ECORE®
ONTARIO BUSINESS REGISTRY FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
As the new registry will replace the governments outdated 30-year-old technology, we can now provide more opportunities to offer you uninterrupted access to eCore’s market leading offerings:
- 24/7 access to an expanded array of Ontario registrations and reports
- Newly designed customer interface for key product offerings
- Customizable dashboards for easy management of your current and new entities
- Integration with market-leading Corporate Record Management solutions
- Scannable QR codes allowing for real-time verification of businesses
- Enhanced security and data accuracy with an audit trail of all changes
All Ontario businesses and not-for-profit corporations, who wish to self-serve direct with government, will be able to use the registry to complete business registrations, filings, and other transactions online. Ontario businesses and not-for-profits can still use a Service Provider to take advantage of the many additional features available through our solutions.
Intermediaries, such as legal professionals, are asked to use a Service Provider for immediate online fulfillment.
Dye & Durham has been working closely with the Ministry to ensure our customers’ needs are met. Dye & Durham has a direct connection with the OBR, to offer our customers all the benefits of the OBR, along with features only available through Service Providers, such as electronic Ministry Filings through our Partner Portal, and all the other services across Canada for a one-stop-shop experience.
Yes, Dye & Durham will pick up all PPSA work as currently scheduled. Contact our customer support team if you have not used this service before.
Please subscribe to the eCore System Status page to receive real-time email or SMS notifications about eCore’s status, including planned maintenance or any known issues affecting its service.
The QR code is a back-up validation feature. Some banks and other jurisdictions can use the QR code to validate the information in real time.
The new Ontario Business Registry is integrated with the Canada Revenue Agency, enabling the identification of a business or not-for-profit corporation by a single business number, further streamlining administrative processes.
Click here to read the new rules for Not-For-Profit and Charitable corporations.
With the launch of the new Ontario Business Registry, search products will be consolidated, reducing Ontario reports from 17 products to 4. Search products will:
- Contain more information
- Be available 24/7 and in real-time
- Deemed certified or have a scannable QR code
The main four reports are:
- Certificate of No Match
- Entity Profile Report
- Request Document Copy
- Certificate of Status
Please register for the Electronic Due Diligence webinar for a full overview and demo of these changes.
Search products have been consolidated, reducing Ontario reports from 17 products to 4. Our search products will be available 24/7 and will be certified in real-time.
The new Certificate of No Match will replace the current:
- Certificate of Non-filing
- Statement of No Record (Uncertified)
- Certificate of No Record
- Statement of No Match Found
- Certificate of Non-registration
The new Profile Report will replace the current:
- Corporation Profile Report (Certified/Uncertified)
- Corporation Point in Time Report (Certified/Uncertified)
- Corporation Document List (Certified/Uncertified)
- List of Expired Business Names Registered by a Corporation (Certified/Uncertified)
- Business Name Report (Certified/Uncertified)
- Limited Partnerships Report (Certified/Uncertified)
- BNLP Document List (Certified/Uncertified)
- Partnership business Names Report (Certified/Uncertified)
The new Request Document Copy will replace the current:
- Document Replica (Certified/Uncertified)
- Microfiche Order (Certified/Uncertified)
- Master Business Licence Reprint
The Certificate of Status will be available.
One of the many benefits of the Ontario Business Registry is that information is updated in real-time, meaning, as long as there is a record with the Ministry, the business you are looking for will show in the search results. You will not need to « Search for Newer Corporation » to find it.
The reports have a certification disclaimer on the footer – for those reports that do not, i.e. copies of documents, certification will be required.
You can obtain expired business names lists by ordering the corporate (entity) profile.
No. ECI charges no longer apply, as they related to the legacy ONBIS system. Charges will only apply once the reports have been ordered for your selected names. You will see a cost summary before proceeding.
For files registered prior to Oct 19, 2021, a microfiche may be required and can take up to 5 business days to retrieve. Anything registered after October 19, 2021 , you can select which charted documents you want to order under Copies of Documents and retrieve in real time.
The CRA business number does not show up on new Profile (Entity) Report, but you can find the information prior or ordering the report. Simply select the business name and a popup will appear with the entity details.
The BIN number will be included on the Entity Profile Report for business names under the Business Names Act.
Please specify in the “Documents list” that you require a certified copy.
Order the Profile (Entity) Report at a point in time.
Yes. All Ontario reports are automatically returned in both English and French at no extra charge.
Yes, locations are included in the entity profile report.
Data extract is no longer necessary. We automatically fetch the information from the ministry database in real-time.
With the new application, you will be able to elect multiple officer positions on the same entry.
Using the Document List / Copies of Documents order in electronic Due Diligence:
- You will receive a Master Business License Reprint of existing businesses registered prior to October 19, 2021
- For businesses registered on or after October 19, 2021, you will receive a copy of the Business Name Registration for the registration.
A company key is a unique sequence of numbers assigned to a business. The company key is necessary to authorize an account to make changes to your records with the Ministry. The key-holder is responsible for keeping the key confidential. It should only be shared with an authorized Service Provider or an intermediary. Dye & Durham is an authorized Service Provider with delegated authority to transact on filings and can bypass the company key requirement for all existing businesses, and new entities created through our solutions.
The company key will be sent to the official email address when a new business is registered.
If you are the owner of an existing business, you may sign up on the Ontario Business Registry website to retrieve your company key.
If you’re an intermediary, you can ask your clients for their company key. If you require a company key for a filing through Dye & Durham, our team can support you in obtaining the company key. Email us at [email protected] for support. Please note that there are many instances where you will not need a company key. See next question for more information.
In most cases, a company key is not required to proceed with your filing (see table below for further details). You can complete and submit your forms to us in electronic copy without a company key.
As a Service Provider connected to the OBR, Dye & Durham has delegated authority on filings and can bypass the company key requirement for all existing businesses, and new ones created through Dye & Durham’s solutions after October 19th (i.e., eCore, white glove services, etc.)
Corporate filing tip for businesses registered after October 19, 2021: To avoid having to ask clients for their company key, use the same Service Provider you used to register the business for any subsequent filings. If you first used Dye & Durham to register the business, you will not be asked for a company key for subsequent filings. You can simply leave that field blank. In cases where a company key is required, a message in eCore will appear to include the key.
In many instances, we do not require a company key to complete your requested filings. Please refer to the chart above for when a company key is necessary. Please note that forms cannot be printed where a company key has not been entered. To print your forms, you can simply enter 9 zeros in the field. By including a placeholder company key in your forms there will be no implications for your filing.
A new Company Key is issued with incorporations, sole proprietorships, general and limited partnerships, amalgamations and any initiating document.
No, for security reasons, company keys will NOT automatically be issued for all existing entities in the Ontario Ministry’s database.
No, each entity in the Ontario Ministry’s database will be issued its own unique company key. It is recommended that you develop an internal procedure to manage the company keys for each corporation you manage.
Yes, when a corporation is incorporated, a company key will automatically be generated. The company key is sent to the official email address.
You will need to file a notice of change using Dye & Durham before you can request a company key.
Majority of businesses in Ontario have been registered through Dye & Durham or through other vendors that use our APIs, meaning we have delegated authority on all businesses registered through us and a company key is not required. If you don’t know how or when the company was registered, you can proceed with the filings and if you receive an error asking for the company key, email us at [email protected] and we will help you retrieve the company key to complete a filing. The company key has a turnaround of 3 business days from the Ministry. At this time, there are no fees associated with this service.
A NAICS Code, sometimes referred to as a Primary Code, is a classification within the North American Industry Classification System. NAICS has been designed for statistical purposes. Enter the “key word” that most closely describes the primary line of business for the corporation and search for proper NAICS code. Examples of key words are technology, construction, mining, etc. See directory here.
The Ontario Business Register is meant to be available 24/7. Therefore, if articles are submitted through eCore on weekends, outside of normal business hours, or on a statutory holiday, and they are transactions that are fulfilled automatically by the system, the endorsement date will be the date submitted. eCore continues to offer the ability to have documents filed at a specified date in the future. Please note, this does not apply to filings sent to our team through email. Please refer to the turnaround table below for more details.
All official correspondence for the company from the Province of Ontario will be sent to the Official Email Address. The address must be an individual with the legal duty to manage the business, which can be either the business owner or an intermediary. The official email address will not appear on public records.
Yes, if that is what your clients allow you to do. If your firm maintains many entities or has a separate corporate services department, it may be helpful to create a couple of unique email addresses to be used as the official email for your clients so that you can be certain that your firm will receive the necessary email confirmations, etc.
It is recommended that you develop an internal process and procedure to take into consideration a change in this information as part of your file transfer procedure/checklist.
It is currently unknown how this particular issue will be dealt with by the Ontario Ministry. The OBR is designed to be a paperless and electronic system. The OBA and other external stakeholders will continue to work with the Ontario Ministry on issues like this, and other important issues.
It is recommended that you seek your client’s permission to include your email address/the email address of your firm.
MGCS has confirmed that if systems go down, they intend to track submitted dates and endorse the articles with the submitted dates once systems are operational again.
Turnaround times listed below are from when the filing gets submitted to when it is returned to you. Your filing requests will be submitted to the Ministry within 1-3 business days. See table here.
Both email addresses will receive confirmation of filing and filing reminders. The email addresses provided must be kept current.
Yes. Search “Holding Company” and select the NAICS code.
No, there is no charge for searching the business name within the form.
The ministry returns articles in seven separate documents, but our AOI solution allows you to merge them into one single document for forwarding and printing.
If you file through the eCore application, the NUANS reservation number is required, but not an actual copy.
Please input the corporation number exactly as it appears. Do not add any zeros at the beginning of the corporation number, as you previously had to using the old system.
The most common issue customers are experiencing when submitting an Initial Return or Notice of Change is omitting to hit the « Add Title » button when adding an officer or director. Ensure you first select the Title and Date Appointed, and then hit « Add Title » to confirm the selection. You will see the selection appear with a light green background once it’s been successfully added.
Other key CIA filings tips are as followed:
- CIA filings have moved in the same area as Articles of Incorporation. Ensure you are using the Corporate Filings navigation under « Corporate » to complete CIA filings.
- Ensure you are completing all mandatory fields, including the official email address and NAICS code.
- A Company Key is required to complete the filing when the business was registered after October 19, 2021, AND not first registered using Dye & Durham. Otherwise, you can leave it blank or input 9-zeros.
Yes, MOF approval is still required. The consent letter that MOF currently provides today is being replaced by an electronic consent that can take up to 30 days to receive.
Upon electronic submission of filing:
- a notification is sent out advising that the application has been sent to MOF for review
- MOF provides electronic consent back to MGCS (can take up to 30 days)
- MGCS provides notification that the application is being reviewed
- MGCS reviews and approves filing (2 business days if submitted electronically)
The entire process can take up to 32 days.
Effective/Endorsement Dates:
Because it can take up to 30 days to receive MOF consent,
- If the preferred request date is before MGCS gets consent back from MOF, the date will be the date of MOF Consent;
- If the preferred request date is after MGCS gets consent back from MOF, the date will be the requested date
You do not request MOF consent. MOF consent is requested by the Ministry after filing.
Pre-approval is available for Articles of Arrangement only.
Appointments are not guaranteed; the MGCS support staff will first determine if an appointment is necessary. An appointment can be made on the ServiceOntario website.
Yes. On and after October 19, 2021, the new digital Transaction Forms must be used. The Ministry will not accept the old PDF forms or incorrect forms. For Ministry forms, if a key is not needed, please input 000 000 000 (9 zeros) in place of a company key.
You will be emailed an order summary for each transaction within 3-5 business days (sent to the user). Your firm will receive one monthly invoice for all transactions each month (sent to the firm’s finance admin user). If you note a file number or name in your email, we will use that as the matter reference which will appear on your order summaries/invoice.
When you submit your filing requests, you may specify your requested filing date and in most cases, we can meet your requested filing date. We will submit your filing requests within 1-3 business days. We recommend submitting your filing requests a few days prior to your requested filing date when possible.
Please submit your completed forms to us in their original electronic format via email to [email protected]. We do not accept scanned PDF forms at this time.
When submitting an electronic copy, a signature is not required for filing however it is required that you retain a signed copy for your records. Please keep a signed copy for your records. Shareholder resolutions will continue to require a signature and can be submitted in any format.
Just like now, if something is rejected you must refile. You can not ask for a past date when refiling
Several fields within the forms provided have character limits which can prevent you from entering the full text required. If you are unable to fit your entire block or text into a field within the required form, the text can be provided in a separate attached document. If providing text within a separate document, please indicate the following within the text field within the form: “[SEE ATTACHED]” and provide complete text in a separate document.
EN SAVOIR PLUS
DATA INSIGHTS & DUE DILIGENCE
Learn more about eCore®
RESOURCES
Go to eCore® Forms Library
Visit the eCore Forms Library
RESOURCES
Go to Training
Visit our training page
CANADA
COMMUNIQUEZ AVEC NOUS
Demandes générales
1-800-268-7580Écrivez-nous
[email protected]GO TO: