# What Is a Numbered Company and When Should You Use One?

> A numbered company is a corporation whose legal name is a government-assigned number (for example, "9999999 Alberta Ltd.") rather than a chosen word name. Federally under the Canada Business Corporations Act, and in Ontario and Alberta, incorporators can request a numbered name instead of proposing one, mainly because it is faster and, in Alberta, skips the name-search requirement.

Published 2026-08-09 · Last reviewed 2026-07-31 · [Canonical page](https://canadalegalcenter.ca/articles/what-is-a-numbered-company-and-when-should-i-use-one/)

Legal information, not legal advice.

## What a numbered company is

A numbered company is a corporation whose legal name is a number issued by the government registry, instead of a word name someone chose (like "Smith Consulting Inc."). Alberta's incorporation guidance gives the example "9999999 Alberta Ltd." The number itself has no meaning; it is simply the next identifier the registry assigns.

Federally, under the *Canada Business Corporations Act* (CBCA), the Director of Corporations Canada assigns a designating number followed by the word "Canada" and a legal element such as "Inc." or "Ltd." if the incorporators ask for one (CBCA, s 11(2)). Ontario's *Business Corporations Act* formally defines "corporation number" as the number the Director assigns for exactly this purpose (OBCA, s 1(1)). Alberta issues the same kind of number-based name through Corporate Registry.

In all three cases, a numbered company is not a different type of corporation, a different tax status, or a different level of liability protection. It is the same corporate structure with a number instead of a word for its name.

## How you get one

When you incorporate, you generally have two options for the corporation's name:

1. Propose a word name (which usually has to be checked against existing names via a search, and may be rejected if it conflicts with one already in use).
2. Request a numbered name, which the registry assigns automatically.

Ontario's incorporation process states this plainly: incorporators "can either propose a name for the corporation or request a number name." Corporations Canada describes the numbered option as "the easiest way to name your corporation because we assign the number," which is the main practical reason people choose it: there is no name to draft, clear, or defend.

## Why choose a numbered name over a word name

The main reasons numbered names get used come down to speed and avoiding name-conflict risk, not any legal advantage:

- **Speed and simplicity.** Since the number is assigned rather than chosen, there is nothing to draft or approve. Corporations Canada frames this as the reason to pick a numbered name in the first place.
- **Skipping the name search in Alberta.** Alberta's incorporation guidance confirms that a proposed word name normally needs a NUANS report (a name-search report checking for conflicts), but "you do not need a NUANS report when the proposed name will be a 'number name' assigned by Corporate Registry." That saves the cost, time, and risk of a name being rejected or challenged.
- **Deferring a branding decision.** Because the number is assigned regardless of what the business does or is called publicly, incorporators who have not settled on a business name yet can incorporate first and operate under a separate trade name later.

## How federal, Ontario, and Alberta compare

<div class="table-scroll">

| Jurisdiction | Numbered name confirmed by | Example format | Name search needed for the numbered option | Incorporation fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal (CBCA) | Corporations Canada; CBCA s 11(2) | Number + "Canada" + Inc./Ltd. | Not addressed in the sources reviewed | $200 online (same fee whether the name is numbered or a word name) |
| Ontario (OBCA) | Ontario.ca incorporation guidance; OBCA s 1(1) | Assigned "corporation number" | Not addressed in the sources reviewed | Not confirmed for this article; check the Ontario Business Registry fee schedule directly |
| Alberta (ABCA) | Alberta.ca incorporation guidance | e.g. "9999999 Alberta Ltd." | No NUANS report required for a numbered name | Government fee plus a separate service fee charged by the registry agent that processes the application; no single flat figure confirmed |

</div>

## Using a trade name alongside a numbered company

A numbered company can still present itself to customers under a different, more marketable name. Federally, Corporations Canada confirms that a corporation with a numbered legal name can operate under a separate trade name. The numbered name stays the corporation's official legal name for contracts, tax filings, and registry records; the trade name is what customers see day to day. Provincial or municipal registration of that trade name is a separate step from the corporate naming decision covered here.

## Can the number be changed later

A numbered name is not necessarily permanent. Federally, under CBCA s 12(4), if a corporation has a designating number as its name, the Director can direct the corporation to change it to a word name in certain circumstances. In Ontario, OBCA s 8(3) allows the Director to correct a corporation's assigned number or number name administratively, without a hearing, where it was issued in error; any certificate later issued for the corporation reflects the corrected number.

In Alberta, the *Business Corporations Regulation* also affects numbered names during a corporate amalgamation (two or more corporations combining into one): the combined corporation can reuse an identical name from one of the original corporations, but only if that name is not itself a number name (Alta Reg 118/2000, s 8). A numbered name cannot simply be carried forward the same way a word name can.

Changing from a numbered name to a word name later, or the reverse, generally means filing a formal name change with the relevant registry rather than something that happens automatically.

## Frequently asked questions

**Can I still use a business name if my corporation has a numbered name?**

Yes. Federally, a corporation can have a numbered legal name (assigned by Corporations Canada) and still operate day to day under a different trade name. The numbered name remains the corporation's official legal name for contracts and filings.

**Do I need a NUANS name search to get a numbered company?**

In Alberta, no: a numbered name assigned by Corporate Registry does not require a NUANS report, which is otherwise needed for a proposed word name. Whether Ontario or federal incorporation has the same exemption was not confirmed in the sources used for this article.

**Can the government change a corporation's numbered name later?**

Federally, under the Canada Business Corporations Act, the Director can direct a corporation with a numbered name to switch to a word name in certain circumstances. In Ontario, the Director can also administratively correct a corporation's assigned number or number name, without a hearing, if it was issued in error.


## Sources

1. [Corporations Canada – Naming a corporation, Overview](https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/corporations-canada/en/naming-corporation), Corporations Canada, "Naming a corporation – Overview" (ISED) (retrieved 2026-07-17)
2. [Canada Business Corporations Act](https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-44/fulltext.html), Canada Business Corporations Act, RSC 1985, c C-44, ss 11(2), 12(4) (retrieved 2026-07-17)
3. [Corporations Canada – Federal incorporation](https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/corporations-canada/en/federal-incorporation), Corporations Canada, "Federal incorporation" (ISED) (retrieved 2026-07-17)
4. [Ontario.ca – Incorporate an Ontario business corporation](https://www.ontario.ca/business/permits-licences/incorporate-an-ontario-business-corporation/), Ontario.ca, "Incorporate an Ontario business corporation" (retrieved 2026-07-17)
5. [Business Corporations Act, RSO 1990, c B.16](https://www.canlii.org/en/on/laws/stat/rso-1990-c-b16/latest/rso-1990-c-b16.html), Business Corporations Act, RSO 1990, c B.16, ss 1(1), 8(3) (retrieved 2026-07-17)
6. [Alberta.ca – Incorporate an Alberta corporation](https://www.alberta.ca/incorporate-alberta-corporation), Alberta.ca, "Incorporate an Alberta corporation" (retrieved 2026-07-17)
7. [Business Corporations Regulation, Alta Reg 118/2000](https://www.canlii.org/en/ab/laws/regu/alta-reg-118-2000/latest/alta-reg-118-2000.html), Business Corporations Regulation, Alta Reg 118/2000, ss 8, 11(2) (retrieved 2026-07-17)