A Profile Report (also called a Corporate Search or Entity Report) is the comprehensive snapshot of a corporation's public record; directors, officers, registered office, status, share structure, and full filing history. A Certificate of Status is a single-purpose Ministry document confirming only whether a corporation is currently Active or In Default. For most due diligence purposes, you want the Profile Report. For banking transactions and legal closings confirming good standing, you may need both.
No. As of February 1, 2025, ServiceOntario direct requires a Company Key for self-service Article retrieval, but Ontario Business Central operates as a Registry Consultant and bypasses this requirement entirely for all corporate search products. You don't need a Company Key, just provide the corporation name and we handle the rest.
Most corporate searches are delivered by email within 30 minutes during business hours. Profile Reports and Certificates of Status are pulled from live Ministry registries. Articles of Incorporation are 30 minutes for post-October 2021 filings (digital records) and 1-10 business days for pre-2021 filings (microfilm archive conversion). Due diligence searches and BN retrievals are typically same-day. Litigation searches take up to 24 hours.
Yes. Ontario Business Central provides corporate searches across all Canadian provinces and territories — Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as Federal corporations through Corporations Canada. If you don't know where a corporation is registered, contact our team — we provide a free jurisdiction-finding service at no charge.
Due Diligence Searches are typically requested before major transactions (M&A, financing, real estate, vendor onboarding) to verify the legal and financial standing of a business. They include PPSA / Lien searches (any registered security interests against the corporation's assets), Bankruptcy and Official Receiver searches (federal bankruptcy filings), and Bank Act searches (security interests under federal banking legislation). Available across Canada.
The Business Number (BN) is a 9-digit identifier assigned by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to every incorporated business in Canada. It's used for HST, payroll, and corporate income tax (T2) program accounts. If you've lost your BN or need to verify another corporation's BN for tax or contract purposes, OBC can retrieve it for Ontario, BC, and federal corporations.
Yes. Ontario Business Central allows up to 5 separate corporate searches in a single bulk order through our Bulk Corporate Search page. Each search line can independently be a Profile Report, Certificate of Status, Articles of Incorporation, or Articles of Amendment, in any Canadian jurisdiction. Matter and Reference # fields are included for law firm internal billing. For 6 or more searches in one order, contact our team for custom bulk pricing.
Toronto Litigation Searches identify court actions filed against an individual or corporation across the Toronto court system: Small Claims Court (claims up to $50,000 as of October 1, 2025), Superior Court of Justice (civil actions over $50,000), and Ontario Court of Appeal. These searches are used in due diligence, employment screening, and pre-contract verification. Results are typically delivered within 24 hours.
No problem. Ontario Business Central searches the name you provide and finds the closest match. If there's no exact match, our team contacts you with a list of similar corporate names to choose from before proceeding. This prevents wasted government fees on misspelled or incorrect searches — what we call our No-Waste Guarantee.
Yes. Certified copies with the Ministry's official seal are required for banking transactions, mortgage applications, court proceedings, and certain regulatory filings. Standard digital copies are sufficient for most due diligence and internal corporate purposes. In Alberta and Newfoundland, certified copies are required by default. Select "Certified" on the order form if you need the seal.
