Registering a Business in Saskatchewan

saskatchewan business registration

There are two types of business registration options in Saskatchewan. You have the availability to register as a Sole Proprietorship (1 person or entity) or as a Partnership (2 or more people or entities). These registrations allow you to start your business and either is connected to you personally. The owner accepts all risks. This includes, but is not limited to profits/losses of the business.  The revenues gained by the business are filed under your personal tax return. 

Mandatory requirements for Registering a business in Saskatchewan:

Name Reservation (2-5 business days government turnaround)
The Province of Saskatchewan requires all business registrations to provide an approved name. The name is reviewed and approved by a provincial examiner. When submitting a name request, only one name is to be provided. The report only searches Incorporated names within the Information Services Corporation system for the Province of Saskatchewan. The provincial examiner uses their discretion when approving the name. Ontario Business Central will provide assistance in the Name approval proposal and acceptance. 

Choosing a Business Name

A good business name contains both a unique element and descriptive. This helps to both capture your audience and helps clients understand the services you offer. The province of Saskatchewan requires the name to contain 2 elements – a distinctive and a descriptive element. Both are mandatory to gain name approval from the Province of Saskatchewan.

Two examples of this are as follows:

Distinctive Element Descriptive Element
Jean’s Hardware Store
Hulji IT Services

Each Province has different naming regulations.  Some words cannot be used, or that are protected and can only be used with permissions by the Provincial government. 

The province of Saskatchewan has the following restrictions: 

You are not permitted to include the following:

  • Saskatchewan or Sask
  • Operated by or o/b
  • A division of
  • Operating As or o/a
  • Doing Business As or d/b/a
  • Trading As or t/a
  • Profanity and/or obscene terms

Restricted words and items can include: 

  • Brackets (in most cases a consent is required as brackets implies an affiliation with an existing name)
  • A year (has many different regulations) 
  • Financial terms (unless you a consent from the Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority, the following words cannot be used) trust, loan, mortgage, finance, financial, financing, reinsurance, acceptance, fiduciary, fiducie, trustco, payday, banking, bank, credit, caisse populaire, insurance, insurer, underwriting, assurance, surety, securities exchange, stock exchange or warranty
  • Post Secondary institutions (in most cases you cannot use the following words) university, varsity, college, institute, school, education or academy
  • In most cases, implied connections to professional associations require a written consent (ex: accounting or engineering)
  • Implied connections to royalty are not accepted. (ex: Queen Elizabeth)

The importance of including a Federal Nuans Preliminary Search

An important step to consider is including a Federal preliminary search while completing the mandatory name reservation. The name reservation with the Saskatchewan government does not include any information for Federal corporations, Canadian trademarks or business names within Canada.  It is recommended you complete the Federal preliminary search to better see the scope of existing businesses in Canada. This allows for a better analysis of potential conflicts to your proposed business name. If you would like to include it, Ontario Business Central can assist in this process. 

Types of Registration

Sole Proprietorship
A Sole Proprietorship is a registration that is owned by one individual, an existing corporation, limited partnership or an Indian Band. It is commonly registered by one individual or under an existing Corporation. 

Partnership
A Partnership is a registration that is owned by two or more individuals or multiple corporations to operate a business in the Province of Saskatchewan. 

Registrations available to Canadians and Non-Residents

These registrations are a great option for Canadians or Non-Residents who are looking to operate a business with a low registration cost. The business address must be in Saskatchewan, but the individual addresses can be anywhere.

How long is the registration valid for?

In the Province of Saskatchewan, Sole Proprietorship and Partnership registrations are valid for 3 years until they are required to be renewed. When you submit your order with Ontario Business Central, we will keep track of your renewal date and send you an email reminder when your registration is coming up on its expiry. 

Listing a Business Physical Address outside of Saskatchewan

If your business’ physical address is not within the Province, you would be required to list a Power of Attorney who is located within Saskatchewan in order to operate your business. The business address itself, however, must be located within Saskatchewan.

How does it work for Non-Residents? 

Non-residents are able to register and operate a Saskatchewan business however they must either list a physical address for themselves in Saskatchewan or appoint a Power of Attorney in the Province for the business.

Is there business name protection for the registration?

There is no name protection for business registrations in Saskatchewan, however before you are able to register a Name Availability Search and Reservation is required with the Province. This would check your proposed business name against existing businesses and corporations in Saskatchewan to ensure there is nothing that appears too similar. If the Province finds the proposed name to be too similar to an existing business registration or corporation, the name request will be rejected and a new name would have to be submitted. Including a pre-search with your Saskatchewan business registration helps avoid this rejection by checking the databank of existing businesses, corporations and trademarks across Canada before a name reservation request is submitted. 

If having name protection is important for you and your business, you may want to look at creating a Federal corporation or a Saskatchewan corporation, as corporations do have name protection in the jurisdiction they are registered.

Ontario Business Central makes it quick and easy to have your Saskatchewan business registration completed. 

To register your business or corporation in Saskatchewan with our team, please click the link below:

SASKATCHEWAN BUSINESS REGISTRATION

SASKATCHEWAN CORPORATION

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to our staff for any clarification or assistance you may require.

inquiries@ontariobusinesscentral.ca
Toll-Free: 1-800-280-1913
Local: 1-416-599-9009
Fax: 1-866-294-4363
Office Hours: 9:00am – 5:00pm
Monday – Friday E.S.T.

Ontario Business Central Inc. is not a law firm and cannot provide a legal opinion or advice. This information is to assist you in understanding the requirements of registration within the chosen jurisdiction. It is always recommended, when you have legal or accounting questions that you speak to a qualified professional.