Register your trade name with a registry agent

Who has to register

In Alberta you register a trade name when you do business under a name other than your own personal name. If you trade as just "Jane Smith", you can skip this step.

Register in person

You register through an authorized Corporate Registry service provider, also called a registry agent, not directly with the government online. Fill in the Declaration of Trade Name form first, then bring it with valid ID and payment. You also need an email address, because Alberta requires one for business name registrations.

What it costs

You pay a government fee plus the agent's own service fee. Alberta says service fees are not regulated and vary between agents, so phone two or three before you go. We could not confirm the current government fee, so ask the agent for the total.

Your details may be searchable

Business name registrations go into Alberta's Corporate Registry. Ask the agent what information is shown on a registry search. If you work from home and do not want customers to see your address, ask whether you can use a PO box or a mailing address service instead.

Keep it

Save the confirmation. You will need it for the bank account, the municipal licence and your supplier account.