A NUANS name search is a computerized comparison of a proposed corporate name against a national database of existing Canadian corporate names, business names and trademarks. NUANS stands for Newly Upgraded Automated Name Search. The result, a NUANS report, lists the existing names most similar to yours so that a registry examiner can decide whether your proposed name is distinctive enough to be granted, or likely to be confused with a name already in use.
If you are incorporating with a word name rather than a number, some form of name search stands between you and your certificate of incorporation. Whether you order a NUANS report yourself, or the registry runs the search for you, depends on where you incorporate. This guide is the overview: what the database is, when a report is needed, what it contains, how long it lasts and how to get one, with links to our more detailed guides on each topic.
What the NUANS database is, and who runs it
NUANS is a federal system. Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) manages it and describes it as the Government of Canada's business name and trademark search tool. A private service provider handles the administration of NUANS memberships, which is why most reports are ordered through a registered search house rather than from a government counter.
The database brings together corporate names registered federally and by the provinces and territories, business names registered in participating jurisdictions, and trademarks from the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO). When a search is run, an algorithm compares the proposed name against those records, looking at sound and spelling as well as exact wording, and returns the closest matches.
Two points are worth holding onto from the start. First, NUANS only knows about names that have been registered somewhere. An established business that never registered its name will not appear in a report. Second, the report is evidence, not a decision. It does not approve or refuse anything by itself; a registry examiner makes that call.
When a NUANS report is required
The answer depends on the jurisdiction you incorporate in, and on whether you want a word name at all. The two most common routes are federal incorporation under the Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA) and Ontario incorporation under the Business Corporations Act (OBCA), and they now handle the search in different ways.
Federal incorporation: the search is built in
Corporations Canada has integrated the NUANS name search into its Online Filing Centre. When you incorporate federally with a word name, or apply for a corporate name preapproval, the search runs as part of the online application. Corporations Canada's guidance is that you do not need to order a separate report before you submit. ISED lists the cost of a federal name search at $13.80.
A separately ordered federal NUANS report is still required for some other federal transactions, including revivals and amalgamations under the CBCA. Some applicants also choose to run a preliminary search on their candidate names before they file, because the examiner will compare the name against the same records, and it is better to find a close conflict before the application than after it.
Federally, you can also apply for a corporate name preapproval before you incorporate. It is optional, and Corporations Canada notes that in most cases it is more efficient to choose the name within the incorporation itself. A preapproval is valid for 90 days from the date you apply.
Ontario incorporation: you supply the report
Ontario works the other way. To incorporate an Ontario business corporation with a word name, you must obtain an Ontario-biased (or weighted) NUANS report from a private name search provider. The Ontario government does not run the search for you, and a federally biased report will not be accepted. When the articles are filed through the Ontario Business Registry, you give the report's reference number, the name searched and the date of the report.
Our step-by-step guide to the Ontario NUANS report covers every Ontario filing that needs one, what to enter on the Ontario Business Registry, and the timing rules.
The same rule applies when an existing Ontario corporation changes its name by articles of amendment: a fresh Ontario-biased report is needed unless the new name is a number name. If you are renaming a corporation rather than starting one, see our corporate name change service.
Which provinces require a NUANS report
Outside the federal and Ontario systems, Alberta and New Brunswick also require a name search report that you obtain from a private provider. Everywhere else, the name check runs through the registry's own process, and several registries will not accept a NUANS report in place of their own step. The table below is a summary; our guide to which provinces require NUANS sets out each jurisdiction in detail, including where a registry has its own reservation step.
| Jurisdiction | Do you order a NUANS report? | How the name is checked |
|---|---|---|
| Federal (CBCA) | No separate report for an online incorporation | Search integrated into the Online Filing Centre application |
| Ontario (OBCA) | Yes, Ontario-biased, for a word name | Report reference number, name searched and date given with the articles |
| Alberta | Yes | Report from a private name search firm |
| New Brunswick | Yes | Report from a private name search firm |
| Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, Yukon | No | Name search included in the registry's own application process |
| British Columbia, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nunavut | No | Follow the registry's own name approval or reservation rules (British Columbia, for example, uses a Name Request) |
The numbered company exception
A numbered corporation needs no name search anywhere in Canada. The registry assigns the number, and the legal name becomes something like 12345678 Canada Inc. federally, or a number followed by "Ontario" and a legal ending in Ontario. You can still carry on business under a brand by registering an operating name. Our comparison of named and numbered corporations covers the trade-offs, including what it takes to switch to a word name later.
How a NUANS search works
Every search follows the same sequence. You give the full proposed name and identify its distinctive element. The search runs against the database, weighted toward the jurisdiction you chose, and a NUANS report comes back, usually quickly, listing the closest existing names. In Ontario, Alberta and New Brunswick you order that report from a search provider; federally, the search runs inside the Online Filing Centre when you file.
The government does not make the final decision based solely on the report. Federally, a Corporations Canada examiner reviews the report and the proposed name, weighs distinctiveness and potential confusion with existing names, and either approves the name or asks for changes. If the federal examiner needs more, you receive a Notice of action required with instructions to resubmit. Ontario works differently: it does not review proposed names for similarity at all. The incorporators are responsible for checking the report, and a conflicting name can later be challenged at a names hearing or in court.
How long a NUANS report is valid
A NUANS search is valid for 90 days. Corporations Canada says so directly, and Ontario's filing rules say a report cannot be dated more than 90 days before the articles are filed. Ontario gives its own example: articles received on November 28 could be supported by a report dated as early as August 30, but not earlier. If the window closes before the filing is accepted, a new report is needed.
The practical lesson is timing. Order the search once the share structure, shareholders and directors are settled, not the day a name first comes up. A report that expires while the rest of the incorporation is still being negotiated is money spent twice.
What a NUANS report contains
A report has a header and a body. The header carries the reference number you quote on the filing, the date and time the search ran (which starts the 90-day clock), the jurisdiction the search was weighted for, and the name exactly as searched. The body is a ranked list of existing corporate names, business names and trademarks that the algorithm judged similar to yours, each with a code showing which register it came from. There is no verdict at the end. Our guide on how to read a NUANS report explains each section and how to tell a serious conflict from background noise.
The anatomy of a corporate name
A compliant Canadian corporate name has three parts:
- Distinctive element: a unique or coined word that sets the business apart (e.g., "Maplewind").
- Descriptive element: describes the business activity (e.g., "Consulting").
- Legal element: indicates limited liability, such as Inc., Incorporated, Corp., Corporation, Ltd., Limited, Limitée or Ltée.
For a federal corporation, the CBCA also allows Incorporée, Société par actions de régime fédéral and S.A.R.F. Ontario's list of legal elements is similar but does not include the two federal-only forms. The legal element is mandatory, but it never makes a name distinctive: "Vertex Consulting Inc." and "Vertex Consulting Ltd." are, for practical purposes, the same name.
A name that is only descriptive ("Canadian Consulting Inc.") will almost always be rejected. A name that is distinctive but very close to an existing registered name ("Maplewind Consulting Inc." vs. an existing "MapleWynd Consulting Ltd.") may also be rejected on confusion grounds.
Working out which part of your name is the distinctive element matters more than it looks, because that is what NUANS actually searches. If you submit the wrong words as the distinctive element, the report is formally valid but searches the wrong thing.
Common reasons names are refused
Corporations Canada's name requirements set out the grounds on which a proposed name is refused, and provincial rules are similar in substance. The most common are:
- Too descriptive: the name only describes the activity, goods or services, with no distinctive element.
- Confusing: the name is too close to an existing corporate name, business name or trademark.
- Prohibited terms: certain words cannot be used, such as "RCMP" or "Parliament Hill".
- Implied sponsorship: the name suggests a government or institutional connection without consent.
- Misdescriptive: the name misleads about the business, its personnel, its products or where they come from.
- Obscene words or phrases.
A clean report does not guarantee approval, because several of these grounds have nothing to do with similarity. If a name has already been refused, our guide on what to do when a corporate name is rejected walks through the practical routes forward.
Federally, you can reduce the back-and-forth by giving the examiner context when you propose the name. Corporations Canada suggests describing the type of business, the geographic area you expect to operate in, your clientele, how you chose the distinctive element, and any similar names or trademarks you already hold. If the name contains a person's family name, explain that person's connection to the corporation.
What if your first choice is unavailable
There are three common fallbacks. You can propose a variation with a more distinctive element; you can add a geographic or descriptive modifier that creates meaningful separation; or you can incorporate as a numbered corporation now and adopt an operating name later through a business-name registration. The numbered route is the fastest path when speed matters more than branding.
NUANS search versus trademark search
A NUANS search includes registered trademarks, but it is not a trademark clearance and it gives you no trademark rights. Getting a corporate name approved means the registry was satisfied the name could be used as a corporate name. It does not stop the owner of an earlier trademark from objecting to how you use the name in the market.
If the name is central to your brand, search the Canadian Trademarks Database, which CIPO maintains, and consider applying to register the name as a trademark under the Trademarks Act. That is a separate process with its own examination and timelines, and it is the step that protects a brand across Canada.
How to get a NUANS report, step by step
- Decide whether you need a word name at all. If speed matters more than branding, a numbered corporation needs no search.
- Choose your jurisdiction. Federal and Ontario are the most common, and they handle the search differently.
- Build the name from a distinctive element, a descriptive element and a legal ending, and note which words are the distinctive element.
- Shortlist two or three candidates. Searching several names at once costs less than discovering conflicts one refusal at a time.
- Order the search. In Ontario, Alberta and New Brunswick, order a report weighted for that jurisdiction from a private search provider. Federally, the search runs inside the Online Filing Centre when you file, and you can run a preliminary search beforehand to screen candidates.
- Review the report for identical or near-identical active names, especially in the same industry or jurisdiction, and for live trademarks.
- File your articles within the 90-day window, giving the report details where the registry asks for them.
Korporex can order NUANS name search reports for one or several candidate names on a single order, and can then file your federal or Ontario incorporation once a name clears. Korporex is not a law firm and does not advise on whether a particular name will be granted.
What a NUANS search costs
Keep two kinds of cost apart. On the government side, ISED lists the cost of a federal name search at $13.80, and Corporations Canada lists the online federal incorporation fee at $200; check the fee summary in the Online Filing Centre before you pay to see the total for your application. In Ontario, the report is not sold by the government at all. It comes from a private provider, so its price is set by that provider and does not appear on Ontario's fee schedule. Ontario's government fee for filing articles of incorporation is $300.
For firms that order searches regularly, the price of the same report varies a great deal by provider and procurement channel. Our NUANS procurement guide for law firms covers what to compare. Government fees change from time to time; the figures here reflect ISED, Corporations Canada and Ontario sources as of October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What does NUANS stand for?+
NUANS stands for Newly Upgraded Automated Name Search. It is the Government of Canada's name and trademark search system, managed by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. A NUANS report compares a proposed corporate name with existing corporate names, business names and trademarks across Canada, and lists the closest matches so a registry examiner can judge whether the new name can be granted.
Do I need a NUANS report to incorporate federally?+
Not as a separate step for an online incorporation. Corporations Canada has built the NUANS name search into its Online Filing Centre, so the search runs as part of your application when you propose a word name. A separately ordered federal report is still required for some other transactions, such as revivals and amalgamations. A numbered federal corporation needs no name search.
How long is a NUANS report valid?+
90 days. Corporations Canada states that a NUANS search is valid for 90 days only, and Ontario will not accept a report dated more than 90 days before the articles are filed. If your filing is not accepted within that window, you need a new report, so it pays to order the search once the rest of the incorporation is ready.
Does a NUANS report mean my name is approved?+
No. A report is a list of similar existing names, not an approval. The registry examiner decides whether the name is granted, and can refuse it for reasons the report does not address, such as being too descriptive or misleading. Federally, a separate corporate name preapproval is available and is valid for 90 days from the date you apply.
Is a NUANS search the same as a trademark search?+
No. NUANS includes registered trademarks among the names it compares, but an approved corporate name gives you no trademark rights. If the name matters to your brand, search the Canadian Trademarks Database maintained by the Canadian Intellectual Property Office and consider registering a trademark, which is a separate application with its own examination.
Can I incorporate without a NUANS search?+
Yes, by incorporating a numbered corporation. No Canadian jurisdiction requires a name search for a numbered company, because the registry assigns the name. You can carry on business under a brand by registering an operating name, and change the corporate name later by articles of amendment, which needs a name search where the jurisdiction requires one.