Business Name & Trade Name (DBA) Registration in Canada: Fees by Province

Updated: July 2026. Government fees and renewal terms were checked against official registry sources in July 2026.

You probably don't need a DBA if you use your exact personal name or your corporation's full legal name. If you put another name on the storefront, website, invoices or bank account, you'll generally need to register that name in each province or territory where the rules require it.

Canada doesn't have one national DBA filing. Trade name, operating name, business name and DBA usually describe the same practical idea, but registration is provincial or territorial. Current setup totals range from $10 plus an agent fee in Alberta to $130 in Prince Edward Island. Ontario is $60 for five years, while a typical BC filing is $70 with no periodic renewal.

Business name registration fees by province and territory

The table uses the ordinary sole-proprietorship or business-name route, not incorporation. Where a name reservation is normally required, the setup total includes it. Registry-agent, professional and expedited-service charges are excluded unless noted.

Province or territory	Typical government setup fee	Renewal	Official registry
Federal	Not available for trade names	Not applicable	Choosing a business name
Ontario	$60	$60 every 5 years	Ontario Business Registry
Quebec	$41 for a sole proprietorship	$41 annual registration rights for a sole proprietorship	Registraire des entreprises
British Columbia	$70: $30 name request + $40 registration	No periodic business-name renewal	BC Registry Services
Alberta	$10 government fee + registry-agent fee	No periodic renewal	Alberta Corporate Registry
Saskatchewan	$115: $50 name reservation + $65 registration	$60 every 3 years	Saskatchewan Corporate Registry
Manitoba	$105: $45 name reservation + $60 registration	$60 every 3 years	Manitoba Companies Office
New Brunswick	$112	$62 every 5 years	New Brunswick Corporate Registry
Nova Scotia	$129.07: $60.52 Atlantic name search + $68.55 registration	$68.55 annually	Nova Scotia Registry of Joint Stock Companies
Prince Edward Island	$130: $40 name search + $90 registration	$75 every 3 years	PEI Business/Corporate Registry
Newfoundland and Labrador	No provincial business-name registry	Not applicable	Companies and Deeds Online
Yukon	$65 online: $40 name reservation + $25 declaration	$25 every 3 years	Yukon Corporate Affairs
Northwest Territories	$75: $25 name search + $50 registration	$50 every 4 years	NWT Corporate Registries
Nunavut	$50	No periodic business-name renewal listed	Nunavut Legal Registries

Quebec fees depend on the legal form. Its 2026 regular registration and annual rights are $41 for a sole proprietorship, $63 for a partnership and $106 in annual registration rights for a for-profit corporation. Alberta has no fixed all-in price: the government filing is $10, and the authorized registry agent sets its own service fee on top.

Newfoundland and Labrador is the real exception. The province states that it has no legislation governing a Business Name Registry. A sole proprietor may still need a CRA Business Number, municipal licence, tax account or industry permit; there is simply no provincial trade-name certificate to buy.

What does DBA mean in Canada?

DBA means doing business as. It is common US wording, but Canadian registries more often say trade name, operating name or business name.

Here is the clean distinction:

Term	What it means	Example
Legal name	The person or entity that owns the business and can enter contracts.	12345678 Ontario Inc.
Trade name or operating name	A public name used instead of the exact legal name.	Maple Roofing
DBA	Another label for the trade or operating name. It is not a separate Canadian entity type.	12345678 Ontario Inc. doing business as Maple Roofing
Trademark	An intellectual-property right in a sign, word or design used to distinguish goods or services.	A registered Maple Roofing word mark or logo

Registration links the public name to its owner. It doesn't move assets, create a new taxpayer or put a liability wall around a sole proprietor. That's why the legal name still belongs on important contracts and invoices.

How to register a business name in Canada: 5 steps

The portal changes by jurisdiction, but the practical process is consistent.

1. Confirm who owns the name. Decide whether the registrant is you personally, a partnership or an existing corporation. Registering a name doesn't choose or change the underlying structure for you.
2. Search for conflicts. Search the provincial registry, the Canadian Trademarks Database and the web. A name being available to register isn't a promise that using it can't infringe someone else's rights.
3. Reserve or approve the name if required. BC, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, PEI, Yukon and the Northwest Territories normally add a name-review step. Follow the approval window; an expired reservation usually means another application and fee.
4. File with the province or territory. Provide the legal owner's name, addresses, business activity and any required agent information. Use the official portal in the table above or an authorized registry agent where the system requires one.
5. Save the proof and complete the separate registrations. Give the registration document to the bank or payment provider if requested. Then deal separately with CRA accounts, provincial taxes, payroll, workers' compensation, municipal licensing and industry permits.

A provincial business-name registration is not a municipal business licence. If you search for “business name registration Windsor,” for example, the name filing is still provincial through Ontario; the City of Windsor decides which local licences, zoning rules or permits apply.

Province-specific registration notes

Ontario

Ontario charges $60 to register a sole-proprietorship, partnership or corporate business name through the Ontario Business Registry. The registration lasts five years, and renewal also costs $60.

The proof is now called a Business Name Registration. Ontario retired the old Master Business Licence terminology when the new registry launched in October 2021, although the government still uses the old phrase when explaining legacy documents. A current registration includes a provincial Business Identification Number (BIN) and company key.

Ontario doesn't perform the same conflict review for a business name that it performs for a corporate name. The practical burden is on you to search, assess confusion risk and deal with a dispute. If you choose the wrong name, cancelling it and registering another is administratively simple; rebuilding the website, signs and reputation is not.

For screenshots and the Ontario workflow, use our dedicated guide to registering and managing operating names in Ontario.

British Columbia

BC's ordinary sole-proprietorship or general-partnership route costs $70: $30 for a name request and $40 for the registration. The approved name is reserved for 56 days. Priority name service costs another $100 and targets one to two business days.

BC specifically lets an existing company register a “doing business as” name. A sole proprietorship doesn't add a DBA on top of itself; its registered business name is already the name under which it operates. BC doesn't charge a periodic renewal fee for a sole-proprietorship business registration, but the owner must file changes and close a business that stops operating.

Alberta

An Alberta sole proprietor registers a trade name through an authorized registry agent. The government filing fee is $10. The agent adds an unregulated service fee, so compare the all-in quote; current agent pricing varies and the Alberta government does not publish one standard retail total.

There is no name-approval requirement and registering the trade name doesn't prove ownership of it. That makes the pre-filing registry and trademark searches especially important. Alberta trade names do not have a periodic renewal, but changes and cancellation still go through a registry agent.

Quebec

Quebec registers businesses with the Registraire des entreprises and issues a Québec enterprise number (NEQ). For 2026, registering a sole proprietorship costs $41 and its annual registration rights are also $41. Partnerships and corporations have different rates.

You must list the other names used in Quebec and file the required annual updating declaration. French-language rules apply to business names and public commercial materials, with details depending on the name and how it is displayed. Use the Office québécois de la langue française guidance rather than assuming an English name can be displayed on its own.

Manitoba

Manitoba is a two-step filing. Reserve the name for $45, then register the business name for $60 within the reservation period. The normal government setup total is $105.

The registration lasts three years. Renewal is $60, and Manitoba allows renewal within six months after expiry. After that, you have to start again with a new name reservation and registration. This reservation step is easy to miss because paying the $45 doesn't itself register the business.

New Brunswick

New Brunswick charges $112 for a Certificate of Business Name, including the mandatory $12 Royal Gazette publication fee. A name search report is required. The registration lasts five years; renewal costs $62, again including publication.

The certificate is the registry proof to keep for banking and vendor requests. Don't confuse it with the CRA Business Number, which is a separate federal identifier.

Nova Scotia

The usual Nova Scotia sole-proprietorship setup is $129.07: $60.52 for an Atlantic Canada name search and $68.55 to register. The registration must be renewed every year for $68.55. A Canada-wide name search costs more.

Nova Scotia says to allow one to two weeks for a Certificate of Registration and Business Number. It has narrow exemptions, including an individual using only an exact personal name and certain businesses used only for farming or fishing. The full process is in How to Register a Business in Nova Scotia.

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan charges $50 to reserve a for-profit business name and $65 to register it, for a typical government total of $115. The reservation lasts 90 days.

Business-name registrations must be renewed every three years. The 2026 renewal fee is $60. If the filing expires, the name can become available to someone else after 90 days, and you will need to reserve and register it again.

What is a DBA certificate?

“DBA certificate” is a generic description, not one standard Canadian document. The name on the proof depends on where you file:

• Ontario issues a Business Name Registration with a BIN and company key.
• Alberta provides a registration statement through the registry agent.
• New Brunswick issues a Certificate of Business Name.
• Nova Scotia issues a Certificate of Registration and Business Number.
• Other registries provide a declaration, certificate, registration summary or electronic confirmation.

Save the original PDF and the renewal confirmation. A bank, marketplace, insurer or customer onboarding team may ask for current proof that the public name is tied to you or your corporation.

Is there a DBA number?

There is no national DBA number. A province may assign a registration number, and Ontario calls its identifier a Business Identification Number (BIN). That is not the same as the CRA Business Number (BN).

The BN is a nine-digit federal identifier such as 123456789. CRA program accounts extend it, for example 123456789 RT 0001 for GST/HST. Registering another operating name does not automatically create another BN or another GST/HST account.

Adding an operating name to a corporation

A numbered corporation is the clearest use case. 12345678 Ontario Inc. can register Maple Roofing as its operating name, then market under the readable name without amending its Articles.

The steps are:

1. Search the proposed operating name for business and trademark conflicts.
2. Register the name with the legal corporation shown as its owner.
3. Give the proof to the bank and payment providers if they need to add the name.
4. Identify both names on contracts and invoices: 12345678 Ontario Inc., operating as Maple Roofing.
5. Track every renewal and cancel names the corporation stops using.

A corporation can register more than one operating name, subject to the applicable provincial rules and a separate filing for each name. The accounting and administrative question matters: multiple brands under one corporation share the same legal entity, liability pool and corporate tax return. Separate corporations cost more to run but may be appropriate when ownership, risk or a future sale needs to be separated.

Trade name vs trademark

A business-name registration and a trademark solve different problems.

Register the trade name when provincial law requires a public record connecting the operating name to its owner. It is usually quick and costs tens or low hundreds of dollars.

Consider a Canadian trademark when the brand itself is valuable and you want enforceable rights across Canada for specified goods or services. A trademark application involves a conflict analysis, classifications, examination and a much longer timeline.

Do both searches before you commit to signs or packaging. Corporate registries may review a proposed corporate name more deeply than a basic trade name, but neither route guarantees that a trademark dispute cannot arise. Ribbon Business saw that distinction first-hand when “Ribbon Solutions Inc.” received a federal Notice of Deficiency because of a confusing corporate name; adding a descriptive element produced the approved “Ribbon Business Solutions Inc.” A trade-name filing can be looser, leaving more of that conflict risk with the registrant.

Trade name vs incorporating

Registering a DBA does not incorporate the business.

If you register a trade name as a sole proprietor	If you incorporate
You and the business remain the same legal person.	The corporation is a separate legal person.
Business income is generally reported on your personal return.	The corporation files its own T2 return.
You remain personally responsible for the business's obligations.	Shareholders generally have limited liability, subject to guarantees and other exceptions.
Setup and ongoing administration are relatively light.	Corporate records, annual registry filings and tax work add cost.

Don't incorporate only because a customer-facing name sounds more professional. Incorporation is a structure decision. In practice, professional corporate accounting and tax work can create roughly $2,000–$3,000 a year of ongoing cost. The $60 trade-name form and the corporation solve completely different problems.

Banking, invoices and CRA accounts

Banks commonly ask for the business-name registration, identification and documents for the legal owner. That doesn't guarantee account approval; each institution applies its own identity, risk and product rules.

On customer-facing documents, make the relationship clear:

• Corporation: 12345678 Ontario Inc., operating as Maple Roofing
• Sole proprietor: Alex Chen, operating as Bright Byte Design

Use the registered name consistently on the website, invoices and payment accounts, but don't hide the legal party on a contract. Add the operating name to the existing CRA profile if applicable. The BN and active GST/HST, payroll or import/export accounts stay with the legal owner.

After you register

• Save the certificate, registration statement or declaration.
• Update the bank, insurer, merchant processor and marketplaces where needed.
• Put the legal and operating names on contracts and invoices.
• Calendar the renewal date and file address or owner changes promptly.
• Check municipal licences and industry permits separately.
• Search trademarks before investing heavily in the brand.
• Cancel the registration when you permanently stop using the name.

Frequently asked questions

What is a DBA in Canada?

A DBA is a trade name or operating name: the public name a person or company uses instead of its exact legal name. Registering one links the name to its legal owner. It doesn't create a new legal entity.

Do I need to register a trade name?

Generally, yes if you carry on business under a name other than your exact personal or corporate legal name. The exemptions and filing process vary by province or territory, and Newfoundland and Labrador doesn't maintain a provincial business-name registry.

How much does it cost to register a business name in Canada?

There is no single Canadian fee. Current examples include $60 in Ontario, $70 in British Columbia, $105 in Manitoba and $115 in Saskatchewan. Alberta charges a $10 government filing fee plus an unregulated registry-agent service fee. Fees are current as of July 2026.

How long does business name registration take?

A simple online filing may be completed immediately, but jurisdictions that review or reserve the name can take several business days. Current registry queues and incomplete applications can extend the timeline.

How long does a trade name last?

It depends on the jurisdiction. Ontario and New Brunswick use five-year terms; Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island and Yukon use three-year terms; the Northwest Territories uses four years; Nova Scotia and Quebec have annual obligations. Some registrations don't have a periodic renewal.

Does a trade name create a new legal entity or limit liability?

No. A trade name is a label attached to its legal owner. A sole proprietor remains personally responsible for the business, while a corporation remains the legal entity behind a corporate operating name.

Can I open a bank account under my trade name?

Usually. A bank will commonly ask for the provincial or territorial registration document, identification and the legal owner's tax or corporate records. The bank decides its own account-opening requirements.

Do I get a new Business Number or GST/HST number for a DBA?

No. Registering an operating name doesn't create a new CRA Business Number or new tax accounts. The operating name can be added to the existing CRA business profile where applicable.

Does business name registration protect my name from others?

Not by itself. A registry filing creates a public record and may involve a name review, but it isn't the same as a Canadian trademark. Search existing businesses and trademarks before investing in the name.

The practical next step

If you're a sole proprietor using only your exact name, first confirm that your province actually requires a filing. If you're using a brand, start with the official registry in the fee table, search the name, then register it to the correct legal owner.

Ribbon Business helps Canadian entrepreneurs with business formation and ongoing corporate compliance. A trade name is usually a straightforward registry filing; for trademark rights or a close name conflict, work with a Canadian trademark professional.

This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules and fees change, and the correct filing depends on the legal owner and the jurisdictions where it carries on business.