Are you a service provider
Find out what you need to know about status cards and the Temporary Confirmation of Registration Document.
On this page
Note
Proof of registration needs to be renewed but registration under the Indian Act doesn’t.
What is a service provider
A service provider is an organization or business that provides various services and benefits, such as health or social services and benefits, to persons registered under the Indian Act. The services and benefits provided can be from federal, provincial or territorial government programs or from any other program that delivers services.
To find out more about registration, visit About Indian status.
Which status cards are valid
All versions of the status card are valid until their renewal date.
To find out which status cards are currently valid, visit Is your status card valid.
To confirm if a Secure Certificate Indian Status is valid, call 1-877-VALIDE8 (1-877-825-4338). This automated service can be accessed 24/7.
To confirm if a Certificate of Indian Status is valid, call 1-800-567-9604 and press 6. This service is available Monday to Friday between 9 am and 6 pm Eastern time.
What other documents prove registration
As a service provider, you may also accept an original Temporary Confirmation of Registration Document, (TCRD) as proof of registration. A photocopy of a TCRD or a TCRD that has been altered in any way is not valid.
To make sure the TCRD is valid, check for the expiry date and the raised seal of the Registrar in the bottom-right corner.
To find out more about the TCRD, visit About the Temporary Confirmation of Registration Document.
Is the cardholder exempt from taxation
If "Cardholder is not eligible for sales/transaction tax exemption" appears on the back of the secure status card, the cardholder may not be exempt from taxation.
Cards with that message printed on the back are issued to persons who, in the Indian Register, are affiliated to a First Nation that has negotiated a self-government agreement resulting in a change to tax exemption eligibility.
In some cases, cardholders may still be exempt from taxation, even though that message is on the back of their card, if they:
- are affiliated to a First Nation that has reinstated their tax exemption
- aren’t a treaty beneficiary and present certification to claim their tax exemption
To find out which First Nations have a self-government agreement ending Indian Act tax relief and what certification cardholders who aren’t treaty beneficiaries can present, consult Canada Revenue Agency’s GST/HST Notice 238.
To find out more about tax exemption for registered persons, visit: