How can I check if someone really filed a consumer proposal?

The most reliable independent method is a name search of the OSB's Bankruptcy and Insolvency Records, the official federal database covering all bankruptcies and proposals registered in Canada since 1978. It costs roughly $8 per search and you sign in with a GCKey or Sign-In Partner. If you're a creditor the debtor listed, you should also have received a notice directly from the Licensed Insolvency Trustee.

Is a consumer proposal public record in Canada?

Yes. Consumer proposals are registered with the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy and recorded in its public Bankruptcy and Insolvency Records, which anyone can search for a fee. The filing is also reported to the credit bureaus, Equifax and TransUnion, which note it on the debtor's credit file.

How much does an OSB bankruptcy and insolvency records search cost?

There's a minimum charge of about $8 per search, payable by credit card, and the fee applies whether or not the search finds a match. Because of that, it helps to know the person's correct legal name and, ideally, the province where they filed before you search, so you don't run up fees on broad or repeated queries.

Will the trustee tell me if my friend filed a consumer proposal?

If the debtor lists you as a creditor, yes — the Licensed Insolvency Trustee is required to send each creditor a package with the proposal, a report, and the forms to make a claim. If you've heard someone filed but no notice has reached you, it may mean they didn't list you as a creditor, which is a strong reason to verify the filing directly through the OSB and contact the trustee.

What should I do if I confirm a consumer proposal was filed?

Stop trying to collect the debt directly — the automatic stay prevents that — and instead contact the named Licensed Insolvency Trustee, request the claim package if you didn't get one, and file a Proof of Claim with your evidence of the debt. Filing the claim is what makes you eligible to receive a share of the proposal payments.

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Recovering a loan · Consumer proposals · Canada

My friend says they filed a consumer proposal — how can I check if it's true?

Lend Right Editorial Team · Canada · Updated June 2026

When someone who owes you money says they've filed a consumer proposal, it changes everything about what you can do next — so it's worth knowing whether it's actually true. The good news: a consumer proposal is a formal, public filing, not a private claim. You can confirm it independently, and exactly how you confirm it tells you which of your rights are switched on.

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The short version: A consumer proposal is a public record, so you can confirm one independently. The most reliable way is a paid name search of the OSB's Bankruptcy and Insolvency Records (about $8 per search). If you're genuinely a creditor, the easier route is that the Licensed Insolvency Trustee should have sent you a notice — and if you didn't get one, that itself is worth chasing down.

Why "they told me they filed" isn't proof

People say they've filed a consumer proposal for all sorts of reasons — sometimes it's true, sometimes it's a way to stall a creditor who's asking for repayment. A real consumer proposal is a formal legal filing under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, administered by a Licensed Insolvency Trustee (LIT) and registered with the federal Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy (OSB). That means it leaves a paper trail you can verify — you don't have to take anyone's word for it.

This matters because your rights flip depending on whether it's real. If a proposal genuinely exists, the automatic stay stops you from pursuing the debt directly, and you should be filing a claim instead. If no proposal exists, you're still free to demand repayment or sue. So confirming the filing isn't just curiosity — it decides your next move.

Route 1: You should have received a notice

Here's the cleanest signal. When a proposal is filed, the trustee is legally required to notify the debtor's creditors — they must send each creditor a package containing the proposal, a report on the debtor's situation, and the forms you need to make a claim. So if your friend filed and listed you as a creditor, a notice from a Licensed Insolvency Trustee should have arrived — by mail or email — naming the trustee and the estate.

No notice? That's a red flag worth pulling on

There are two innocent explanations and one not-so-innocent one: the notice is in transit, it went to an old address — or your friend didn't list you as a creditor at all. The trustee only contacts the creditors the debtor discloses. If you've heard "I filed" but nothing official has reached you, you may simply have been left off the list, which is exactly why you should verify directly.

If you did get a package, you can confirm it's genuine by checking that the trustee is actually licensed: the OSB publishes a public directory of Licensed Insolvency Trustees you can search by name.

Route 2: Search the OSB's public records

The most direct way to confirm a filing yourself is the OSB's Bankruptcy and Insolvency Records Search. This is the official federal database, and it contains basic debtor information for all bankruptcies and proposals registered in Canada since 1978. It's open to the public — anyone can search it.

Using the OSB records search

What it covers	All bankruptcies and proposals registered in Canada since 1978
Cost	A minimum charge of about $8 per search (per set of results), payable by credit card
How to sign in	Register for an account using a GCKey or a Sign-In Partner
How to search	By the person's name, or by the BIA estate number if you have it
What you need	The correct legal name and, ideally, the province where they filed

Two practical cautions. First, the search isn't a free browse — each search costs money whether or not it finds a match, so go in knowing the person's correct legal name (and province of filing if you can), because a vague search can rack up fees fast. Second, the database returns basic debtor information confirming a filing exists; it's a yes/no-plus-details confirmation, not a full copy of the proposal terms.

Route 3: The credit bureaus

A consumer proposal is also reported to the credit bureaus. The OSB sends regular updates of new filings to Equifax and TransUnion, which record the proposal on the debtor's credit file. You generally can't pull someone else's credit report just because they owe you money — but it's useful to know the filing leaves that footprint too, and it's how most lenders find out.

A consumer proposal is a matter of public record, not a private claim someone can wave at you to buy time. If it's real, it's registered with the OSB — and if it's registered, you can confirm it.

What to do once you've confirmed it

If the records search (or a trustee's notice) confirms a real proposal, your job shifts from chasing the debt to claiming inside the proposal. Contact the named Licensed Insolvency Trustee, tell them you're a creditor, and ask for the claim package if you didn't receive one. Then file a Proof of Claim with whatever proof of the debt you have — an agreement, a promissory note, e-transfer records, messages. Our companion guide on whether you'll actually get paid walks through that step and how much creditors typically recover.

If you can't confirm any filing: there may be no proposal at all. In that case the stay doesn't apply and your normal options are open — a written demand for repayment, then small claims court if needed. Keep the message where they claimed to have filed; a false claim of insolvency used to dodge a debt can matter later. See your options when someone won't repay.

The takeaway

You never have to rely on "trust me, I filed." Between the trustee's mandatory notice, the OSB's public records search, and the credit-bureau footprint, a genuine consumer proposal is straightforward to verify — and the answer tells you exactly which set of rights you're operating under. Confirm first; act second.

And for next time: the creditors who navigate someone else's insolvency cleanly are the ones who can instantly prove the debt. A short written agreement is what gets you a trustee's notice in the first place instead of being quietly left off the list. You can put your next loan in writing in minutes.

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Sources referenced:

Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy (OSB) — Bankruptcy and Insolvency Records Search (Government of Canada)
OSB — You Are Owed Money: Consumer Proposals
Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, RSC 1985, c. B-3 — Division II (consumer proposals)

General information only — confirm current fees and procedures with the OSB.

This article is general information about Canadian insolvency law, not legal or financial advice, and Lend Right is not a law firm or a Licensed Insolvency Trustee. Consumer proposals are governed by the federal Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, administered by Licensed Insolvency Trustees and overseen by the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy; rules, forms, fees, and processes change over time. For your specific situation, speak with a Licensed Insolvency Trustee or a lawyer.