No, a company key is not required to order document copies. ServiceOntario requires an account for self-service retrieval, but with OBC no account is needed. Just provide the corporation name and we handle the rest.
For corporations incorporated after October 19, 2021, Ontario Business Central retrieves digital Articles within 30 minutes during business hours. Historical records (pre-October 2021) require microfilm archive conversion, which takes 1-10 business days depending on the Ministry archive's response time. The October 19, 2021 date is when the Ontario Business Registry launched as a digital system.
All corporate profile reports, Articles of Incorporation copies, and Certificates of Status are pulled directly from official government databases through our direct registry access. You receive certified, up-to-date provincial and federal records.
The Ontario Business Registry (OBR) launched on October 19, 2021 as Ontario's modern digital corporate filing system. Documents filed after this date are stored digitally and retrievable in minutes. Documents filed before this date are stored on microfilm in the Ministry archives — retrieving them requires a manual conversion request that the Ministry processes over 1-10 business days.
Articles of Incorporation are the original founding documents filed when the corporation was first formed, showing original name, directors, share structure, and registered office. Articles of Amendment are filed any time the corporation makes a fundamental change (such as a name change, share structure update, or change of restrictions). For complete legal history, you need both order them together using the Add-On checkbox in our form.
A standard digital copy is sufficient for most due diligence, accounting, and internal corporate purposes. A Certified Copy with the Ministry's official seal is required for: banking transactions and loan applications, commercial mortgage applications, court proceedings and legal evidence, certain government contracts, and some international transactions. Select "Certified" on the order form when needed.
Articles of Incorporation are historical archive documents — for post-2021 corporations they're pulled digitally, but for pre-2021 corporations they require manual microfilm conversion by the Ministry. Our $109 service fee reflects the additional verification, microfilm handling for older records, and the certification process. Profile Reports and Certificates of Status are pulled from live data sources, which is faster and lower-cost.
Yes. Federal corporations are registered under Corporations Canada rather than the Ontario Ministry, but Ontario Business Central retrieves Articles of Incorporation for both provincial and federal corporations. Select "Federal (Canada)" or your specific province from the jurisdiction dropdown when placing your order. Timelines vary by jurisdiction.
No problem. We can search the name you provide and find the exact match. If there is no exact match, our team contacts you with a list of similar corporate names to choose from before proceeding with the search and government fee. This prevents wasted government fees on incorrect searches.
If you need the complete legal history of a corporation (typical for M&A due diligence, court proceedings, or full corporate audits), yes, order both. Articles of Incorporation show only the founding state; Articles of Amendment show every change since incorporation. For routine purposes (banking, basic verification), Articles of Incorporation alone is usually sufficient. Use the Add-On checkbox in our form to include both.
The 30-minute turnaround for post-2021 digital Articles applies during standard business hours (Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm EST). Orders placed outside business hours, on weekends, or on statutory holidays are processed first thing the next business day. Pre-2021 microfilm requests follow the Ministry's archive processing schedule (1-10 business days regardless of when the order is placed).
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