North Americaphase 3

Canada: what can be established about a company

Canadian companies are incorporated either federally (CBCA) or under one of thirteen provincial and territorial statutes, each with its own registry. Corporations Canada's federal search is free and, since 22 January 2024, shows individuals with significant control for CBCA corporations, making Canada one of the few jurisdictions here with public beneficial ownership data. Provincial registries vary from free (Quebec, which also publishes ultimate beneficiaries) to paid per document. Private company accounts are not public; reporting issuers file on SEDAR+.

Identifiers

Identifier	Format	Note
Business Number (BN)	9 digits, e.g. 123456789	Canada Revenue Agency number used across federal programs; program accounts add RC0001 etc.
Federal corporation number	7 digits	Corporations Canada number for CBCA and other federal corporations
Provincial corporation number	varies (e.g. Ontario 7 digits, Quebec NEQ 10 digits)	Issued by the incorporating province; not unique across provinces
SEDAR+ profile number	numeric	Issuer profile on the CSA's SEDAR+ filing system

Sources

Each with what it discloses, how it is accessed, and our coverage level.

Registry

Corporations Canada federal corporation searchFree record of federal corporations: name, number, status, registered office, directors, annual filing compliance, corporate history and individuals with significant control.Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (Corporations Canada) · Federal corporations only, a minority of Canadian companies. Open data extracts are published; copies of filed documents are ordered for a fee.

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Registry

Provincial registries (e.g. Ontario Business Registry, Registraire des entreprises du Québec)Provincially incorporated companies and extra-provincial registrations. Quebec's register is free and lists directors, officers, shareholders holding most votes and, since 31 March 2023, ultimate beneficiaries. Ontario's basic search is free with paid reports.Provincial and territorial governments · Thirteen separate systems with different fields and fees; British Columbia and Alberta searches are paid. Name matching across provinces is unreliable.

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Beneficial ownership

Individuals with significant control (ISC) public registerCBCA corporations file ISC information with Corporations Canada; name, address for service, date of becoming an ISC and description of control are public. Quebec publishes ultimate beneficiaries of Quebec-registered enterprises.Corporations Canada (CBCA); Registraire des entreprises (Quebec) · Residential address, date of birth and citizenship are withheld. Provinces other than Quebec keep transparency registers at the company or non-public; British Columbia's public register has been legislated but check the authority for its status.

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Securities filings

SEDAR+Continuous disclosure of reporting issuers: financial statements, MD&A, annual information forms, prospectuses, insider-related reports and cease trade orders.Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) · Reporting issuers only. SEDAR+ replaced SEDAR in 2023; older links do not resolve. Insider trading reports are on SEDI, a separate system.

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Regulators

CSA enforcement and disciplined persons listEnforcement proceedings, cease trade orders and the list of persons disciplined by provincial securities regulators.Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) and provincial commissions (e.g. OSC) · Each provincial commission publishes its own decisions; the CSA list aggregates but may lag. Competition Bureau and provincial consumer regulators are separate.

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Courts

CanLIIFree judgments and tribunal decisions from federal, provincial and territorial courts, searchable by party name.Canadian Legal Information Institute (Federation of Law Societies of Canada; non-governmental) · Published decisions only; dockets and pending matters are held by each court, with online party searches in some provinces (e.g. Ontario, British Columbia) and not others.

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Sanctions

Consolidated Canadian Autonomous Sanctions ListPersons and entities listed under the Special Economic Measures Act and the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act.Global Affairs Canada · UN-mandated listings under the United Nations Act are published separately; OpenDossier screens the UN consolidated list alongside.

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Insolvency

Bankruptcy and Insolvency Records SearchBankruptcies, proposals and receiverships filed under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act since 1978, by debtor name.Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy (OSB) · A fee applies per search (check the authority). CCAA restructurings are listed separately on the OSB site and are not in this search.

paid per document
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IP offices

CIPO databasesCanadian patents, trade marks and industrial designs with applicant and owner names.Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) · Owner names are free text and not linked to corporation numbers.

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Procurement

CanadaBuysFederal tender notices and contract award history with supplier names.Public Services and Procurement Canada · Federal only; provinces run their own portals. Ineligibility under the Integrity Regime is published by PSPC separately.

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Caveats

A company's incorporating jurisdiction (federal or one of thirteen provinces and territories) determines which registry holds it; the same name may be registered in several.
Public beneficial ownership covers federal corporations and Quebec enterprises; for companies incorporated elsewhere the transparency register is not public.
Private company financial statements are not public; financial data exists only for reporting issuers on SEDAR+.
Court decisions on CanLII are published judgments; the existence of pending claims must be checked at the relevant court, which varies by province.
French and English corporate names are both legal in Quebec and some federal corporations; search both forms.

Questions

Is beneficial ownership public in Canada?

For federal (CBCA) corporations, yes: since 22 January 2024 the names of individuals with significant control, their address for service and a description of their control are published by Corporations Canada. Quebec publishes ultimate beneficiaries of enterprises registered there. Other provinces do not yet publish.

How do I find which registry holds a Canadian company?

Start with the federal search and the province where the company operates. OpenDossier records the incorporating jurisdiction and number and links the matching registry record.

Are Canadian company accounts public?

Only for reporting issuers, which file on SEDAR+. Private companies file no financial statements with any registry.

Where are bankruptcies recorded?

The Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy keeps a searchable database of bankruptcies, proposals and receiverships since 1978, with a per-search fee. Large CCAA restructurings are listed separately and usually have a monitor's website.

Sources

Reviewed 26 October 2026. Rules and fees change; confirm with the authority before relying on them.

A brief on a company in Canada

Coverage stated by section; official document fees at cost.

Request a brief