Medical Professional Corporation New Brunswick: CPSNB Guide
New Brunswick physicians incorporate for the familiar tax reasons, but the province's compliance layer is unusually clean to describe: the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New Brunswick (CPSNB) maintains a Corporations Register under the Medical Act, a corporation applies to be registered on it, and the registration is renewed every year by a fixed date.
That fixed date is the thing to write down. Unlike Ontario, where the certificate renews on its own issue-date anniversary, New Brunswick sets one deadline for everyone: a professional corporation must apply for renewal prior to December 1 each year.
Key facts at a glance
| Item | New Brunswick rule |
|---|---|
| Governing legislation | Medical Act (New Brunswick) and CPSNB Regulation #5 — Corporations Register |
| Corporate registry | Service New Brunswick — Corporate Registry |
| Regulator & required authorization | CPSNB — registration as a professional corporation on the Corporations Register |
| Registration fee | $300 |
| Annual fee | $300 |
| Renewal deadline | Apply for renewal prior to December 1 each year, in the form approved by the Registrar |
| Fees regulation | CPSNB Regulation #8 — Fees |
| CPSNB contact | (506) 849-5050 / 1-800-667-4641 · [email protected] · Mon–Fri 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. |
Fees are set by CPSNB regulation and can be amended — we confirm the current figures at the time of filing.
How to set up a medical professional corporation in New Brunswick
- Get legal and tax advice on whether the structure fits your practice and how shares should be held.
- Choose a compliant name and clear it with CPSNB before incorporating.
- Incorporate through Service New Brunswick's Corporate Registry, with articles carrying the restrictions the Medical Act and Regulation #5 require.
- Apply to CPSNB for registration as a professional corporation on the Corporations Register, in the form approved by the Registrar, with the $300 registration fee.
- Diarise December 1. Renewal must be applied for prior to December 1 each year — not on it.
- Renew both tracks annually — the CPSNB registration ($300) and the corporation's own filing at Service New Brunswick.
Note the wording in step 5. Regulation #5 says the corporation must apply for renewal prior to December 1, which makes November 30 the practical deadline. Treating December 1 as the last day is how corporations end up late.
Step 1: Incorporate at Service New Brunswick
The corporation is created through Service New Brunswick's Corporate Registry. The articles need the restrictions the Medical Act imposes on a professional corporation, and the name has to be one CPSNB will accept onto its Corporations Register.
Clearing the name with the College first is worth the extra step: a corporation registered under a name the College will not accept has to be amended before its registration can proceed, which costs a filing fee and delays the whole structure.
We handle the New Brunswick registry filing and prepare the articles to CPSNB's requirements, so the corporation reaches the College already compliant.
Step 2: Register with CPSNB
Under the Medical Act, a corporation may apply for registration as a professional corporation, and CPSNB maintains the Corporations Register for that purpose alongside its Medical Register, Medical Education Register and Medical Specialist Register. The application is made in the form approved by the Registrar, with the $300 registration fee.
Applications and questions go to [email protected], or (506) 849-5050 / 1-800-667-4641 during office hours.
If the College or a lender asks for supporting registry documents, we can pull a current record the same day through a professional corporation profile report.
Shareholders, directors and restrictions
The share, director and officer requirements for a New Brunswick medical professional corporation are set by the Medical Act and CPSNB's regulations rather than by general corporate law. Because these provisions are regulatory and can be amended, confirm the current requirements with your lawyer before finalising the share structure — particularly if family shareholders or any arrangement affecting voting control is contemplated.
The underlying principle is the same everywhere in Canada: the corporation practises medicine through licensed physicians, and incorporating does not move professional accountability off the individual.
Keeping it alive: annual renewals
CPSNB track. Regulation #5 requires a professional corporation to apply for renewal of its licence prior to December 1 in each year, in the form approved by the Registrar. The annual fee is $300.
This is a calendar deadline that applies to every registered corporation regardless of when it was first registered — simpler than Ontario's anniversary model, but less forgiving, because there is no personalised date to remind you. Put November 30 in the calendar and renew from there.
Registry track. The corporation must also stay current at Service New Brunswick. A corporation that lapses at the registry cannot hold a valid registration with the College, so a missed registry filing takes the College side down with it.
Our renewals guide collects every regulator's deadline in one table.
Why physicians incorporate
The tax case is the standard one: practice income taxed at small-business corporate rates rather than top personal rates, deferring tax and giving you control over when income is drawn personally. Retained earnings can be invested inside the corporation, and there may be planning available around family shareholdings subject to the College's rules.
Those numbers belong with your accountant. We describe the structure factually and handle the filings.
Frequently asked questions
How do I set up a medical professional corporation in New Brunswick?
Clear a compliant name with CPSNB, incorporate through Service New Brunswick's Corporate Registry with articles meeting the Medical Act requirements, then apply to CPSNB for registration as a professional corporation in the Registrar's approved form with the $300 registration fee. Renew every year before December 1.
When is the renewal deadline for a New Brunswick professional corporation?
Regulation #5 requires the corporation to apply for renewal prior to December 1 each year. Because the wording is "prior to", treat November 30 as the real deadline rather than December 1.
How much does a professional corporation cost in New Brunswick?
CPSNB's registration fee is $300, and the annual fee for a professional corporation is also $300, set by Regulation #8. Those are the College's fees only — the Service New Brunswick incorporation and any professional preparation are separate.
Does New Brunswick issue a certificate of authorization like Ontario?
No. New Brunswick registers the corporation on the College's Corporations Register under the Medical Act rather than issuing an Ontario-style certificate of authorization. The practical effect is the same — the corporation cannot practise medicine until it is registered.
Is the renewal date the same for every corporation?
Yes. Unlike Ontario, where the certificate of authorization renews on its own issue-date anniversary, New Brunswick sets a single calendar deadline before December 1 for all registered professional corporations.
Incorporate your New Brunswick medical professional corporation — free consultation
Two filings, one deadline-proof plan. In a free consultation, a Corporate Registry Services specialist maps both steps for your New Brunswick practice — the Service New Brunswick incorporation with a CPSNB-acceptable name and compliant articles, and the registration on the College's Corporations Register that lets you practise through it — plus the December renewals that keep both alive.
Book your free professional corporation consultation →
Related guides
- Professional corporations in Canada — the pillar guide
- Professional corporation renewals — every regulator's deadline in one table
- Medical professional corporation in Nova Scotia — the neighbouring CPSNS route
- Medicine professional corporation in Ontario — the CPSO route, for comparison
Frequently asked questions
How do I set up a medical professional corporation in New Brunswick?
Clear a compliant name with CPSNB, incorporate through Service New Brunswick's Corporate Registry with articles meeting the Medical Act requirements, then apply to CPSNB for registration as a professional corporation in the Registrar's approved form with the $300 registration fee. Renew every year before December 1.
When is the renewal deadline for a New Brunswick professional corporation?
Regulation #5 requires the corporation to apply for renewal prior to December 1 each year. Because the wording is "prior to", treat November 30 as the real deadline rather than December 1.
How much does a professional corporation cost in New Brunswick?
CPSNB's registration fee is $300, and the annual fee for a professional corporation is also $300, set by Regulation #8. Those are the College's fees only — the Service New Brunswick incorporation and any professional preparation are separate.
Does New Brunswick issue a certificate of authorization like Ontario?
No. New Brunswick registers the corporation on the College's Corporations Register under the Medical Act rather than issuing an Ontario-style certificate of authorization. The practical effect is the same — the corporation cannot practise medicine until it is registered.
Is the renewal date the same for every corporation?
Yes. Unlike Ontario, where the certificate of authorization renews on its own issue-date anniversary, New Brunswick sets a single calendar deadline before December 1 for all registered professional corporations.
Get a custom quote in minutes — we respond within 1 business hour.