Business Name Pre-Approval in Canada: Federal Name Preapproval and BC Name Request

Business name pre-approval means getting a registry to approve your corporate name before you incorporate. Federally, Corporations Canada offers an optional corporate name preapproval in its Online Filing Centre, valid for 90 days from the date you apply. In British Columbia, a Name Request is mandatory for a named company: it costs $30, and an approved name is held for 56 days. Other provinces approve names through a reservation or a NUANS report. This guide covers how regulatory name approval works in each.

Name approval by jurisdiction

Federal name preapproval (Corporations Canada)

Since Corporations Canada built the name search into its online services, you no longer order a NUANS report to propose a federal name. You have two options:

1. Propose the name in your incorporation. Corporations Canada says this is usually the more efficient route. The name is reviewed as part of the filing, and online incorporation takes about a day.
2. Preapprove the name first. In the Online Filing Centre, choose "Preapprove a corporate name". A preapproval "is valid for 90 days from the date you apply." Use it if you want certainty before you invest in a brand, or if someone else will file the incorporation later.

Either way, the name becomes legally yours only when the Certificate of Incorporation is issued. If Corporations Canada needs more information, it sends a "Notice of action required" and you resubmit through the Online Filing Centre.

To improve your chances, Corporations Canada suggests giving supporting information with the request: the type of business, the geographic area and clientele, how you chose the distinctive element, any family name and its connection to the corporation, similar names or trademarks you know of, and the searches you've run.

A NUANS report is still required federally for revivals, amalgamations, not-for-profit continuances and co-operatives. See our federal NUANS guide, or incorporate federally with us.

BC Name Request

British Columbia doesn't use NUANS. Every named BC company needs an approved Name Request from BC Registries before incorporating or changing its name.

• Up to three choices, in order of preference. BC Registries reviews them in sequence.
• Fee: $30 for standard review, about 6 business days. Priority review costs $100 and takes 1 to 2 business days.
• Results by email. An approved name is reserved for 56 days, so incorporate promptly.
• Appeals: if your names are rejected, you can appeal within 30 days, with one further appeal within 5 days.
• Numbered alternative: a numbered company such as "345678 B.C. Ltd." needs no Name Request and no name fee. Societies and co-operatives can't be numbered.

BC's naming rules expect a distinctive element and a descriptive element; a name missing either is likely to be rejected. For a full walkthrough, see our BC business name registration guide, or let us prepare and track your BC Name Request.

Provincial name approval elsewhere

Saskatchewan and Manitoba

Both run their own registry review, with no NUANS report. Saskatchewan's ISC reservation costs $50 and holds the name for 90 days; Manitoba's Request for Name Reservation costs $45 and also lasts 90 days. In Manitoba, a name may be rejected if it's identical or confusingly similar to a federal corporation or a trademark. See our Saskatchewan name reservation guide.

Nova Scotia

The Registry of Joint Stock Companies reserves names for 90 days. It can run an Atlantic search for you, or you can supply your own NUANS report at a lower fee. Numbered companies don't reserve a name.

Alberta, Ontario and New Brunswick

These provinces rely on NUANS reports rather than a separate pre-approval. In Alberta the report itself reserves the name for 90 days. In Ontario the report gives no exclusive hold and you're responsible for checking conflicts; see our Ontario NUANS guide. New Brunswick requires an Atlantic NUANS report with the articles.

Quebec

Quebec doesn't use NUANS. Names are handled through the Registraire des entreprises du Québec, and French-language rules apply. See our Quebec name search service.

What registries look for in a name

Corporate names are approved by the registrars: Corporations Canada and the provincial registries. The Canadian Intellectual Property Office handles trademarks, not corporate name approval. Registry reviews generally check:

• Structure: a distinctive element ("Northwind"), a descriptive element ("Logistics") and a legal ending. Federal endings include Limited, Incorporated, Corporation and their French forms Limitée, Incorporée and Société par actions de régime fédéral, plus abbreviations such as Ltd., Ltée, Inc., Corp. and S.A.R.F. Each province has its own list, and unlimited liability companies use different endings.
• Confusion: whether the name is too close to an existing corporation, business name or trademark, especially in a related industry or area.
• Restricted words: terms that suggest a government connection or a regulated activity, such as "bank" or "university", usually need consent or are refused.
• Misleading or objectionable terms: names that misdescribe the business or are offensive are refused.

Running free searches before you apply helps a lot. Our pre-search and reservation guide covers free checks, paid reports and how reservations differ.

How to get started

1. Pick your jurisdiction. It determines whether you need preapproval, a Name Request, a reservation or a NUANS report.
2. Shortlist names with all three elements, plus backups.
3. Pre-search registries and the Canadian Trademarks Database.
4. Apply: federal preapproval or incorporation, BC Name Request, provincial reservation or NUANS. Compare options on our name search services page.
5. Incorporate before the hold expires: 56 days in BC, 90 in most other places.