Mandatory filing for new Ontario corporations within 60 days of incorporation, amalgamation, continuance, or revival. Confirms registered office and directors, and adds officer positions. Same-day filing if ordered before 3pm EST.
Corporation name & OCN.
Registered office address.
Directors' names & addresses.
Add Company Key (or request 27% bundle).
Corporate mailing address.
Officer positions (President, Secretary, Treasurer)
Update directors if needed.
Authorizing person details.
Live agent prepares Initial Notice draft.
Email draft to you for review.
Filed with the Ministry upon approval.
Confirmation of Filing emailed to you.
Have these ready before you start. Our team will request anything missing.
Exact corporation name and 9-10 digit Ontario Corporate Number from your Articles of Incorporation.
Full legal names and residential addresses of all current directors. Plus citizenship status (for residency-required types).
9-digit Company Key. Mandatory since Feb 1, 2025. We can request as a 27%-off bundle.
Physical Ontario address from your Articles. Confirm or update if address has changed since incorporation.
Up to 5 officer positions (President, Treasurer, Secretary, etc.) with names of officers holding each position.
Name and contact details of the person authorizing the Initial Notice (typically a director or officer).
What's included when your Initial Notice is filed, plus your post-Initial-Notice corporate compliance journey.
Form 1 Initial Notice prepared by live agent
Draft Initial Notice for your review
Filed electronically with the Ministry
Confirmation of Filing emailed to you
Updated Corporate Entity Report (if requested)
Company Key requested (if needed)
Free Annual Return Reminder activated
Live Canadian agent support throughout
Free Annual Return Reminder Service
After the Initial Notice, your corporation enters the yearly Annual Return cycle with the Ministry. We track your filing date and email free reminders ahead of each Annual Return deadline so you never miss a filing or risk dissolution.
Practical Guidance For Managing Your Initial Notice
Keep your Confirmation of Filing alongside your Articles of Incorporation in your corporate minute book. This is your statutory record of the Initial Notice filing.
Use the Initial Notice's officer positions to formalize roles at your first board meeting. Pass resolutions confirming officer appointments and authorizing banking signatories.
If you haven't already, register for an HST account and any payroll accounts with the CRA. The Initial Notice confirmation is acceptable proof of corporate existence.
Provide the Confirmation of Filing to your bank to confirm officer signing authority. Some banks request the Initial Notice in addition to Articles before opening accounts.
Any future changes to directors, officers, registered office, or mailing address must be filed via Notice of Change within 15 days of the change under the Corporations Information Act.
Ontario corporations must file an Annual Return each year confirming corporate information. Our Free Annual Return Reminder service emails you ahead of each deadline.
OBCA requires corporations to maintain a minute book with Articles, by-laws, registers, meeting minutes, and resolutions. Order corporate supplies if you don't have a minute book yet.
If you ever need to change your corporate name, share structure, or director count limits, file Articles of Amendment. This is a different filing from Notice of Change. If you are unsure which filing you need, our team can help.
The Initial Notice does two distinct things: confirms or updates information from your Articles, and adds new information not previously recorded.
Confirms or Updates
These items were captured at incorporation. The Initial Notice lets you confirm them or correct any changes since incorporation.
Adds (New)
These items are added for the first time on the Initial Notice. They were not part of your Articles of Incorporation.
Initial Notice is the first place officer positions are formally recorded. The four most common positions cover most corporations.
Overseeing party for all corporate administration. Most senior position. Typically signs contracts and represents the corporation externally.
Second-most senior officer. Acts in absence of the President. Often holds delegated authority for specific operations or business areas.
Financial oversight and responsibility. Typically authorized signatory on bank accounts. Manages corporate finances and tax filings.
Corporate administration. Maintains the minute book, records resolutions, manages corporate records, and certifies official documents.
The Ministry's electronic record holds up to 5 senior officer positions. Additional officer titles (e.g., Vice-Chair, Comptroller) can be listed in your corporate Minute Book without affecting the Initial Notice. One person can hold more than one position; not all directors must be officers; different directors can hold different positions. For sole-director corporations, the most common combination is President, Secretary, and Treasurer held by the same person.
Common questions about the 60-day deadline, officer positions, Company Key, and post-filing compliance.
The Initial Notice must be filed within 60 days of incorporation, amalgamation, continuance, or revival under the Ontario Corporations Information Act. Missing the deadline is a compliance violation that flags your corporation in the Ministry record and can trigger ongoing compliance issues with banks, lawyers, and the CRA.
Ontario corporations require an Initial Notice. Extra-Provincial Corporations (federal corporations or corporations from other provinces operating in Ontario via an EPL) are NOT required to file an Initial Notice. They use Form 2 EPL filings instead.
Yes. Effective February 1, 2025, all Ontario corporate filings, including the Initial Notice, require a Company Key. The Company Key is a 9-digit identifier issued by the Province of Ontario. If you don't have one, we can request it as part of your Initial Notice filing at a 27% discount, though this may add 1-2 business days to processing.
The four most common officer positions are President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. The Ministry's electronic record holds up to 5 senior officer positions per corporation. For sole-director corporations, the most common combination is one person holding President, Secretary, and Treasurer simultaneously. Additional positions (Chair, CFO, Comptroller, etc.) can be listed in your Minute Book without affecting the electronic record.
Yes. One person can hold multiple officer positions simultaneously. Not all directors must be officers, and different directors can hold different positions. For sole-director corporations (one person owns and runs the corporation), holding all 3 main positions (President, Secretary, Treasurer) is standard practice and accepted by the Ministry.
Same-day filing is available for orders received before 3pm EST Monday-Friday (excluding holidays). Our agent prepares the Initial Notice using your information, then emails the draft for your review. Once you approve, we file electronically with the Ministry. Confirmation of Filing is typically emailed the same business day. Add 1-2 days if you need us to obtain the Company Key as part of the bundle.
The Initial Notice is the right place to update changes since incorporation. You can add or remove directors, update director addresses, modify the registered office address, or update other director details. The Initial Notice supplements (not replaces) your Articles of Incorporation - the original Articles remain part of your corporate documentation.
Initial Notice is filed once, within 60 days of incorporation / amalgamation / continuance / revival. Notice of Change is filed any time corporate information changes after the Initial Notice has been filed (must be within 15 days of the change). Same Form 1 is used for both. Initial Notice = first mandatory filing; Notice of Change = ongoing updates.
No. Extra-Provincial Corporations (federal corporations or out-of-province corporations registered to operate in Ontario via an Extra-Provincial Licence) are NOT required to file an Initial Notice. They use Form 2 EPL filings (Initial Notice or Notice of Change for their EPL). If you incorporated in Ontario and ALSO operate in other provinces, you'd file the Initial Notice in Ontario AND separate EPL filings in each operating province.
After Initial Notice, your corporation enters the standard Ontario compliance cycle: file an Annual Return each year (no longer through CRA since May 17, 2021, now filed directly with the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services), file Notice of Change within 15 days of any director, officer, registered office, or mailing address change, file Articles of Amendment if you change corporate name or structure, and maintain corporate records in your minute book. Our free Annual Return Reminder service is automatically activated to help you stay compliant.
Have a different question? Speak with an agent or call 1-800-280-1913
Already filed your Initial Notice? Here's what comes next in the corporate compliance cycle.
Once your Initial Notice is filed, any future change to directors, officers, or registered office address must be filed via Notice of Change within 15 days. Same Form 1 used for both.
After your Initial Notice, your corporation enters the yearly Annual Return cycle. Mandatory filing each year confirming corporate information. Failure to file leads to dissolution.
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.
Dave Banks
We have been dealing with Ontario Business Central Inc. for years and have always been very pleased with how quickly and accurately our requests have always been executed! Thank you!
K S
Fast, professional& friendly service! Fully recommended!
350,000+
