Canadian company search: federal and provincial registers
Choose the correct registry and distinguish a corporation number from a business number.
Official services open in a new tab. Guidance reviewed: 7 October 2026. Service interfaces and access may change.
Federal incorporation or a provincial record?
Begin a Canadian company search by identifying how the corporation was formed. An office in Toronto or Vancouver does not establish whether federal or provincial corporate legislation applies. Ask for the incorporation document, exact legal name and corporation number.
Corporations Canada's search covers its federal corporate database. Its stated exclusions include corporations formed under provincial or territorial laws and certain financial corporations. Failure to find a name there is therefore not proof that the business does not exist in Canada.
Choose a useful starting point
Use the federal search when federal incorporation is known. For a broader starting point, consult Canada's Business Registries and pay attention to the jurisdiction attached to each result. Check the service's coverage before treating a search as exhaustive for every kind of organisation.
- Prepare the legal name, corporation number or business number if available.
- Use the field intended for that identifier; the numbers are not interchangeable.
- Compare the name, jurisdiction, status and available address information.
- Consult the relevant provincial or territorial authority when needed.
- Record the search date and decide separately which document to order.
Resolve apparently different names
A numbered corporation may trade under a name that does not resemble its legal denomination. Establish which entity will sign the contract. An extra-provincial registration may concern the same corporation rather than another legal person; compare identifiers and the basis of registration before counting records as separate businesses.
Recent filings may take time to appear in the federal database. Where a newly issued document differs from the screen, clarify its issuing authority and date. Do not resolve the discrepancy by simply choosing whichever version is more convenient.
Define the document request
Ask the receiving bank or adviser which document and certification it needs. Viewing a record and obtaining an official copy are different steps. For assistance, provide the exact name, known identifier, federal or provincial jurisdiction, and destination country. If you do not know the jurisdiction, say so: locating the right authority comes before ordering the document.