Language selection

Government of Canada / Gouvernement du Canada

Search

Annex A – Order of precedence of orders, decorations and medals

Table of contents

Background

  1. The protocol for wearing the insignia of Canadian orders, decorations, and medals, separately or together with Commonwealth or foreign individual honours, is governed by the directive reprinted below. Refer also to A-AD-265-000/AG-001, Canadian Forces Dress Instructions.
  2. Those individuals who were members of a British Order or a recipient of a British decoration or medal prior to the expansion of the Canadian Honours System in 1972 should wear their honours in the integrated British Canadian sequence then in force as noted in paragraph 9.
  3. Information on the sequence of wear of previous British honours for campaigns older than those listed in paragraph 9 may be obtained from NDHQ/DH&R.
  4. As noted in paragraph 7 and paragraph 8 of the Directive below, Commonwealth and foreign honours may only be worn with the approval of the Government of Canada. Refer to Chapter 8.

Policy regarding the wearing of non-authorized awards.

NOTE

Policy regarding the wearing of non-authorized awards.

Only the insignia of orders, decorations and medals officially awarded under the authority of the Crown, or the wearing of which has been authorized by the Crown, may be worn. Only the actual recipient of an honour can wear its insignia; no family member or any person other than the original recipient may wear the insignia of an order, decoration or medal. Insignia that are purchased or otherwise acquired may be used for display purpose only and cannot be worn on the person in any form or manner.

[Reprint of Canadian Orders, Decorations and Medals Directive, P.C. 1998-591 of April 2, 1998. The asterisk (*) indicates approved honours added since that date.] Periods in post-nominals have been ommitted IAW Chapter 7 paragraph 25.

Order of precedence

  1. The sequence for wearing the insignia of Canadian orders, decorations and medals and the post-nominal letters associated with the orders, decorations and medals are the following:
      • Victoria Cross (VC)
      • Cross of Valour (CV)
    • National orders
      • Order of Merit (OM)
      • Companion of the Order of Canada (CC)
      • Officer of the Order of Canada (OC)
      • Member of the Order of Canada (CM)
      • Commander of the Order of Military Merit (CMM)
      • Commander of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces (COM) Footnote *
      • Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO)
      • Officer of the Order of Military Merit (OMM)
      • Officer of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces (OOM) Footnote *
      • Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO)
      • Member of the Order of Military Merit (MMM)
      • Member of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces (MOM) Footnote *
      • Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO)
      • The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem (all grades) (post-nominal letters only for internal use by the Order of St. John)
    • Provincial orders
      • Order of Quebec (GOQ, OQ, CQ)
      • Saskatchewan Order of Merit (SOM)
      • Order of Ontario (OOnt)
      • Order of British Columbia (OBC)
      • Alberta Order of Excellence (AOE)
      • Order of Prince Edward Island (OPEI)
      • Order of Manitoba (OM) Footnote *
      • Order of New Brunswick (ONB) Footnote *
      • Order of Nova Scotia (ONS) Footnote *
      • Order of Newfoundland and Labrador (ONL) Footnote *
      • Order of Nunavut (ONU) Footnote *
      • Order of the Northwest Territories (ONWT) Footnote *
      • Order of Yukon (OY) Footnote *
    • Decorations
      • Star of Military Valour (SMV)
      • Star of Courage (SC)
      • Meritorious Service Cross (MSC)
      • Medal of Military Valour (MMV)
      • Medal of Bravery (MB)
      • Meritorious Service Medal (MSM)
      • Royal Victorian Medal (RVM)
    • Medals
      • Sacrifice Medal
      • War and operational service medals (see section 5 for complete list)
      • Special service medals
        • Special Service Medal with Bars (see Section 2)
        • PAKISTAN (1989-1990)
        • ALERT
        • HUMANITAS
        • NATO/OTAN
        • PEACE/PAIX
        • RANGER Footnote *
        • EXPEDITION Footnote *
        • Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal Footnote *
      • United Nations medals
        • Service (Korea) (1950-1954)
        • Emergency Force (Egypt/Sinai) (1956-1967)
        • Truce Supervision Organization in Palestine (1948- ) and Observer Group in Lebanon (1958)
        • Military Observation Group in India and Pakistan (1948- )
        • Operation in Congo (1960-1964)
        • Temporary Executive Authority in West New Guinea (1962-1963)
        • Yemen Observation Mission (1963-1964)
        • Force in Cyprus (1964- )
        • India/Pakistan Observation Mission (1965-1966)
        • Emergency Force Middle East (1973-1979)
        • Disengagement Observation Force Golan Heights (1974- )
        • Interim Force in Lebanon (1978- )
        • Military Observation Group in Iran/Iraq (1988-1991)
        • Transition Assistance Group (Namibia) (1989-1990)
        • Observer Group in Central America (1989-1992)
        • Iraq/Kuwait Observer Mission (1991- )
        • Angola Verification Mission (1988-1997)
        • Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (1991- )
        • Observer Mission in El Salvador (1991-1995)
        • Protection Force (Yugoslavia) (1992-1995)
        • Advance Mission in Cambodia (1991-1992)
        • Transitional Authority in Cambodia (1992-1993)
        • Operation in Somalia (1992-1993)
        • Operation in Mozambique (1992-1994)
        • Observation Mission in Uganda/Rwanda (1993-1994)
        • Assistance Mission in Rwanda (1993-1996)
        • Mission in Haiti (1993- )
        • Verification of Human Rights and Compliance with the Comprehensive Agreement on Human Rights in Guatemala (1997-1998)
        • Mission in the Central African Republic (1998-2000) Footnote *
        • Preventive Deployment Force (Macedonia) (1995-1999) Footnote *
        • Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1995- ) Footnote *
        • Mission of Observers in Prevlaka (Croatia) (1996- ) Footnote *
        • Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (1999- ) Footnote *
        • Observer Mission in Sierra Leone (1999- ) Footnote *
        • Mission in East Timor and Transitional Administration in East Timor (1999- ) Footnote *
        • Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (1999- ) Footnote *
        • Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (2000- ) Footnote *
        • Stabilization Mission in Haiti (2004- ) Footnote *
        • Operation in Côte D’Ivoire (2004- ) Footnote *
        • Mission in Sudan (2005- ) Footnote *
        • Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (2006- ) Footnote *
        • Hybrid Mission with the African Union in Darfur (2007- ) Footnote *
        • Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (2011- ) Footnote *
        • Special Service (1995- )
        • Headquarters Footnote *
      • NATO medals
        • North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Medal for the Former Yugoslavia (1992-2002) Footnote *
        • NATO Medal for Kosovo (1999- ) Footnote *
        • NATO Medal for the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (2001-2002) Footnote *
        • Article 5 NATO Medal for Operation "Eagle Assist" (2001-2002) Footnote *
        • Article 5 NATO Medal for Operation "Active Endeavour" (2001- ) Footnote *
        • Non-Article 5 NATO Medal for operations in the Balkans (2003- ) Footnote *
        • Non-Article 5 NATO Medal for the NATO Training Mission in Iraq (2004- ) Footnote *
        • Non-Article 5 NATO Medal for NATO Logistical Support to the African Union Mission in Sudan (2005- ) Footnote *
        • Non-Article 5 NATO Medal for Operations and Activities in Relation to Africa Footnote *
        • Non-Article 5 NATO Medal for Operation "Unified Protector" in Libya (2011) Footnote *
        • Non-Article 5 NATO Medal for Service with NATO in relation to Operation "SEA- GUARDIAN" (2016- ) Footnote *
      • International mission medals
        • International Commission for Supervision and Control (Indo-China) (1954-1974)
        • International Commission for Control and Supervision (Vietnam) (1973)
        • Multinational Force and Observers (Sinai) (1982- )
        • European Community Monitor Mission (Yugoslavia) (1991- )
        • International Force East Timor (1999- ) Footnote *
        • European Security and Defence Policy Service Medal/Common Security and Defense Policy Service Medal (2003- ) Footnote *
      • Special Medals
      • Commemorative medals
        • Canadian Centennial Medal (1967)
        • Queen Elizabeth's Silver Jubilee Medal (1977)
        • 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal (1992)
        • Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee Medal (2002) Footnote *
        • Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012) Footnote *
      • Long service and good conduct medals
        • Royal Canadian Mounted Policy (RCMP) Long Service Medal
        • Canadian Forces' Decoration (CD)
      • Exemplary service medals
        • Police Exemplary Service Medal
        • Corrections Exemplary Service Medal
        • Fire Services Exemplary Service Medal
        • Canadian Coast Guard Exemplary Service Medal
        • Emergency Medical Services Exemplary Service Medal
        • Peace Officer Exemplary Service Medal Footnote *
      • Special medal
        • Queen’s Medal for Champion Shot
      • Other decorations and medals
        • Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship (OMC)
        • Ontario Medal for Police Bravery
        • Ontario Medal for Firefighters Bravery
        • Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal (SVM)
        • Ontario Provincial Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
        • Service Medal of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem
        • Commissionaire Long Service Medal
        • Newfoundland and Labrador Bravery Award Footnote *
        • Newfoundland and Labrador Volunteer Service Medal Footnote *
        • British Columbia Fire Services Long Service and Bravery Medals Footnote *
        • Commemorative Medal for the Centennial of Saskatchewan Footnote *
        • Alberta Centennial Medal Footnote *
        • Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee Medal (Provincial) (2022)Footnote *
  2. The Bar to the Special Service Medal (SSM) is worn centered on the ribbon. If there is more than one Bar, they are spaced evenly on the ribbon with the most recent uppermost.
  3. Commonwealth orders, decorations and medals, the award of which is approved by the GC, are worn after the Canadian orders, decorations and medals listed in Section 1, the precedence in each category being set by date of appointment or award.
  4. Foreign orders, decorations and medals, the award of which is approved by the GC, are worn after the orders, decorations and medals referred to in Sections 1 and 3, the precedence in each category being set by date of appointment or award.
  5. Notwithstanding Sections 1, 3 and 4, a person who, prior to June 1, 1972, was a member of a British order or the recipient of a British decoration or medal referred to in this section, may wear the insignia of the decoration or medal together with the insignia of any Canadian order, decoration or medal that the person is entitled to wear, the proper sequence being the following:
      • Victoria Cross (VC)
      • George Cross (GC)
      • Cross of Valour (CV)
      • Order of Merit (OM)
      • Order of the Companions of Honour (CH)
      • Companion of the Order of Canada (CC)
      • Officer of the Order of Canada (OC)
      • Member of the Order of Canada (CM)
      • Commander of the Order of Military Merit (CMM)
      • Commander of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces (COM) Footnote *
      • Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB)
      • Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George (CMG)
      • Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO)
      • Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
      • Distinguished Service Order (DSO)
      • Officer of the Order of Military Merit (OMM)
      • Officer of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces (OOM) Footnote *
      • Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO)
      • Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
      • Imperial Service Order (ISO)
      • Member of the Order of Military Merit (MMM)
      • Member of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces (MOM) Footnote *
      • Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO)
      • Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
      • Member of the Royal Red Cross (RRC)
      • Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)
      • Military Cross (MC)
      • Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)
      • Air Force Cross (AFC)
      • Star of Military Valour (SMV)
      • Star of Courage (SC)
      • Meritorious Service Cross (MSC)
      • Medal of Military Valour (MMV)
      • Medal of Bravery (MB)
      • Meritorious Service Medal (MSM)
      • Associate of the Royal Red Cross (ARRC)
      • The Most Venerable Order of St John of Jerusalem (all grades) (post-nominal letters only for internal use by the Order of St. John)
    • Provincial Orders (order of precedence as set out in Section 1)
      • Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM)
      • Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (CGM)
      • George Medal (GM)
      • Distinguished Service Medal (DSM)
      • Military Medal (MM)
      • Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM)
      • Air Force Medal (AFM)
      • Queen’s Gallantry Medal (QGM)
      • Royal Victorian Medal (RVM)
      • British Empire Medal (BEM)
    • War and operational service medals
      • Africa General Service Medal (1902-1956)
      • India General Service Medal (1908-1935)
      • Naval General Service Medal (1915-1962)
      • India General Service Medal (1936-1939)
      • General Service Medal - Army and Air Force (1918-1962)
      • General Service Medal (1962- )
      • 1914 Star
      • 1914-1915 Star
      • British War Medal (1914-1918)
      • Mercantile Marine War Medal (1914-1918)
      • Victory Medal (1914-1918)
      • Territorial Force War Medal (1914-1919)
      • 1939-1945 Star
      • Atlantic Star
      • Air Crew Europe Star
      • Africa Star
      • Pacific Star
      • Burma Star
      • Italy Star
      • France and Germany Star
      • Arctic Star Footnote *
      • Defence Medal
      • Canadian Volunteer Service Medal
      • Newfoundland Second World War Volunteer Service Medal (see Section 6)
      • War Medal (1939-1945)
      • Korea Medal
      • Canadian Volunteer Service Medal for Korea
      • Sacrifice Medal Footnote *
      • Gulf and Kuwait Medal
      • Somalia Medal
      • South-West Asia Service Medal Footnote *
      • General Campaign Star Footnote *
      • General Service Medal Footnote *
    • Special service medals
      • (The order of precedence is as set out for SSMs in Section 1.)
    • United nations medals
      • (The order of precedence is as set out for the United Nations Medals in Section 1.)
    • International commission and organization medals
      • (The order of precedence is as set out for International Commission and Organization Medals in Section 1.)
    • POLAR MEDALS
      • (The order of precedence is by order of date awarded.)
    • Commemorative medals
      • King George's Silver Jubilee Medal (1935)
      • King George's Coronation Medal (1937)
      • Queen Elizabeth's Coronation Medal (1953)
      • Canadian Centennial Medal (1967)
      • Queen Elizabeth's Silver Jubilee Medal (1977)
      • 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal (1992)
      • Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee Medal (2002) Footnote *
      • Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012) Footnote *
    • Long service and good conduct medals
      • Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
      • Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
      • Air Force Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
      • RCMP Long Service Medal
      • Volunteer Officer’s Decoration (VD)
      • Volunteer Long Service Medal
      • Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officer’s Decoration (VD)
      • Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service Medal
      • Efficiency Decoration (ED)
      • Efficiency Medal
      • Naval Volunteer Reserve Decoration (VRD)
      • Naval Volunteer Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
      • Air Efficiency Award
      • Canadian Forces' Decoration (CD)
    • Exemplary service medals
      (The order of precedence is as set out for Exemplary Service Medals in Section 1.)
    • Special medal
      • King’s Medal for Champion Shot
    • Other decorations and medals
      (The order of precedence is as set out for Other Decorations and Medals in Section 1.)
  6. The Newfoundland Volunteer War Service Medal has the same precedence as the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal.
  7. The insignia of orders, decorations and medals not listed in this Directive, as well as foreign awards, the award of which has not been approved by the GC, shall not be mounted or worn in conjunction with orders, decorations and medals listed in this Directive.
  8. The insignia of orders, decorations and medals shall not be worn by anyone other than the recipient of the orders, decorations or medals.

Top of page

Top of page

Page details

Date modified: