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Before a corporation or business name can be
registered, the proposed name must be searched against all other registered names in
Saskatchewan, as well as federal corporations and registered trademarks. The search
ensures that no other business has an identical or very similar name to the one you want
to use for your business.
How do I search the name I want to use?
You can request a search of your
proposed name by phone, mail, or fax.
- Phone the Corporations Branch at (306) 787-2962 and provide
the information asked for on the Request for Name Search and Reservation form, including
your Visa or MasterCard number and the expiry date.
- Complete the Request for Name Search and Reservation form
and mail or bring it to Corporations Branch with the required fee. The address is 2nd
Floor, 1871 Smith Street, Regina SK, S4P 3V7. Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Monday to Friday.
- Fax the Request for Name Search and Reservation form with the Client Authorization form, including a Visa or
MasterCard number and expiry date, to the Corporations Branch at (306) 787-8999. Be sure
that a name and return address are at the top of the name search request so the results
can be mailed to you.
The name search fees include an automatic 90-day
reservation of the available name. This will give you time to complete and file the
incorporation/registration forms. To ensure the reserved name is still available,
documents must be submitted and approved before the expiry date of the reservation.
If the reservation expires before the documents are approved, it will be necessary to
obtain another name search report and pay another name search fee.
Where do I get the "Name Search and
Reservation" and "Client Payment" forms?
You can download the forms here. There are different
"Name Search and Reservation" forms for the different types of entities.
"Sole Proprietorships
and Partnerships" -- Name Search and Reservation form
"Business
Corporation" -- Name Search and Reservation form
"Non-profit Corporation" -- Name Search and Reservation
form
Client Payment form
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There are two kinds of searches for sole
proprietorships, partnerships and business corporations and three kinds of searches for non-profit corporations.
Saskatchewan
Plus |
Canada-Wide |
| Cost -- $50 per name |
Cost -- $60 per name |
You are charged for every name
that you asked to be searched, whether it is available or not.
|
You are charged for every name
that you asked to be searched, whether it is available or not. |
| Names of registered Saskatchewan
businesses and corporations are searched. |
Names of corporations and
registered businesses in Canada are searched. |
| Trademarks and federal
corporations are searched. |
Trademarks and federal
corporations are searched. |
| Usually takes less than three
days. |
Usually takes less than three
days. |
Note that the "Saskatchewan Plus
Search" (above) and the "Saskatchewan Only Search" (below) are the minimum
requirements.
There are three kinds of searches for non-profit corporations:
| Saskatchewan Only |
Saskatchewan Plus |
Canada-Wide |
| Cost - $20.00 |
Cost - $50.00 |
Cost - $60.00 |
| You are only charged for
available names |
You are charged for every name
searched, whether it is available or not |
You are charged for every name
searched, whether it is available or not |
| Only names of registered
Saskatchewan businesses, non-profit organizations and corporations are searched |
Names of Registered Saskatchewan
businesses, non-profit organizations and corporations are searched |
Names of registered corporations,
non-profit organizations and most businesses in Canada are searched |
| Trademarks and federal
corporations are not searched |
Trademarks and federal
corporations are searched |
Trademarks and federal
corporations are searched |
| Time to do a search is usually
less than 3 working days |
Time to do a search is usually
less than 3 working days |
Time to do a search is usually
less than 3 working days |
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If you are registering a corporation, your name must
contain a distinctive, descriptive and legal term. If your name doesn’t include these
elements, your choice will probably be rejected and delay the start of your
corporation’s operations.
Distinctive term.
This term distinguishes your business from anyone else in the same type of business. For
example, in "Bob's Courier Service Ltd." the distinctive term is
"Bob’s".
Descriptive term.
This term explains the type of business you will be operating. In our example,
"courier service" is the descriptive term.
Legal ending.
All corporation names must have one of the following terms or abbreviations at the end of
its name:
Limited or Ltd.
Incorporated or Inc.
Corporation or Corp.
Limitee or Ltee
If the name you choose uses the same distinctive term and
does the same type of business as another business, you may not be able to register that
name even if the descriptive terms are different. For example, if "Bob's Delivery
Service Ltd." is already incorporated, we would not allow you to register "Bob's
Courier Service Ltd.".
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Business names
If you are registering a sole proprietorship or
partnership, your name must contain a distinctive element and a descriptive element. Names
of sole proprietorships and partnerships cannot contain a legal term
Distinctive term.
This term distinguishes your business from anyone else in the same type of business. For
example, in the name, "Bob's Courier Service", the distinctive term is
"Bob’s".
Descriptive term.
This term explains the type of business you will be doing. In our example, "courier
service" is the descriptive term.
If the name you choose uses the same distinctive term and
does the same type of business as another business, you may not be able to register that
name even if the descriptive terms are different. For example, if "Bob's Delivery
Service" is already registered we would not allow you to register "Bob's Courier
Service".
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Restricted words
You may not be able to use the following phrases in your
name:
- Saskatchewan or Sask.;
- Operated by or o/b;
- A division of;
- Operating As or o/a;
- Doing Business As or d/b/a;
- Trading As or t/a;
Do not use:
- brackets;
- a year; or
- profanity or obscene terms.
Can I register an acronym?
Names containing only slogans or acronyms (using the first
letters in your business name to spell another word) cannot be protected and therefore
cannot be registered.
There are also several terms that require special consents
to use. These are too numerous to list, but any consent will be noted on the results of
your name search.
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Frequently
asked questions
When should I submit my name search?
Submit your name search request prior to
submitting your documents, in case consent or other documentation is required and to
ensure your name is available for you to use.
Can I use my business name before it is registered with
the Corporations Branch?
We recommend that you do not use a name or start operating
under it before you have it searched and registered with our office.
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Name
Qualification Policy
Where can I get more information about names?
The
Name Qualification
Policy outlines the restrictions with respect to names for corporations, businesses
and non-profit corporations.
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