Are Consumer Proposals Confidential in Canada? (2026)

If you’re considering a consumer proposal, one of the first worries that hits is usually the same: “Will people find out?” Your boss. Your neighbours. Your in-laws. The thought of anyone discovering that you’re dealing with debt feels worse than the debt itself for a lot of Canadians. So let’s answer the real question head-on.

Yes, a consumer proposal is technically a public record in Canada. But “public record” doesn’t mean what most people think it means. Your name won’t appear in the newspaper. There’s no website where curious coworkers can stumble across your filing. In practice, the people most likely to know are the ones who already do, your creditors. This guide walks through exactly what’s visible in 2026, who can see it, and what stays private.

What Is a Consumer Proposal?

A consumer proposal is a legal agreement between you and your unsecured creditors, filed through a Licensed Insolvency Trustee (LIT). You agree to pay back a portion of what you owe, usually 30 to 50 cents on the dollar, over a period of up to five years. Once filed, interest stops accruing on included debts, collection calls have to stop, and any wage garnishments are lifted.

The Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy, a federal agency under Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, oversees every proposal filed in the country. According to the OSB’s official guide for debtors, your trustee files the proposal with the OSB, sends copies to your creditors, and manages the votes and payments throughout the process. Because federal law requires this oversight, certain information about your filing is kept in a federal registry. That’s where the “public record” question comes from.

If you’re weighing whether a proposal is even the right path for you, our guide comparing bankruptcy and consumer proposals walks through the differences in detail.

What “Public Record” Actually Means in 2026

Here’s the part that surprises most people. The federal registry is searchable through an online tool called the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Records Search (BIRS). To use it, someone has to register an account, complete a two-step verification, and pay $8 for every set of search results. They also need to know your name and ideally a few extra details, like your approximate filing year, to find the right record.

As of December 2024, the OSB updated its policy so that every request for public record information now requires payment, with very limited exceptions. The OSB’s updated disclosure policy applies whether someone searches online, calls the National Service Centre, or sets up a data agreement. Translation for 2026: it costs money and takes effort to look someone up. That’s a meaningful barrier to casual snooping.

What the registry shows

The information returned in a BIRS search is procedural, not personal. You’ll typically see the debtor’s name, the type of proceeding (consumer proposal, bankruptcy, etc.), the date filed, the current status, and the name of the Licensed Insolvency Trustee handling the file. You won’t see your budget, the names of the creditors involved, your monthly payment amount, why you filed, or what’s in your kitchen cupboards.

What stays completely private

The detailed financial information you share with your trustee, your full creditor list, your income, your household expenses, the reasons you ended up in debt, stays between you and your LIT. None of that lives in the public registry. The trustee files those documents with the OSB through internal forms, but they’re not searchable by the public.

Who Can Realistically See Your Proposal

Knowing the database exists isn’t the same as knowing who actually looks. In practice, the people most likely to access the registry are people who have a financial reason to do so.

One important exception: if your proposal includes lifting an active wage garnishment, your employer’s payroll department will be notified to stop the deductions. That’s not because of the public record, it’s because they need the legal paperwork to change how they pay you. If garnishment isn’t part of your situation, your employer typically learns nothing.

Privacy Pros and Cons of Filing

Looking at confidentiality on its own, here’s how the trade-offs shake out.

Who Should Consider a Proposal

Who Should Look Elsewhere

A Real Privacy Scenario

To make this concrete, here’s a realistic example of how privacy plays out for a typical filer.

The most common surprise is that filing actually improves privacy in the short term. If Sarah had kept missing payments, she’d have ended up with collection calls at work, possibly a lawsuit, and potentially a wage garnishment that her employer’s payroll department would handle. The proposal stops all of that within days. For more on how that plays out in practice, our consumer proposal success stories page walks through real Canadian cases.

How to Protect Your Privacy Step by Step

1. Talk to a Licensed Insolvency Trustee first. A free consultation costs nothing and is fully confidential. No record is filed unless you decide to proceed. The trustee is bound by professional confidentiality rules.
2. Decide who in your life needs to know. Your spouse or common-law partner usually does, especially if your finances are joined. Beyond that, it’s your call.
3. Use a personal email and phone for trustee communication. Keep your work email and work-issued phone out of the loop entirely.
4. Update your mailing address if needed. If you live with roommates or family who open your mail, ask the trustee to send documents to a P.O. box or alternative address.
5. Plan for future credit applications. When you apply for a mortgage or major loan within six years, expect the lender to ask. Have your credit rebuild plan ready to share.
6. Save your Certificate of Full Performance. When you finish your proposal, you’ll receive this certificate. Send it to Equifax and TransUnion to make sure they update your file. Keep the original somewhere safe.

Frequently Asked Questions