Canada · Federal corporation number
Canada Corporation Number Checker
Look up a federal corporation number in Corporations Canada records and see the corporation’s name, governing act and status.
What is a Canadian corporation number?
A corporation number is the number Corporations Canada assigns to a corporation created under federal law, such as the Canada Business Corporations Act — for example 426160-7 for Shopify Inc. It is written with a hyphen before the last digit and appears on the certificate of incorporation. It is not the CRA Business Number.
Federal corporation number format
Up to 8 digits, written with a hyphen before the last digit.
(after the hyphen)
Example: 426160-7 (SHOPIFY INC., Canada Business Corporations Act, Active, in Corporations Canada records).
- Input: With or without the hyphen; leading zeros are dropped (enter 019799-8 or 197998).
- 8-digit numbers: Corporations created in recent years have 8 digits (e.g. 1348064-0). They can’t be checked here yet.
- No published check digit: Corporations Canada publishes no check-digit rule.
- What we return: Name, registered office address, governing act and status.
- Not covered: Provincial company numbers and the 9-digit Business Number, which has its own checker.
How to check a Canadian corporation number
- 1 Find the corporation number on the certificate of incorporation, amalgamation or continuance.
- 2 Enter it above. The checker looks it up in Corporations Canada records.
- 3 Compare the returned name with the corporation you are dealing with, and check that the status is Active.
- 4 For the CRA Business Number, see our Canada tax ID guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a corporation number the same as a Business Number?
No. Corporations Canada assigns the corporation number when a corporation is incorporated, amalgamated or continued under federal law; the Canada Revenue Agency assigns the 9-digit Business Number (BN). Shopify Inc., for example, has corporation number 426160-7 and BN 847871746. Check a Business Number.
How many digits does a federal corporation number have?
Older numbers have up to 7 digits, and shorter ones are shown with leading zeros, such as 019799-8; newer ones have 8 digits, such as 1348064-0. Both are written with a hyphen before the last digit. This checker handles numbers of up to 7 digits for now.
Where do I find a corporation number?
On the corporation’s certificate of incorporation, amalgamation or continuance. A numbered company’s name is usually built from it: “12345678 Canada Inc.” has corporation number 1234567-8.
Can I look up an Ontario or BC company here?
No. This checker covers federal corporations — those created under federal law such as the Canada Business Corporations Act — only. Provincial companies are in their province’s registry, and a provincial number may match an unrelated federal corporation.
Does a valid number mean the corporation is active?
No. Dissolved and inactive corporations keep their numbers in Corporations Canada’s records. Always read the status — the checker flags dissolved and inactive corporations.
Do not-for-profit corporations have corporation numbers?
Yes. Corporations under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act are numbered in the same records — Wikimedia Canada, for example, is 767223-3.
Last reviewed: , against official sources.
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