In an upcoming change to the Ontario Business Registry (OBR) filing process effective Feb. 1, 2025, all entities registered or incorporated in the OBR will be required to use a Company Key to conduct transactions. This is particularly impactful to entities that were incorporated before Oct. 19, 2021, which have not previously needed a Company Key.
What This Means for You
- For entities registered or incorporated on or after Oct. 19, 2021: There is no change to the current filing process. If you have used ESC to register or incorporate a new entity on or after Oct. 19, 2021, ESC will continue to have delegated authority, and it will remain in place until or unless the entity revokes the delegated authority.
- For entities registered or incorporated prior to Oct. 19, 2021: A Company Key will be required the first time you process a filing on behalf of an entity. Once ESC has been provided with an entity’s Company Key, the delegated authority for that entity will remain in place until the entity revokes it. This means that ESC only needs the key once.
What You Need to Do
- Take an inventory of your clients to determine if you have their Company Keys on file.
- If you don’t have a Company Key on file for an entity, request it from your client.
- If your client does not have its Company Key, it will need to be requested from the OBR.
Please see the OBR’s Company Key Guide for complete details on how to request a Company Key online.
Tip: The fastest way to obtain the Company Key is to ensure the entity’s correct official email address is on file with the OBR.
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