Corporate name rules in Canada
This guide sets out the three elements a corporate name is built from. It covers the rules Corporations Canada and the Ontario Business Registry apply to each one, and the names a registry will refuse. We prepare and file your articles of incorporation for $35.00, HST included. The government fee is separate and charged at cost: $200.00 to Corporations Canada under the CBCA, or $300.00 to the Ontario Business Registry under the OBCA. Open Corporation for $35 is a department of Gondaliya CPA. A Chartered Professional Accountant reviews your name choice, your share structure and your directors before anything is filed.
The three elements of a corporate name
A named corporation is built from a distinctive element, a descriptive element and a legal element. Corporations Canada examines each one against the Canada Business Corporations Regulations, 2001, and the Ontario Business Registry applies Regulation 62 under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario).
The distinctive element carries most of the risk. A name that only describes an activity gives the public nothing to tell it apart. Toronto Plumbing Inc. says nothing that separates it from every other plumber in the city, and a registry treats it as too general to grant.
| Element | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Distinctive | Sets the corporation apart from others in the same field | Maplecrest Plumbing Inc. |
| Descriptive | Says what the corporation does | Maplecrest Plumbing Inc. |
| Legal | Tells the public it is dealing with a corporation that has limited liability | Maplecrest Plumbing Inc. |
The legal element is required by statute in every name, numbered or named. Section 10(1) of the Canada Business Corporations Act and section 10(1) of the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) each set out the words that qualify.
Federal and Ontario rules side by side
Both registries require a NUANS report for a named corporation and both accept the same core legal elements. A federal corporation may also use Société par actions de régime fédéral or its abbreviation, S.A.R.F., which Ontario does not offer.
The difference that matters most is reach. A federal name is examined against corporations across Canada, while an Ontario name is examined against an Ontario-biased search, so a name granted in Ontario can still be refused federally.
| Point | Federal (CBCA) | Ontario (OBCA) |
|---|---|---|
| Legal elements accepted | Limited, Limitée, Incorporated, Incorporée, Corporation, Société par actions de régime fédéral, Ltd., Ltée, Inc., Corp., S.A.R.F. | Limited, Limitée, Incorporated, Incorporée, Corporation, Ltd., Ltée, Inc., Corp. |
| Name search required | Federally biased NUANS report | Ontario-biased NUANS report |
| NUANS report valid for | 90 days | 90 days |
| Who decides | Corporations Canada | The person filing is responsible, and the Ontario Business Registry may later order a change |
| Numbered name format | Corporation number followed by Canada and a legal element | Corporation number followed by Ontario and a legal element |
| Government fee to incorporate | $200.00 | $300.00 |
What a name costs, line by line
The figures below are the ones a naming decision turns on. Our fee is the same whichever jurisdiction you pick, and the government fee changes with it.
| Item | Amount | HST | Total | Who charges it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our incorporation service fee. We prepare and file the articles of incorporation, the share provisions and the first director details | $35.00 | Included | $35.00 | Open Corporation for $35, a department of Gondaliya CPA |
| Government fee, articles of incorporation filed online under the CBCA | $200.00 | Not applicable | $200.00 | Corporations Canada |
| Government fee, articles of incorporation filed online under the OBCA | $300.00 | Not applicable | $300.00 | Ontario Business Registry |
| NUANS report, named corporations only | $25.00 | Included | $25.00 | Open Corporation for $35, a department of Gondaliya CPA |
| Government fee, Ontario business name registration, five-year term | $60.00 | Not applicable | $60.00 | Ontario Business Registry |
| Government fee, federal articles of amendment filed online to change a name | $200.00 | Not applicable | $200.00 | Corporations Canada |
| Total, named federal corporation | $260.00 | Included in our fees | $260.00 | Combined |
| Total, named Ontario corporation | $360.00 | Included in our fees | $360.00 | Combined |
Our fees include HST. Government fees are passed through at cost with no mark-up. These registry fee schedules were last checked on 7 September 2026. Every figure is on our full pricing page.
Names a registry will refuse
A refusal is not a judgement on your business. It means the name breaks one of a short list of rules, and the fix is usually a single word. These are the refusals we see most often in the files we prepare.
Names that are confusing with an existing name
This is the most common refusal. The test is not whether the two names are identical. It is whether a member of the public could mistake one business for the other, and the field each business works in carries weight.
Names that are too general to be distinctive
A name made only of ordinary words describing the activity is refused because nothing in it belongs to you. Adding a coined word, a family name or a place name is normally enough to clear this.
| Why a name is refused | A name that fails | A name that clears it |
|---|---|---|
| Confusing with an existing corporation in the same field | Tim Horton Coffee Inc. | Harbourline Coffee Roasters Inc. |
| Only descriptive, no distinctive element | Ontario Trucking Corporation | Redpath Ontario Trucking Corporation |
| Suggests a government connection | Canada Revenue Services Inc. | Beaumont Tax Services Inc. |
| Uses a profession you are not licensed to practise | Delta Chartered Professional Accountants Inc. | Delta Bookkeeping Solutions Inc. |
| Obscene or likely to connote a criminal activity | Any name of that kind | Not applicable |
| Missing the legal element | Maplecrest Plumbing | Maplecrest Plumbing Inc. |
Words such as bank, trust, insurance, co-operative, college and university are restricted. A registry will ask for written consent from the regulator that governs the word before it grants the name.
Numbered corporations, and why they are not a compromise
A numbered corporation takes the number the registry assigns, followed by the jurisdiction and a legal element. A federal example reads 16428937 Canada Inc. An Ontario example reads 1002345 Ontario Inc.
A numbered corporation has the same legal standing, the same tax treatment and the same filing obligations as a named one. It needs no NUANS report, so it is granted the moment the articles are accepted and nothing can be refused on naming grounds.
Most owners who choose a number do so because they trade under a separate business name. The corporation holds the contracts and the bank account, and the registered business name sits in front of customers.
A numbered corporation saves the $25.00 NUANS report, so a federal filing totals $235.00 and an Ontario filing totals $335.00. Our comparison of numbered against named companies sets out the trade-off in full.
Trading under a name that is not your corporate name
A corporation may carry on business under a name other than its own, and many do. The corporate name stays on the articles, the tax filings and the share certificates, while the trading name appears on signage, invoices and the website.
In Ontario that trading name must be registered under the Business Names Act before it is used. Registration costs $60.00 and runs for five years, after which it has to be renewed or it lapses.
A registered business name gives no exclusive right to the words. Another business may register the same name, which is why a distinctive corporate name still matters even when a trading name carries the public-facing work.
Not sure whether your name will clear the search
A CPA reviews your name choice before anything is filed.
Changing a corporate name after incorporation
A name change is made by filing articles of amendment, which needs a special resolution of the shareholders. A fresh NUANS report is required for the new name, and the same naming rules apply as on the first filing.
The corporation number, the business number and the tax accounts all survive the change. What changes is the name on the articles, which then has to be carried through to your bank, your contracts, your payroll account and your invoicing.
A federal name change filed online costs $200.00 to Corporations Canada. An Ontario name change is filed as articles of amendment with the Ontario Business Registry, and we confirm that registry fee with you in writing before the filing goes in.
How we review a name before filing
A registry refusal costs time rather than money, but it delays the bank account, the payroll account and the first invoice. The review below is what we run on every named file.
What we check on your name
We read the distinctive element against the NUANS results, confirm the legal element is present and correct, and flag any restricted word that would need a regulator's consent. We also check the name against the activity you describe.
What we file once the name clears
We prepare the articles of incorporation, the share provisions and the first director details, then file them with the registry you chose. A Chartered Professional Accountant signs off on the file before it is submitted.
Our guide to the NUANS name search explains how the report is read, and our glossary defines the terms used on this page.
Corporate name questions, answered
Do I have to choose a name, or can I incorporate without one?
You can incorporate without choosing a name. The registry assigns a number and the corporation is named after it, such as 16428937 Canada Inc. A numbered corporation needs no NUANS report, so a federal filing totals $235.00 and an Ontario filing totals $335.00, our $35.00 fee included. Start on our get started page.
How long is a NUANS report valid?
A NUANS report is valid for 90 days from the date it is produced. Both Corporations Canada and the Ontario Business Registry apply the same window. If the articles are not filed inside it, a fresh report is needed. The report costs $25.00 with HST included in our fees. Our NUANS name search guide covers how the results are read.
Does a granted corporate name give me a trademark?
No. A corporate name lets you incorporate under those words and nothing more. Trademark rights come from use and from registration with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office, a separate process with its own fees. A registry can grant a name that still infringes somebody else's mark. Ask us during your free consultation if a mark is part of your plan.
Can I use my own surname in the corporate name?
Yes, a surname works well as a distinctive element. A registry may ask for more if the surname is common and already used in the same field. Nothing about a surname changes the fee: $235.00 federally or $335.00 in Ontario for a named filing, plus the $25.00 report. See our pricing page.
Is a federal name harder to get than an Ontario one?
Usually yes. Corporations Canada examines the name against corporations across the country and decides whether to grant it. Ontario places the responsibility on the person filing, and the registry may order a change afterwards. The federal government fee is $200.00 and the Ontario fee is $300.00. Our comparison guide sets out which route suits which business.
What happens if my name is refused?
We amend the name and refile. A refusal does not cost you a second government fee on an application that was never accepted, and our $35.00 fee is not charged twice for the same file. The usual fix is one added distinctive word. Book a free consultation and we will test the name before it goes anywhere near the registry.
Can two corporations share the same name?
Not in the same jurisdiction. Identical corporate names are refused, and confusingly similar ones in the same field are refused as well. Registered business names are different: the same trading name can be registered by more than one business, because the $60.00 Ontario registration grants no exclusive right. Our glossary explains the difference between the two.
What does it cost to change the name later?
A federal name change filed online costs $200.00 to Corporations Canada, plus a fresh $25.00 NUANS report. An Ontario name change is filed as articles of amendment, and we confirm that registry fee with you in writing before filing. The change needs a special resolution of the shareholders. Our pricing page lists every fee we charge.
Reviewed and filed by a CPA team
| Who | Role | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharad Gondaliya, CPA | Principal | 647-212-9559 | sharad@gondaliyacpa.ca |
| Vandana Goel, CPA | Accounting Specialist | 647-250-0242 | vandana@gondaliyacpa.ca |
Open Corporation for $35 is a department of Gondaliya CPA, a firm registered with CPA Ontario under registration 61330051. Fully licensed CPA Ontario. 1300+ Google reviews. 30-day money-back guarantee. 60-day fees-matching policy.
This guide is general information on registry naming rules. It is not legal advice and it is not a legal opinion on any name. Trademark questions and disputes over the right to use a name should go to a lawyer.
Have your name checked before you file
We prepare and file the articles for $35.00, HST included. The government fee is charged at cost.
