Nova Scotia's Registry of Joint Stock Companies (RJSC), Explained

Need a company's registry record? Search any Nova Scotia business free with the lookup above, then order its official profile report → — $69 + tax, delivered in about 1 business hour.

The Registry of Joint Stock Companies — the RJSC, or just "Joint Stocks" to most Nova Scotians — is Nova Scotia's corporate registry: the provincial office where every company, business name, partnership, society and co-operative in the province is registered, renewed and searched. If you're looking for the registry itself, the free public search now lives in the province's RJSC Connect portal; if you need an official document from it, or your annual renewal filed, that's what CRS does. This guide covers what the RJSC is, how to search it for free, what it charges, and the filings it expects from you every year.

What Is the Registry of Joint Stock Companies?

The RJSC is the Government of Nova Scotia's registry of businesses and non-profits, operated under Service Nova Scotia. Despite the old-fashioned name — "joint stock company" is simply the historical term for a share-issuing company — it covers far more than corporations. The registry holds the public record for:

• Limited companies incorporated under Nova Scotia's Companies Act
• Business names (sole proprietorships and operating names)
• Partnerships registered under the Partnerships and Business Names Registration Act
• Societies and non-profits
• Co-operatives
• Extra-provincial registrations — federal and out-of-province corporations carrying on business in Nova Scotia, which must register with the RJSC too

Every one of these entities has a public record at the RJSC showing its name, registration number, status, registered office, and (for companies) its directors and recognized agent. When a bank, lawyer or supplier wants to confirm a Nova Scotia business is real and in good standing, the RJSC record is what they check.

How Do You Search the Registry of Joint Stocks?

Searching is free and takes a minute. The Registry of Joint Stock Companies offers a public search through its RJSC Connect portal — no account needed for a basic lookup — showing names, addresses, status and registration dates on file. You can also search Nova Scotia alongside every other Canadian registry from one page with our corporation search, which is the faster route when you're not sure which province a company is registered in.

What the free search doesn't give you is the official document. The free record is a screen summary; when you need the company's full registry profile — directors, recognized agent, filing history, status certified as of a date — that's a Nova Scotia corporate profile report, which CRS pulls for $69 + tax in about 1 business hour. For formal proof of standing (financing, closings, bids), the equivalent is a certificate of good standing.

What Is RJSC Connect?

RJSC Connect is the registry's online portal — it's where businesses and non-profits register, renew and manage their filings with the RJSC. The basic search is open to everyone; to file anything (a renewal, an address change, a new registration) you sign in or create an account. If you can't file online, the RJSC still accepts forms and payment by mail or in person at Access Nova Scotia, with roughly 1–2 weeks to process and update the record. Payment is by credit card, debit, cheque, money order or cash.

In practice, the account requirement is where many owners hand the job off: if you only touch the registry once a year, CRS files your renewals and changes without you ever setting up or remembering an RJSC Connect login.

What Does the RJSC Charge?

The fees Nova Scotia businesses most often pay the registry, for a limited company:

Filing	Government fee
Incorporation (Companies Act)	$200 — the lowest in Canada
Name reservation — Atlantic search	$60.52 (NUANS report bundled)
Name reservation — Canada-wide search	$75.58 (NUANS report bundled)
Name reservation with your own NUANS report	$15.12
Annual renewal (limited company)	$118.35, due every year

Renewal fees vary by legal structure — business names, partnerships, societies and co-operatives each have their own rates on the RJSC's renewal page. Thinking of incorporating? Our Nova Scotia incorporation guide walks through every step and fee.

When Is Your RJSC Renewal Due?

Your renewal is due in the anniversary month of your original registration or incorporation — one of the tighter windows in Canada — and the RJSC sends a notice about a month ahead. Companies must also keep a recognized agent in the province and keep their registered office, directors and officers current on the registry; letting the renewal lapse starts the road to being struck off the registry.

The mechanics, deadline math and what happens if you miss it are covered in our guide to filing your Nova Scotia annual return — or skip the portal entirely and have CRS file it for $239 all-in + tax, government fee included, with the deadline tracked for you every year.

What Documents Can You Get From the RJSC?

Three documents cover nearly every request a Nova Scotia business gets:

• Corporate profile report — the company's full registry record: status, directors, recognized agent, registered office, filing history. What accountants, lenders and lawyers usually mean by "pull the company's Joint Stocks record". CRS delivers it in about 1 business hour — order here.
• Certificate of status (good standing) — formal, dated proof the company exists and its filings are current. Required for financing, real-estate closings and bidding. About 3 hours through CRS — order here.
• Certified copies of filed documents (memorandum, articles, special resolutions) — ordered from the registry when a transaction needs the underlying filings.

Not sure which one whoever's asking actually wants? The difference is explained in our profile report vs. certificate of good standing guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is searching the Registry of Joint Stock Companies free?

Yes. The RJSC's public search in RJSC Connect is free and doesn't require an account for a basic lookup — you'll see the entity's name, status, addresses and registration dates. Official documents like profile reports and certificates of status carry fees.

Why is it called the Registry of Joint Stock Companies?

"Joint stock company" is the traditional legal term for a company whose capital is divided into shares. Nova Scotia kept the historical name for its registry, so locals say "Joint Stocks" — but it registers every business structure in the province, not just share companies.

What happens if I don't renew my RJSC registration?

Your business falls out of good standing, and a registration left unrenewed can eventually be struck from the registry — which ends the company's legal capacity and puts its name back up for grabs. Renewal is due in your anniversary month each year; the RJSC mails a notice about a month before.

Do federal corporations have to register with the RJSC?

Yes. A federal (CBCA) or out-of-province corporation carrying on business in Nova Scotia must register extra-provincially with the RJSC and keep that registration renewed, on top of its home-jurisdiction filings.

How long does the RJSC take to process filings?

Filings made through RJSC Connect are the fastest route; paper forms submitted by mail or at Access Nova Scotia typically take 1 to 2 weeks to be processed and reflected on the registry record.

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Anything you need from Joint Stocks, in one order. Profile reports in about 1 business hour, certificates of status in about 3, and annual renewals filed with the deadline tracked — start with a free search or order your document →.

Turnaround: profile report ~1 business hour · certificate of status ~3 hours · annual renewal filed in 1 business day. Price: profile report $69 · certificate of status $109 · annual renewal $239 — all + tax, government fees included.