Quick links and instructions for federal and provincial registries: Corporations Canada, BC Registry, Ontario Business Registry, land/title systems, and licensing boards. Use company names, registration numbers or person names tied to corporate roles.
This page links to external public registries and explains how to search them. We do not retrieve or store records on your behalf. Links may lead to paid document services on registry sites.
Frequently Asked Questions — Public Records
Where do I search for federal and provincial company registrations?
Land and title systems are province-specific. Use provincial land title portals (e.g., Teranet for Ontario) and municipal property search tools. See Land / Title systems section below.
How can I retrieve corporate filings and documents?
Corporations Canada and provincial registries often allow purchase or download of document images (articles, statements). Search by corporation number or name to locate document lists.
Where can I search professional licenses and regulatory registers?
Most professions are regulated provincially. Search regulator websites (college/regulatory body) for public license lookups. See Government & regulators for links.
Are personal details redacted in public registries?
Some personal details can be limited or redacted depending on privacy rules and registry policies. When in doubt contact the registry or review their privacy statement. See Privacy Laws.
How do I verify that a registry result corresponds to the right person?
Corroborate via role titles, company numbers, addresses, and cross-check with news, archived snapshots and official documents. See Verification Methods.
Federal corporate registrations are searchable via Corporations Canada. Provincial registries cover incorporations, extra-provincial registrations and filings within each province. Use both when researching company ties and director records.
Corporations Canada
Search by corporation name or corporation number to view status, registered office, directors and available documents. Note that some document images may require a fee.
Provincial Registries
Each province operates its own registry portal (e.g., BC Registries, Ontario Business Registry, RegistryNet for Alberta). For local business details and filings, search the relevant provincial portal.
Land Title & Property Records
Identify the province and use the provincial land title system (Teranet, BC Land Title, etc.).
Search by property address, plan number or owner name where available.
Record requests often produce plan documents and registration history (fees may apply).
Corporate Filings & Documents
Search Corporations Canada and provincial registries for lists of filed documents (articles, annual filings, notices of change).
Use corporation numbers for precise retrieval; note document IDs for downloads or reference.
Preserve document snapshots and timestamps when documenting research results.
Professional Licenses & Regulatory Registers
Search provincial regulator sites for licensed members (e.g., doctors, engineers, realtors).
Use license numbers or name + province to verify current standing and restrictions.
Sample Queries — Copy / Paste
Corporations Canada: site:ic.gc.ca "ACME Widgets" OR "ACME WIDGETS INC" (include corp number if known)
Provincial registry: "ACME Widgets" site:gov.bc.ca OR site:ontario.ca
Land title search: "123 Main St" "Toronto" "title"
Confirm company numbers and director names across Corporations Canada and provincial registers.
Match addresses and contact details to corroborate identity.
Check filing dates and document content for roles and authority.
Sanitized Walkthrough — Short Case Study
Example: Locate a company by name, retrieve its corporation number at Corporations Canada, lookup provincial filings for additional directors, then confirm property ownership via provincial land title records — save document IDs and timestamps.
About This Resource
Written by:Steve Henning, founder and architect of People Search Global.
Experience base: Over two decades in information retrieval and search engineering. This guide emphasizes registry-first workflows for Canadian public records.
Methodology: Practical steps: start with federal registry, pivot to provincial portals, use company numbers for precision, and corroborate with land-title and regulator sources.
