Totally Impressed with the service I received. The process was swift and registration completed in a few working days. No wonder the ratings are so high on Google. Keep up the great work.
This video will identify how to search an existing Sole Proprietorship, General Partnership, Trade Name or Corporation to obtain details on the business.
Conducting a corporate or business search is simple with the help of Ontario Business Central. We offer the ability to search existing corporations and businesses across Canada for Corporate Searches, Certificates of Status/Compliance/Good Standing and copies of the original Articles of Incorporation.
Profile Reports are available for all types of businesses in the Canadian Corporation Registry by province. Search results include:
The Certificate of Status/Compliance/Good Standing are different wordings for the same product depending on the jurisdiction. Typically a one page certificate that verifies if a corporation is active or inactive on the date of request. This certificate is only available for incorporated companies. It includes:
The Articles of Incorporation are the original corporate documents from when the original incorporation was completed which will include the following information:
Order a Corporate Search Along With PPSA, Bankruptcy or Bankact Litigation Searches.
All In One Place!
If you wish to search and find business details about an existing corporation or registered business in Canada, completing a corporation search will provide the necessary information. A business in Canada can register with any provincial jurisdiction as an incorporated or registered business. The federal jurisdiction does not offer registered businesses and therefore, only corporations can be searched if the business is listed as federal.
Common wording to search a business in Canada
Individuals often assume there is a federal corporate database that maintains the corporate and registered business records across Canada. This is not accurate. Each jurisdiction in Canada maintains the corporate records within their own jurisdiction where the business operates. There is not a federal business registry that holds all records.
If you have the legal name of the business and the jurisdiction where it operates such as Ontario, Alberta or B.C., you can select that specific jurisdiction to search the provincial records through our easy online portal. Most commonly, a business that you are dealing with resides within your province and that is where the corporate search should be conducted. If you are not sure at all, we offer another access point to check a business name called the preliminary search where you submit the business name and the database will search and try to find it. The preliminary provides very little information outside of provincial jurisdiction or federal jurisdiction of registration. Once ascertained, the corporate search can be ordered for the correct province to obtain the record of the business you are seeking.
If you are not sure at all, we offer another access point to check a business name called the preliminary search where you submit the business name and instantly, the database will search and try to find that specific business entity. The preliminary provides very little information outside of provincial jurisdiction or federal jurisdiction of registration. Once ascertained, the corporate search can be ordered with the correct province to obtain the record of the business you are seeking.
These are the different entities you can search to obtain the corporate search information to reflect the same search request. If you wish to know the current information of a registered or incorporated business, this request will provide the most up to date information for the following:
If you wish to conduct a business name search across canada, we are able to easily search and provide the results to you. The corporate profiles are available for both profit and not-for-profit corporations and business registrations across Canada. When requesting a corporate search, many jurisdictions require the corporation file an Annual Return to keep their corporate records up to date yearly. This will help ensure the public record for corporations becomes more up-to-date from October 2021 moving forward.
Each jurisdiction has its own business registry system that provides the specific details to any business entity.
Corporate Search Results provides:
It's requested for a variety of reasons including:
Each year, professional incorporations are required to update the status of the professional incorporation to maintain the certificate of authorization to operate as a professional incorporation.
Many Ontario professionals must provide an Entity or Profile report to their government bod each year. In some jurisdictions a Certificate of Status/Good Standing or Certificate of Compliance may be required.
The corporate search provides the same information for a professional corporation as it does for any other business incorporated or registered.
Each professional governing body has different requirements. It is best to verify with the required submission for the specific profession.
The corporate search/profile or entity report offers the most comprehensive information of any business in Canada, encompassing details related to corporate/business activities, business addresses, and the current directors and officers associated with the corporation. This process serves to verify that the listed address and directors align with the profession listed with the governing body, ensuring compliance and accuracy.
Ontario introduced the new Ontario Business Registry system as of October 19 2021. Any business registered or incorporated after this date including Sole Proprietorships, Firm Name for General Partnerships or Business Names For a Corporation, can request a new copy of the original filing by selecting this search. Any registered business prior to October 21, 2021 in Ontario would simply request an “Entity Profile Report” to obtain a copy of the registration information. This makes it easy to conduct an Ontario corporate registry search.
The Certificate of Status or Certificate of Compliance or Certificate of Good Standing are different wordings for the same product depending on the jurisdiction in Canada. Typically a one page certificate that verifies if a corporation is active or inactive on the date of request. This certificate is only available for incorporated companies.
This is requested for a variety of reasons including:
You can request and obtain the original documents filed for a corporation or registered business under the specific parameters as listed below
The Articles of Incorporation are the original corporate documents from when the original incorporation was completed. In all jurisdictions across Canada you can request a copy of the Copy of Articles of Incorporations which will include the following information:
In Ontario, the Microfiche will also display any changes to the corporation providing Articles of Amendment where the corporation may have changed it's corporate name, structure or overall directors parameters such as a minimum of one and maximum of ten directors.
Each corporation within Ontario has its own microfiche record of the Articles of Incorporation. The microfiche for any Ontario incorporation can be retrieved from the Provincial databank within 8 to 15 business days of request. The corporate microfiche not only maintains the Articles of Incorporation but also any other article filings for the corporation such as Articles of Amendment, Articles of Revival, and Articles of Dissolution. The microfiche also maintains any notices of change filed on behalf of the corporation with updates to addresses, directors, officers of the corporation prior to 1995. The Articles of Incorporation are requested mostly when the owners of the business have misplaced their original copy of the documents.
Articles of Amendment are available as a separate request where you believe the corporations filed has changes these types of information:
The corporation can make any combination of these 3 types of information changes within one filing.
If a registrant has lost a copy of their Business Name Registration formerly their Master Business License from when it was originally filed, this provides a duplicate of that original registration. This is now available by ordering the "Entity Profile Report".
If you want to search an American business to find out details of a business, how long the business has been in operation, who the owners/directors of the business, the business address and a number of other details, we can complete a search request on any business in all states with the exception of New Mexico and Pennsylvania. Ontario Business Central has performed thousands of corporate searches each year in Canada for the last 30 years. We are making the same business search available to our neighboring business in the United States.
Simply select the state where the business operates and we will complete the search and email you the results. Whether you need a secretary of state California business search, Illinois corporate search or state or Oregon business search, we have the tools and resources to search the company, look up and get the results over to you.
You can search both incorporations including LLC corporations, C corporations, S corporations and business licenses to find the details you need.
Whether you are in Canada or the US or anywhere else in the word, you can request the information with us and pay in Canadian dollars instead of US dollars. On average, the fees in Canada with the currency exchange to the US dollar can save you up to 30%.
The new Entity Profile Report replaces this. The Point in Time report provides the details of the corporation including the head office address, directors and officers names and addresses at a specific timeframe or specific date. Often this report is requested when an individual wants to see historically who owned and operated a corporation.
The new Profile Entity replaces the need to order this report on its own. From June 1992, a document List provided a listing of the corporate records filed on behalf of the corporation. This entity profile report now includes a listing of documents filed including all articles, any Notices of Change updating the address, directors or officers of the corporation and any notices of default provided by either the federal or Provincial governments.
The new Entity Profile Report replaces this. The Business Names List provides the name and BIN number of any current Master Business License (operating names) currently held by a corporation.
The Document Replica is requested to obtain a replacement copy of a current Master Business License in Ontario whether the registration is a Sole Proprietorship, General Partnership or Tradename.
The new Entity Profile Report replaces this.The BNLP Document List provides all filings attached to a specific Master Business License including the registration, any changes, renewals or cancellations.
The new Entity Profile Report replaces this.The Business Names Report provided details of a current Master Business Licence including business address, owners, owners address, the date of registration and business activity.
Due Diligence provides additional information on the corporation or individual director. Whether the business has debts and obligations, if a bank holds any liens for a corporation and if bankruptcy has occurred.
The PPSA (Personal Property Securities Act) search allows you to search an individual or corporation for any current loans under motor vehicles, equipment, inventory or consumer goods.
The Bank Act Certificate provides if any financial institution in Canada that has first priority on any debt owing including goods and equipment.
The Official Receiver is a database held by the Registrar General of Canada and maintains a database of bankruptcy filings of either an individual or a corporation. The certificate will either provide details of the bankruptcy or confirm there are no bankruptcies listed.
The Bankruptcy Search is a manual search conducted at the local courthouse to the individual or corporation being searched. This will indicate if an individual or corporation has been petitioned into bankruptcy within Ontario.
The Litigation Searches are available to search within the local courthouse for either an individual or corporation to see if there are litigation files listed. Litigation searches are ordered to see if an individual or corporation has had issues with previous lenders and creditors. This will provide details whether they are a plaintiff or defendant in any action.
If you have questions about the products to order, please give us a call at 1-800-280-1913 or 416-599-9009.
Other services offered by Ontario Business Central include Nuans Search and Report and Registered Business Services services and more.
donald wingell
Totally Impressed with the service I received. The process was swift and registration completed in a few working days. No wonder the ratings are so high on Google. Keep up the great work.
Kelly White
It was very easy to renew my business license online. An agent followed up with me immediately by email when she noticed an address discrepancy on my application. It was easily resolved. Prompt, professional and friendly service.
Gazelle Ghajar
Awesome company to work with. Website is easy to navigate into finding what you need, online forms are simple to fill in, and the request was processed and confirmed within the afternoon! Very impressed with their service and will be using again for my husband's business come January.