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1. Get aFederal Corporate Name Search (NUANS Report) in electronic (PDF) format here.

2. Register with the Corporations Canada Homepage. After you register with the Corporations Canada On-Line Filing Centre, you can file your business incorporation electronically.

3. Submit your Corporate Name Proposal online.

4. After your name is approved, file the Articles of Incorporation online. You will need a credit card to pay the $500 filing fee.

5. After you receive your Certificate of Incorporation, you will likely still be required to register your business in any province or territory where you carry on business.

10 Steps to Incorporating your Business
1. Select Corporate Jurisdiction

2. Select Corporate Names

3. Determine Corporate Name Availability through NUANS

4. Complete Articles of Incorporation

5. Submit & Register Articles of Incorporation

6. Purchase Corporate Seal & Minute Book

7. Complete Corporate By-Laws, Organizational Minutes & Issue Shares

8. Obtain Other Permits & Licenses eg Sales taxes and vendors permits

9. Set Up Bank Account

10. You are done. Start Your Business!

In order for you to register or incorporate your business, a NUANS Report is required by the Federal & most provincial governments. NUANS Reports are used to determine the availability of a corporate/business name. Clients search the NUANS database and listing for any similar or possibly confusing existing corporation names, business names and trademarks to make sure that no one else has already registered the corporate or business name, or trademark you plan to use for your business.

NUANS reports are valid for 90 days from their date of submission. There are different types of NUANS reports, geared towards different jurisdictions (i.e. provinces) or Canada. NUANS reports for incorporations must be for the relevant jurisdiction (Federal or desired province) and must be a "reservation" type report.

To avoid performing repeated NUANS reports (which can be expensive),
a "pre-search" of the NUANS database is available.

Federal incorporation can easily be done without a lawyer.
- Get a Federal Corporate Name Search (NUANS Report) in electronic (PDF) format. Check the Yellow Pages under "Searchers of Records". CanLaw can provide a NUANS search or presearch for a modest fee.
- Go to the Corporations Directorate Homepage @ http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/corpdir/engdoc/homepage.html. After you register with Strategis, you can file electronically.
- Submit your Corporate Name Proposal online.
- After your name is approved, file the Articles of Incorporation online. You will need a credit card to pay the $500 filing fee.
- After you receive your Certificate of Incorporation, you will likely
still be required to register your business in any province or territory where you carry on business.

In order for you to register or incorporate your business, a corporate name search report is required by the Federal and the provincial governments. These reports are used to determine the availability of a corporate/business name by searching the relevant databases or registries listing any similar or possibly confusing existing corporation names, business names and trademarks. In other words, you need to make sure that no one else has already registered the corporate or business name, or trademark you would like to use for your business.

In Canada, there are 2 different kinds of reports: a NUANS biased report; and a provincial name report. The NUANS (Newly Updated Automated Name Search) database provides name search reports for the following jurisdictions: Canada (Federal); Ontario; Alberta; New Brunswick; Nova Scotia; and Prince Edward Island. For all the other provinces (B.C., Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland & Labrador), they each require a name search report from their respective provincial database and registry and NOT from the NUANS database.