Register a disability savings plan - Who can apply

3. Who can apply

To open an RDSP:

• a person(s) or organization(s) must be eligible 
• a person must have a valid social insurance number
• an organization must have a business number registered with the Canada Revenue Agency

A person or organization is eligible in the following situations:

• If the RDSP beneficiary is a child, their legal parent(s) can open an RDSP for them. A person or organization who has the legal authority to make financial decisions for the beneficiary can also open an RDSP for them. Someone has legal authority if they have been appointed as such through the laws of the province in which the beneficiary lives.
• If the beneficiary is an adult, they can open an RDSP for themselves. 
• If the beneficiary is an adult who cannot legally sign a contract, a person or organization who has the legal authority to make financial decisions for the beneficiary can open an RDSP for them. 
• If unsure whether the adult beneficiary can legally sign a contract, the beneficiary’s legal parent, brother, sister, spouse, or common-law partner, can open an RDSP for them.
• If an adult beneficiary’s legal parent(s) opened their RDSP when they were a child, the parent(s) can transfer the plan to a new RDSP for the beneficiary even though they are now an adult and are contractually competent.