Business name search and NUANS report

How company name searches work in each jurisdiction

Every Canadian registry checks that a new corporate name will not be confused with an existing one, but they do it in different ways. Some rely on a NUANS reportNUANS reportCanada-wide name and trademark search required to reserve a distinctive name federally and in several provinces.See definition →, a computer-generated comparison of your proposed name against existing corporate names and trademarks. Others run their own review through a name request or reservation. Federally, the search is part of the incorporation filing itself.

• Federal (CBCA): Name search built into the online incorporation; no Nuans report neededsource.
• Ontario: Ontario-biased or weighted NUANS report (federal-biased not accepted); not needed for a number namesource.
• Quebec: Free online search of the enterprise register; optional paid name reservation (90 days, includes a search report)source.
• British Columbia: Name Requests Online (BC Registries)source.
• Alberta: Alberta NUANS reportsource.
• Saskatchewan: Name reservation with the Corporate Registrysource.
• Manitoba: Request for Name Reservationsource.
• New Brunswick: NUANS report (within 90 days)source.
• Nova Scotia: Name reservation with RJSC, including a Nuans report (Atlantic or federal search)source.
• Prince Edward Island: Name approval request to reserve the name (OCBR)source.
• Newfoundland and Labrador: Registry name check in CADO (NL only)source.
• Yukon: Certificate of name reservation: Form 1 and $60, or YCOR at $40source.
• Northwest Territories: Name search and reservation request (form in duplicate, $25)source.
• Nunavut: Name Search and Reservation required for incorporationsource.

A numbered companynumbered companyCorporation named after its registry number (e.g. 12345678 Canada Inc.). Skips the name search.See definition → avoids the search altogether: the registry assigns a number in place of a name. Many founders start this way and add a trade name, or change to a chosen name, once the business is established.

NUANS report, Name Request or registry search?

The three tools answer the same question, "can this name be registered here?", but they are not interchangeable. The jurisdiction decides which one applies; you do not get to pick.

• NUANS report: a search report generated from the federal NUANS database and weighted toward a jurisdiction. You file it with your articles, and the registry relies on it. Ontario specifies the weighting it accepts: Ontario-biased or weighted NUANS report (federal-biased not accepted); not needed for a number namesource. Report age in Ontario: Report dated no more than 90 days before filingsource.
• Name Request (British Columbia): you submit your proposed names, and BC Registries examines them and approves or rejects each one. Usual turnaround: 6 business days (weekly estimate)source. Priority option: $100 (1–2 business days)source.
• Registry search or reservation: in Quebec, anyone can search the enterprise register online, and a paid reservation holds the name for a set period. Other provinces and the territories reserve the name through their own registry.

A search reduces the risk of a refusal or a later dispute, but it is not a guarantee. A registry can still refuse a name it considers misleading or too close to an existing one, and the owner of an unregistered or registered trademark can object even after incorporation.

What a NUANS report shows: existing corporate names, business names and trademarks that look or sound like yours, ranked by similarity, with their jurisdiction and status. The report does not say yes or no. You, or the service acting for you, judge whether a listed name is close enough to cause confusion in the same field and region.

Fees and validity period (sourced)

How much does it cost to register a company name? The name itself is approved as part of incorporation; what you pay for separately is the search or reservation. Government fees and validity periods by jurisdiction:

• Quebec: $27 ($40.50 priority)source. Reservation valid 90 dayssource.
• British Columbia: $30source. Approval valid 56 dayssource.
• Saskatchewan: $50source. Valid 90 dayssource.
• Manitoba: $45 ($90 expedited)source. Valid 90 dayssource.
• Nova Scotia: $60.52 (Atlantic region search)source. Validity: 90 days to incorporate after approvalsource.
• Prince Edward Island: $40 name reservationsource. Approval time: Typically within 5 business dayssource.
• Newfoundland and Labrador: $10source. Valid 90 dayssource.
• Yukon: $40 online (YCOR) or $60 papersource. Valid 90 dayssource.
• Northwest Territories: $25source. Valid 90 dayssource.
• Nunavut: $25source. Valid 90 dayssource.

Federally, a name reservation lasts 90 days from the application datesource. In Alberta and New Brunswick, the NUANS report must be recent: Alberta, 90 dayssource; New Brunswick, 90 dayssource. The cost of a NUANS report for Ontario, Alberta and New Brunswick, and of a separate federal search, is being verified and is not shown yet.

Company name rules and language requirements

Business name law in Canada follows the same pattern everywhere. A corporate name usually has three parts: a distinctive element (the word that sets it apart, such as "Northwind"), an optional descriptive element ("Consulting") and a legal ending (Inc., Ltd., Corp. or their French forms). A name made only of generic words, a surname alone or a place name alone is often refused as not distinctive enough.

• Unique enough: a business name must be unique in the sense of not confusing; registries compare it with existing corporations, business names and trademarks.
• Not misleading: no word that suggests a link with a government, a profession you are not licensed for, or a business you are not.
• Restricted terms: words such as bank, trust or engineering are controlled by other laws and need consent.
• Federal language forms: English, French, English and French, or combined English-French formsource.
• Ontario: English only, French only, combined English-French, or equivalent English and French namessource.
• British Columbia: English form, French form, or bothsource.
• Yukon bilingual names: Both forms must be reserved and approved; a fee applies to each name searchsource.

Similarity is judged in context. Two businesses in different industries and regions can sometimes share a distinctive word; the same word in the same field and market is much more likely to be refused or challenged. Changing only the descriptive element or the legal ending rarely makes an otherwise identical name acceptable.

Business name vs legal name

The legal name is the exact name on the certificate of incorporation, legal ending included: "12345678 Canada Inc." or "Northwind Consulting Ltd.". A business name, also called a trade name or operating name, is a different name the corporation uses with customers, such as "Northwind Studio". Using one usually requires registering it in the province where you operate. Contracts, invoices and cheques should show the legal name, with the trade name alongside when it is used.

The difference matters in practice. A bank opens the account in the legal name, the CRA issues the business number to the legal name, and a court enforces contracts against the legal name. A trade name is a label the corporation uses; it does not create a separate entity and does not shield anyone from liability. One corporation can hold several trade names, for example one for each product line, as long as each is registered where required.

Business name vs trademark

Incorporating with a name does not give you exclusive rights to it as a brand. A corporate name only proves that the registry accepted it in that jurisdiction. A trademark, registered with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office, protects a name or logo for specific goods and services across Canada.

How to trademark a company name in Canada: search the trademarks database for conflicting marks, file an application listing the goods and services in their Nice classes, then wait for examination and the opposition period before registration. Government filing fee: $491.06 (2026, online, first class)source, plus $149.04 per additional class (2026)source. A trademark agent or lawyer can assess the strength of a mark.

The two protections work best together. Many founders search the trademarks database at the same time as the corporate name, so the name they incorporate with is also one they can register as a brand. A NUANS report, where one is used, also lists similar trademarks; filing a trademark application is a separate step, outside the incorporation.

How to come up with a business name (with examples)

The best name for a business is usually one that is distinctive, easy to spell and available as a domain. Some approaches founders use:

• Coined word: a new word with no prior meaning, the easiest to register and protect. Example: "Velora Inc."
• Suggestive name: evokes the benefit without describing it. Example: "Brightpath Learning Ltd."
• Founder's name with a descriptive element: example, "Tremblay Renovations Inc.", which may still be refused if similar names exist nearby.
• Holding company name: often a numbered company, or the family name with "Holdings" or "Investments". Example: "Singh Holdings Inc."

A quick test before committing: say the name aloud to someone who has never heard it and ask them to spell it, search it with your city and industry, and check that it still works if the business grows beyond its first product or region.

Before ordering a search, check the domain name, social media handles and the trademarks database. If you plan to operate in Quebec, prepare a French form at the same time.

Change of name of a company

A corporation changes its legal name by filing articles of amendment, after a new name search. Government fees for the amendment:

• Federal: $200 online, $250 otherwisesource.
• Ontario: $150source.
• Quebec: $206 ($309 priority)source.
• British Columbia: $130 ($100 + $30 name approval)source.

After the change, update the name with the CRA, banks, provincial registrations and your contracts. Our corporate amendments service prepares and files the change for you.

How we search for you

1. 1Submit your name ideasEnter one or more proposed names and the jurisdiction. We point out obvious issues, such as a missing distinctive element or a restricted word, before ordering anything.
2. 2We order the right searchA NUANS report weighted for your jurisdiction, a Name Request or a registry reservation, depending on where you incorporate.
3. 3You review the resultsWe show the similar names found so you can decide whether to proceed, adjust the name or switch to a numbered company.
4. 4Incorporation followsThe approved name or report goes straight into your articles of incorporation, while it is still valid.