ESC was founded in 2009 as a private Ontario Corporation offering search, registration, and corporate supplies services.
ISC (TSX:ISC) is the leading provider of registry and information management services for public data and records. Throughout our history, we have excelled at delivering value to government, to industry and to our community. We are the partner of choice for governments and private sector organizations seeking solutions across the information management spectrum. (ISC)
ESC Corporate Services Ltd. (ESC) the servicing division of ISC delivers cutting-edge technology uniting public record data, customer authentication, corporate legal services, and collateral management to support a wide range of customers within the Government, Legal, Financial and Corporate sectors across Canada.
ESC offers a wide range of services for new business owners. From incorporation and business name registrations to mandatory corporate filings, business renewals, corporate supplies and even online marketing support, our services are fast and reliable.
To set up, a Registry Complete account please email [email protected].
You don’t need to set up an account to use our services unless you want to. You can click the Login button which will take you to our Registry Complete platform where you can process impromptu transactions without an account, or you can request to set up an account with ESC. Registry Complete Login.
If you’re interested in ordering services online using our Registry Complete platform please click Login here or at the top of this page. The login button will direct you to our Registry Complete portal.
You can reach ESC’s customer service by email or by phone at 416.595.7177 (or toll-free at 1.800.668.8208). We pride ourselves on the quality of our customer service and will be happy to answer any of your questions.
To request current turnaround times, please contact: [email protected].
Yes, when filing your Articles of Incorporation, you can select a different legal ending from your proposed name.
Even though a name search is a mandatory requirement, it’s not the same as a Federal Name Decision. A Federal Name Decision is the actual name pre-approval issued by Corporations Canada and is a guarantee that the name will be accepted for incorporation.
If your name has been rejected, you can request another name and apply for a Federal Name Decision again, or comply with the requirements outlined by Corporations Canada to use the proposed name.
Types of business registrations include sole proprietorship, various forms of partnerships (including limited partnerships and limited liability partnerships), and corporate styles.
No. If there’s been a change of business owner, you’ll need to file a new business registration.
No, a Nuans Name Reservation Report isn’t required for business name registrations. However, we do suggest completing a preliminary name search to determine if your proposed business name is available.
Any director, officer, or individual with knowledge of the corporation, such as your lawyer, can authorize the Form 1 filing.
The Ontario Business Registry (OBR) is the provincial registry that governs the database of record for all businesses, corporations, and other commercial entities registered in Ontario. It allows entities to complete transactions online, including registering, incorporating, and updating their information.
A Company Key is a unique series of digits and/or characters assigned to a specific entity that is used to access services on behalf of that entity. The My Ontario service that was launched on Oct. 19, 2021, introduced Company Keys as a way of validating authority to file changes on an entity’s behalf. A Company Key is required to process corporate or business filings with the OBR directly and/or through a licensed service provider, such as ESC.
If you have a registered account in Registry Complete, you only need to provide the Company Key once when filing through Registry Complete. Once ESC has the Company Key on file for an entity, you will not need to provide it again unless the entity’s Company Key changes.
If you have a pay-as-you-go/credit card account, you will need to provide the Company Key every time you use Registry Complete.
If you are unsure what type of Registry Complete account you have or would like more information on the different account types, reach out to our support team at [email protected].
Once you start your order in Registry Complete, ESC will automatically validate authority on the entity in real time. In the event that authority is required, you will be prompted to enter the key and/or request it at that time.
If an entity already exists but does not have its Company Key, contact our team for assistance. The Company Key can also be requested from the OBR here.
The Company Key can be emailed to the entity’s official email address or mailed to the registered address on file. If the requester does not have access to the address, they can answer additional questions to complete the request. Refer to the OBR guide for more detail.
All new entities will receive the Company Key as part of their registration. It will be issued by the OBR and sent to the official email or registered office address on file.
On Oct. 19, 2021, the My Ontario system was launched to replace the legacy ServiceOntario database, and Company Keys were introduced as a unique access code for each business and corporation.
Entities existing or registered prior to the My Ontario launch were automatically migrated to the new system. The OBR allowed a transition period during which these pre-existing entities were not required to present a Company Key to process their filings.
As of Feb. 1, 2025, all entities will be required to use their Company Key when interacting with the OBR. This update represents additional security for entities by ensuring only authorized parties can submit filings on their behalf. This is the next stage of the OBR’s transition to My Ontario and all entities will benefit from the enhanced validation requirement.
The entity to which the Company Key was issued is solely responsible for ensuring the security of its key.
The Company Key should be considered as a password or access code to interact with the OBR. It should only be shared with trusted intermediaries (such as lawyers) and/or registered service providers (such as ESC) who are authorized to process filings on the entity’s behalf.
Anyone with a registered entity can log into their My Ontario account to view a list of parties with delegated authority, meaning parties with the authority to file changes with the OBR on that entity’s behalf.
Delegated authority does not expire. Once obtained, it remains in place indefinitely unless the entity revokes that party’s authority.
“Blanket authority”, in the context of OBR filings, refers to the less restrictive authority historically used by intermediaries and registered service providers to file on behalf of entities registered before unique Company Keys were introduced. Blanket authority only applied to entities registered before Oct. 19, 2021.
Blanket authority will be obsolete as of Feb. 1, 2025, when Company Keys become a requirement for all registered entities regardless of their date of incorporation or registration.
No. Once issued, a Company Key will not automatically change or expire. It will stay the same forever, unless the registered address for the entity changes, at which point a new key will be issued.
An entity can also submit a request to the OBR for a new key at any time. You may want to do this if, for example, you become aware that the security of your current key has been compromised.
Yes. Delegated authority for the entity can be managed through that entity’s My Ontario account.
Yes. You can request a Company Key from the OBR on your client’s behalf here.
Yes. There is an option in the OBR request form to answer additional questions related to the entity’s prior filings, similar to answering security questions to retrieve login details.
Once your answers have been validated by the OBR, the Company Key will be sent to the email address provided in your request.
If requested to be sent to the registered email on file: An email with the Company Key will be sent within a few minutes to the official email on file. If it has not been received, check your junk or spam folders.
If requested to be sent to the registered address on file: The Company Key will be sent by standard mail to the registered address on file for the entity. Allow several business days; timing can vary by region.
If additional questions need to be answered: The OBR requires up to 2 business days to process these requests. Once responses have been validated, the Company Key will be emailed to the email address indicated in the request.
A My Ontario account gives you secure online access to Government of Ontario services, including corporate and business filings. This service was launched in Oct. 2021.
Entities registered prior to the launch can continue accessing their ServiceOntario account using ONe-key. These entities must migrate their ONe-key to a new or existing My Ontario account. For more information, visit the ServiceOntario website.
No. ONe-key applies only to the legacy Service Ontario system. Company Keys are specific to the new My Ontario system.
If you currently access your OBR profile using ONe-Key, you will need to migrate your account over to a My Ontario Account by creating or logging into an existing My Ontario Account and select yes when prompted about ONe-Key migration. For more information, refer to the My Ontario account help guide.
For more information on OBR Company Key requirements, contact the ESC team at [email protected].
A Certified PPSA Search has the Ministry’s certification stamp. It is worth noting that certified search results are delivered the next day.
On October 19, 2021, the Ontario government launched the new Ontario Business Registry. Businesses will now have access to a new online registry to process various transactions. Government services will be accessible online 24/7, with instant fulfillment and automated notices. To learn more, please visit our OBR FAQ digital guide at: ESC’s OBR Guide.
A Business Name is a registered name that is commonly used for businesses such as sole proprietors, partnerships, or additional operating names of a corporation. A corporation is considered its own “legal person” with its rights and liabilities, separate from its owners. Contact your legal advisor for detailed information about the differences.
ESC can obtain copies of documents filed at the Corporate Registry that include, but are not limited to, the following: Articles of Incorporation, Amalgamation, Amendment, Arrangement, Continuance, Reorganization & Dissolution, Articles of Revival, Corrected Certificates, Application for authorization to continue, Restated Articles of Incorporation, Application for Letters patent/Amalgamation/Continuance, Application for Supplementary Letters Patent, Application for Revival, Surrender of Charter, Corrected letters patent/Supplementary Letters Patent, Approval of Public Guardian & Public Trustee.
The customer onboarding verification report (COVR) is an automated tool that scrubs the data received back from the provincial ministries following a corporate search and presents it to the client in a standard, easy-to-read template.
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Nuans is a registered trademark and official mark of the Government of Canada, used under sublicence. ESC Corporate Service is providing Nuans Search Reports generated using the Nuans System and is otherwise not associated with the Government of Canada.