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Step 2 of 12

Register the business with the Ontario Business Registry

Register your sole proprietorship and business name.

Time
30–60 minutes
Cost
$60 for 5 years (seen October 2026; confirm current fee)
Ontario Business Registry ↗

Register the business with the Ontario Business Registry: step-by-step guide

Screenshots use a made-up example business. Official sites change, so yours may look slightly different.

  1. Ontario register your business online page with the email and card requirement and the sole proprietorship fee highlighted
    1. Check what you need before you start: a working email address and a debit or credit card. You create an Ontario.ca Login and an Ontario Business Account during set-up, and a sole proprietorship costs $60.
  2. Ontario page listing registration fees with the sole proprietorship new registration fee highlighted
    2. Registering a sole proprietorship online costs $60 and takes effect immediately. Renewing it every five years costs the same $60.

Screenshots captured 2026-10-06. See something different? Report a problem

Register online

Register a sole proprietorship through the Ontario Business Registry. You need a working email address and a debit or credit card, and you create an Ontario.ca Login and Ontario Business Account along the way.

The fee is $60, and the registration is valid for five years, after which you renew it for the same fee. Registering online is immediate; by mail it takes about 15 business days.

Who has to register

Ontario says you must register if you operate under a name other than your own legal name. Its guidance also mentions businesses with employees, facilities or offices in Ontario, so if you are unsure whether a home-based business counts, ask ServiceOntario before you skip this step.

Your Business Identification Number

Registering gives you a nine-digit Ontario Business Identification Number (BIN). It is not the same as the federal Business Number you get in the next step.

Your address becomes public

Most information filed in the registry, including address information, goes on the public record and can be searched. If you work from home and do not want strangers or customers to see your address, use a PO box or a mailing address service instead.

Keep it

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

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