How to Do a Business Name Search in Canada
Checking whether a name is free? Run a free availability check → across Canadian corporate registries — and order the official NUANS report ($79 + GST) from the same page if your province requires one.
A business name search in Canada is really two different searches, and knowing which one you need saves both money and a rejected filing. A free registry search tells you whether a corporation or business with your name (or something close to it) already exists. A NUANS report is the official name search document that Ontario, Alberta and New Brunswick require before they'll incorporate a named corporation — and that the federal system now runs for you automatically when you file. This guide walks through both: how to check a name for free, when the paid report is legally required, and how to lock your name in before someone else files it.
What's the Difference Between a Free Name Search and a NUANS Report?
A free search answers "is this name taken?" — a NUANS report is the document a registry accepts as proof you searched. NUANS (Newly Upgraded Automated Name Search) compares your proposed name against a national database of existing corporate names, business names and trademarks, and produces a dated report listing every similar name it found.
| Free registry search | NUANS report | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A lookup in one or more government registries | An official report comparing your name against corporate names and trademarks Canada-wide |
| What it costs | Free | Varies by provider; CRS supplies it for $79 + GST |
| What it's for | Early screening — ruling out names before you commit | Filing: attached to articles of incorporation where required |
| Legally required? | Never | Ontario, Alberta and New Brunswick (named corporations); built into the federal filing |
| Validity | Point-in-time only | 90 days from the report date |
Start with the free search every time. If an active corporation already uses your name, there's no point paying for a report that will confirm it.
How Do You Check If a Business Name Is Taken in Canada?
Run the name through the government registries directly — they're free and take minutes:
- Search every registry at once. Our Canada corporation search checks federal and provincial registries by company name, corporation number or Business Number, and it's the fastest first pass. For a walkthrough of each government portal, see how to search Canadian business registries.
- Check the federal database. Corporations Canada's search covers every CBCA corporation, and Canada's Business Registries aggregates several provincial registries alongside it.
- Search the province you'll register in. Provincial registries include sole proprietorships and trade names that a federal-only search can miss.
- Don't skip trademarks. A name can be free in every corporate registry and still infringe a registered trademark. Search the Canadian Trademarks Database — a NUANS report includes trademark hits, but a registry search alone does not.
One caution: an identical-name match is only half the test. Registries also refuse names that are confusingly similar to an existing one — "Maple Ridge Plumbing Ltd." won't clear just because "Maple Ridge Plumbing Inc." is the one that's taken. If your free search turns up anything close, assume you'll need to distinguish your name further.
When Do You Legally Need a NUANS Report?
You need a pre-filed NUANS report to incorporate a named corporation in Ontario, Alberta or New Brunswick. Numbered corporations (e.g. "1234567 Alberta Ltd.") never need one, because the registry assigns the name.
- Alberta — required. The province's incorporation page states you need an Alberta NUANS report, which reserves your proposed name for 90 days; the report must be less than 91 days old when you file. Alberta registry agents sometimes call it a corporate name report or Alberta name search report — it's the same document.
- Ontario — required for named OBCA corporations: an Ontario-weighted NUANS report, with articles filed within 90 days of the report date. Ontario publishes no government fee for it; the report is sold through private search providers.
- New Brunswick — required for named corporations, also obtained through private NUANS providers.
- Federal (CBCA) — you no longer pre-order a report. Corporations Canada runs the Nuans name search inside the online incorporation application for a $13.80 search fee, and specifically advises against buying a report beforehand. A standalone federal Nuans report is now only needed for a few transactions, such as revivals and amalgamations.
- BC, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Quebec and the territories — no NUANS report. These jurisdictions run their own name-approval systems as part of the filing: BC uses a Name Request ($30 government fee, or $100 priority), Saskatchewan reserves names through ISC ($50), and Quebec reviews names directly (with French-language requirements) when you file.
If you're still deciding where to incorporate, the name rules rarely settle it alone — weigh them alongside the bigger factors in federal vs. provincial incorporation.
How Do You Read a NUANS Report?
The report doesn't say "approved" or "rejected" — it lists the existing names and trademarks closest to yours, and it's up to you (and ultimately the registry examiner) to judge whether your name is distinguishable from them. Exact matches are fatal; near-matches in the same industry or region are the judgment calls. Our NUANS name search guide covers how to read the report line by line, what makes a name distinctive, and the common reasons names get refused.
Two practical rules: order the report only once your free searches look clean, and don't sit on it — the 90-day clock starts on the report date, and if it lapses before you file, you're buying a fresh one.
How Do You Reserve a Business Name in Canada?
It depends on the jurisdiction, because a NUANS report and a name reservation aren't always the same thing:
- Alberta: the Alberta NUANS report itself reserves the name for 90 days.
- Ontario: the NUANS report does not reserve the name — Ontario is first-to-file. The report proves you searched; another company can still take the name before you submit articles, so file promptly.
- BC: submit a Name Request to BC Registries ($30); once approved, the name is held for you while you complete incorporation.
- Saskatchewan: reserve the name through ISC ($50) before or with your incorporation application.
- Federal: you can request name pre-approval from Corporations Canada, or simply file online and let the built-in Nuans search run.
The safest sequence everywhere: free search → official report or name request → file your articles while the window is open.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a free business name search in Canada?
Yes. Every government corporate registry offers free name searching, and our corporation search checks federal and provincial registries from one page. Free searches are for screening only — where a NUANS report is required, the registry needs the official document, not your search results.
Is a NUANS report the same as a corporate name report?
Yes — "corporate name report," "name search report" and "Alberta NUANS report" all refer to the same NUANS document in everyday use. Whatever it's called, it's the dated report listing existing names and trademarks similar to yours, valid for 90 days from its date.
Do I need a NUANS report to incorporate federally?
Not anymore for a standard incorporation. Corporations Canada runs the Nuans search inside the online application for a $13.80 fee and advises applicants not to order a report beforehand. Standalone federal Nuans reports are now mainly for revivals, amalgamations and cooperative filings.
How long is a NUANS report valid?
90 days from the report date. Your articles of incorporation must be filed within that window — in Alberta the report must be less than 91 days old when submitted — otherwise you'll need to purchase a new report.
Does a NUANS report guarantee my proposed name will be approved?
No. The report is evidence of the search, not an approval. The registry examiner can still refuse a name as confusingly similar to an existing one, and a clear NUANS doesn't protect you from trademark claims. In Ontario especially, the name also isn't reserved — it stays available to whoever files first.
Ready to check your name? Run the free availability check first, then order your official NUANS report — or let us handle the name search and the incorporation together.
Turnaround: NUANS report typically within 1 business day; incorporation from 1 business day. Price: NUANS Name Search Report $79 + GST · Order now → · Incorporation from $699 (numbered) / $749 (named) all-in + tax · Start your incorporation →
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free business name search in Canada?
Yes. Every government corporate registry offers free name searching, and CRS's corporation search checks federal and provincial registries from one page. Free searches are for screening only — where a NUANS report is required, the registry needs the official document, not your search results.
Is a NUANS report the same as a corporate name report?
Yes — "corporate name report," "name search report" and "Alberta NUANS report" all refer to the same NUANS document in everyday use. Whatever it's called, it's the dated report listing existing names and trademarks similar to yours, valid for 90 days from its date.
Do I need a NUANS report to incorporate federally?
Not anymore for a standard incorporation. Corporations Canada runs the Nuans search inside the online application for a $13.80 fee and advises applicants not to order a report beforehand. Standalone federal Nuans reports are now mainly for revivals, amalgamations and cooperative filings.
How long is a NUANS report valid?
90 days from the report date. Your articles of incorporation must be filed within that window — in Alberta the report must be less than 91 days old when submitted — otherwise you'll need to purchase a new report.
Does a NUANS report guarantee my proposed name will be approved?
No. The report is evidence of the search, not an approval. The registry examiner can still refuse a name as confusingly similar to an existing one, and a clear NUANS doesn't protect you from trademark claims. In Ontario especially, the name also isn't reserved — it stays available to whoever files first.
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