How the Ontario Business Registry actually works
The OBR is the online system Ontario uses for most business and corporate filings — here's how to navigate it.
What the Ontario Business Registry is
The Ontario Business Registry (OBR) is the province's online system for filing and managing business and corporate information — registrations, incorporations, annual returns, changes, and dissolutions.
Accessing the OBR
You typically access the OBR through a ServiceOntario / My Ontario account. You'll be asked to identify the business or corporation you want to file for, and to prove you're authorized (often using a company key).
Company keys
A company key is a unique confidential credential tied to a specific corporation or registration. It's essentially proof of authorization to make filings. Treat it like a password.
What you can do in the OBR
- Register a sole proprietorship, partnership, or operating name
- Incorporate an Ontario corporation
- File annual returns
- Update directors, officers, or the registered office
- Amend articles
- Order profile reports, certificates of status, and document copies
- Dissolve or cancel a business or corporation
How to register a business on the OBR, step by step
- Search the name first: business name search (and a NUANS report if incorporating).
- Go to the Ontario Business Registry and choose the filing (register a business name, or incorporate).
- Enter the owner, address and business activity details.
- Pay the government fee online (see current government fees).
- Save the Master Business Licence or Certificate of Incorporation you receive, and your company key.
How to search the Ontario Business Registry
Searching is free. You can look up a corporation or registered business by name or number and see its status. Detailed documents such as a profile report cost a fee. See our Ontario corporation search guide.
Common OBR problems
- No company key: request one through the registry; it is mailed to the registered office. See company key.
- Name rejected: it is too similar to an existing name or lacks a distinctive element.
- Missed annual return: file it in the OBR as soon as possible. See annual returns.
- Registration expired: business name registrations last five years and must be renewed.
Searches and public records
Some corporate information is publicly available through the registry — corporation names, status, and certain filings. Details like personal home addresses of directors are generally not published for public search.
Common terms in plain English
- Profile report — a snapshot of a corporation's current registry record.
- Certificate of status — official confirmation that a corporation is in good standing.
- Notice of change — a filing to update information (directors, officers, addresses).
- Articles of amendment — a filing to change corporate name, share structure, or restrictions.