calculations
- Divorce Records Canada: Are Divorces Public Records in Alberta?
- Domestic Violence Laws in Canada
Child support by province and territory: Ontario · British Columbia · Alberta · Quebec · Manitoba · Saskatchewan · Nova Scotia · New Brunswick · Newfoundland and Labrador · Prince Edward Island · Yukon · Northwest Territories · Nunavut
Injury and accident guides
Slip-and-fall and hit-and-run law sit largely at the provincial level: occupiers' liability, no-fault accident benefits, and the duties a driver owes after a collision all vary by province, while the criminal offence of failing to stop is federal. These guides are informational and do not replace advice from a lawyer licensed in your province.
- Canada Slip and Fall Laws: Liability and Compensation
- Canada Hit and Run Laws: Penalties and What to Do
Slip and fall by province and territory: Ontario · British Columbia · Alberta · Quebec · Manitoba · Saskatchewan · Nova Scotia · New Brunswick · Newfoundland and Labrador · Prince Edward Island · Yukon · Northwest Territories · Nunavut
Hit and run by province and territory: Ontario · British Columbia · Alberta · Quebec · Manitoba · Saskatchewan · Nova Scotia · New Brunswick · Newfoundland and Labrador · Prince Edward Island · Yukon · Northwest Territories · Nunavut
Criminal records and travel
A record suspension (formerly a pardon) is handled federally by the Parole Board of Canada. The application fee has been $50 since January 2022. A Canadian criminal record can still affect entry to other countries, especially the United States, which is what the guide above covers.
More Canadian legal guides
Detailed guides to the following areas are publishing through 2026. Each set covers the common-law provinces and then flags where Quebec and the territories differ, with the governing statute cited.
- Employment and severance: termination and severance pay by province, wrongful and constructive dismissal, the common-law reasonable-notice "Bardal" factors, and the federally regulated employees who fall under the Canada Labour Code instead of a provincial standards act, plus a free severance estimator.
- Renting and tenant rights: eviction rules and notice periods by province, rent-increase caps, deposits, and Quebec's Tribunal administratif du logement.
- Driving and traffic: demerit points and licence penalties by province, speeding and stunt-driving, and how the federal impaired-driving offence interacts with provincial suspensions.
- Wills, probate, and estates: probate fees by province, powers of attorney, intestacy, and Quebec's notarial wills.
- Consumer protection and lemon law: Canada's lack of a true "lemon law," the CAMVAP arbitration program, provincial consumer-protection acts, and debt collection.
- Small claims and civil procedure: the dollar limits by province and how to bring a claim.
- Privacy and workplace monitoring: PIPEDA and the provincial privacy regimes, employee monitoring, and surveillance at work.
We publish one area at a time and link each new guide here as it goes live. Official sources come first throughout: the Justice Laws Website and canada.ca federally, each province's own legislation portal, and CanLII for case law.
Where to go next
Start with the guide for your topic and your province, then check the primary source it cites. The federal front doors are the Justice Laws Website for statutes and canada.ca for programs and benefits. Each province publishes its own laws (Ontario's e-Laws, BC Laws, Alberta's King's Printer, and LégisQuébec, among others), and CanLII carries both statutes and case law for the whole country.
Disclaimer
This hub presents general legal information about the law of Canada at the federal level and across its provinces and territories, verified on 18 July 2026. It is not legal advice and does not create a lawyer-client relationship. Law changes, and how it applies depends on your specific facts and your province. For advice on your situation, consult a lawyer or notary licensed in the relevant Canadian jurisdiction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it legal to record a conversation in Canada?
Yes, if you are part of the conversation. Canada is a one-party-consent country under section 184 of the Criminal Code, which is federal, so the rule is the same in every province and territory. You generally may record a conversation you are taking part in. Recording a conversation you are not part of can be a criminal offence, and how a recording can be used as evidence or against privacy claims varies by province.
Is the law the same in every Canadian province?
It depends on the topic. Criminal law (including recording and impaired driving) and the grounds for divorce are federal and uniform across Canada. Residential tenancy, employment standards, wills and probate, and small claims are provincial and differ, sometimes sharply. Quebec's civil-law system differs the most.
Why is Quebec's law so different?
Quebec's private law is based on the Civil Code of Québec, a civil-law system, while the rest of Canada uses common law. That affects family property, defamation, tenancy, and estates, and Quebec runs its own institutions such as the Tribunal administratif du logement and the CNESST. Federal matters like the Criminal Code still apply in Quebec the same as elsewhere.
Did child support amounts change in Canada?
Yes. The Federal Child Support Tables were updated effective 1 October 2025, the first revision since 2017. The amount a payor owes still depends on their income, their province of residence, and the number of children. Quebec uses its own child-support model rather than the federal tables.
What is the small claims court limit in Canada?
It varies by province. Ontario allows claims up to $50,000 (raised in October 2025), Alberta up to $100,000, Manitoba up to $20,000, and Quebec up to $15,000 in its petites créances division. British Columbia splits claims between the Civil Resolution Tribunal and the Provincial Court.
Does Canada still use PIPEDA, or is there a new privacy law?
As of 2026, PIPEDA remains the operative federal private-sector privacy law. A reform bill (C-27) died when Parliament was prorogued in January 2025, and further reform has been proposed since. Alberta, British Columbia, and Quebec have their own private-sector privacy laws, with Quebec's Law 25 the strictest.
Updates
The Federal Child Support Tables were updated (SOR/2025-166), the first revision since 2017. The table amount for a payor still depends on their province of residence and the number of children, but the underlying figures changed.
Ontario's Small Claims Court limit rose to $50,000, and the Landlord and Tenant Board's monetary jurisdiction rose to $50,000 as well. Alberta's small-claims limit is now $100,000.
Federal privacy-reform bill C-27 (which would have created the Consumer Privacy Protection Act) died when Parliament was prorogued. PIPEDA remains the operative federal private-sector privacy law; check the status of any newer reform bill before relying on it.
Sources and References
- Justice Laws Website — Constitution Acts, 1867 to 1982(laws-lois.justice.gc.ca).gov
- Criminal Code, RSC 1985, c C-46, s 184 (interception of communications)(laws-lois.justice.gc.ca).gov
- R v Duarte, [1990] 1 SCR 30 (participant surveillance)(canlii.org)
- Department of Justice Canada — Federal Child Support Guidelines(justice.gc.ca).gov
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner — PIPEDA(priv.gc.ca).gov
- Canada Labour Code, RSC 1985, c L-2(laws-lois.justice.gc.ca).gov
- Criminal Records Act, RSC 1985, c C-47 (record suspensions)(laws-lois.justice.gc.ca).gov
- Government of Ontario — Suing someone in Small Claims Court(ontario.ca).gov
- LégisQuébec — Civil Code of Québec, CQLR c CCQ-1991(legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca).gov