How to Register a Business in Newfoundland & Labrador: Step-by-Step Guide for New Entrepreneurs

Government oversight is part of what you sign up for when you decide to start certain types of business in Newfoundland & Labrador.

Some businesses demand more oversight than others. One of the more common types of oversight in the province is the requirement to register with the Newfoundland & Labrador government.

Registering can give your business legitimacy in the eyes of the provincial government and with private business partners, ensuring you qualify for certain benefits.

We’ve put together a list of tips and steps to help you register a business in Newfoundland & Labrador.

Do I Have to Register My Business in Newfoundland & Labrador?

Businesses in Newfoundland & Labrador must register when they are using a brand name for the business other than the owner’s name or the owners’ names. This frequently applies to a corporation.

Typically, a sole proprietorship or a general partnership would be the only types of businesses in Newfoundland & Labrador that would operate under the name of the owner or owners.

If you set up a corporation in the province under an operational brand name, you would need to register with the government. This is the most common legal business structure that registers in NL. The
Registry of Companies in Newfoundland & Labrador also handles registrations for limited partnerships, condominiums, and cooperatives that incorporate.

By incorporating, you receive protection through the separation of your business’ finances and liability and your personal finances and liability. With a sole proprietorship or a partnership, you do not receive these protections.

Benefits of Registering Your Newfoundland & Labrador Business

Registering and incorporating your business in Newfoundland & Labrador carries a few different benefits, including:

  • Protecting your business name: At the time you register your business in the province, you also must select a business name. No one else in the province can use your business name once you register, nor any similar business names.
  • Benefits for banking services: To receive benefits from private banks, such as the ability to obtain loans or to use a special business bank account, you may need to register with Newfoundland & Labrador.
  • Qualifying for grants: If you want to try to qualify for business grants from the provincial government in Newfoundland & Labrador, you may need to register your business in the province first.
  • Accessing permits and licences: You may not be able to apply for certain licences or permits in Newfoundland & Labrador until after you register your business.

As part of the registration process in most Canadian provinces, you will select a business structure under which you will operate your business.

In Newfoundland & Labrador, incorporation is the only type of business structure that typically requires registration, which differs a bit from other provinces. However, you can select what type of corporation you want to use in NL, including non-profit corporations, co-operatives, limited partnerships, and condominium corporations.

Is There a Deadline for Registering My Business in Newfoundland & Labrador?

Newfoundland & Labrador does not set a deadline for registering your business. However, you don’t receive the benefits of registering the business until the province accepts the registration.

Understand that if you need licences or permits to operate your business in the province, you may need to finish the registration before you can apply for them. Start the registration process early enough so that you aren’t scrambling just before you open to try to track down licences.

Newfoundland & Labrador does not specify the length of time it takes to receive notification of a successful registration. Third-party companies that help with the registration process estimate anywhere from
one to 15 business days to complete the process in NL.

What Does It Cost to Register a Newfoundland & Labrador Business?

The costs for registering your corporation in Newfoundland & Labrador are part of The Corporations Act in the province. The most common fees for registering your corporation include:

  • Reserving a proposed name: $10
  • Filing the Certificate of Incorporation With Share Capital: $270 online or $300 on paper
  • Filing the Certificate of Incorporation Without Share Capital: $63 online or $70 on paper

You may be subject to additional fees, depending on how you structure the corporation. Consult with an attorney to determine exactly what your registration process should include and what it will cost.

Sole proprietorships and partnerships do not need to register, so they do not have a cost, unless you want to become a corporation.

Understand that fees for registration could change at any time. Check with your attorney for the latest fees in Newfoundland & Labrador.

What Items Do I Need to Register a Business in Newfoundland & Labrador?

When incorporating and registering your business, you will need to provide Newfoundland & Labrador with certain types of information, including:

  • The reserved name of the business
  • The name or names of the owners
  • Contact information for the owner or owners
  • The location of the business
  • Operational aspects of the business
  • Fees

How to Register a Business in Newfoundland & Labrador

  • Searching for a Business Name Through the NL Government Website

You can use the Companies and Deeds Online (CADO) website in Newfoundland & Labrador to search for existing business names that others already registered. You then can be certain that your desired business name is available.

You also can register your name through
CADO, if desired, and you then can check on the status of your name reservation request on the same website.

  • Registering the Business Through the NL Government Website

You can incorporate your business through CADO, starting with the Articles of Incorporation.

If you need to file other documents to complete your registration and incorporation, you also can do this through
CADO.

  • Incorporating the Business Through the Federal Government Website

You have the ability to incorporate your business through the federal government website.

Once you have a federal incorporation completed, you then can register in Newfoundland & Labrador and register federally at the same time through the
federal website.

  • Registering Your Business By Mail or in Person in NL

To seek information about registering or incorporating your business in Newfoundland & Labrador on paper forms in person or by email, you can reach out to the Registry of Companies by phone, by fax, or by email.

If you want to make an in-person filing, you should contact the NL government by phone, because you may need to set up an appointment time.

  • Performing Business Registration Online Through a Third-Party Paid Service

You may want extra help with the filing process. If so, you can access a third-party paid service that will help you collect the correct information and complete the forms. It will file the forms for you, too.

You must pay a fee to use these services that can range from about $50 to a few hundred dollars. These fees are above and beyond any fees you must pay to the NL government as part of the registration and incorporation process. Some of the third-party services you can hire to use include:

Business Name Registration Lookup - Choosing a Name for Your Business in Newfoundland & Labrador

You can select a name for your business following the rules in:

  • The Corporations Act
  • The Limited Partnership Act
  • The Co-operatives Act
  • The Condominium Act

Follow the act that matches the legal structure you created for your business.

You can start by searching CADO to see if your desired business name is available. CADO in Newfoundland & Labrador tracks names for business corporations, non-profit corporations, co-operatives, limited partnerships, and condominium corporations.

Some of the rules for creating a corporate name in Newfoundland & Labrador include:

  • Name must be 200 characters or less
  • No starting the name with punctuation or special characters (but you can use them inside the name)
  • No use of obscene words
  • No use of phonetically similar words or letters to another business name
  • Must contain a distinctive element that helps to distinguish the name from others
  • Must contain a descriptive element that describes the type of work the business does
  • Must contain a legal element that shows the name represents a corporation
  • If a personal name is going to be part of the name, the person needs to have a material interest in the corporation or must provide written permission to use the name
  • May use an English name, a French name, or both an English and French name together

Registration Process for a Newfoundland & Labrador Business

There is no need to register your business in Newfoundland & Labrador unless you are incorporating. A sole proprietorship or a partnership does not have to register.

You can reserve your business name through
CADO. You must provide the name that you would like to use, along with your contact information.

Once you have your name reserved, you then can file the Articles of Incorporation through
CADO as well. Should you need to file additional documents, you can do this online through the NL CADO website.

5 Steps to Register a Business in Newfoundland & Labrador

The CADO service with the Digital Government and Service NL website allows you to search for existing business names, so you can figure out whether any other businesses in the province are already using the name you would like to use.

You then can attempt to
reserve the business name you want to use through CADO. You must pay $10 for each name you attempt to reserve. This fee is non-refundable, even if the NL provincial government rejects your name request.

Another option is to perform a name search federally across Canada through the
NUANS service.

  1. 2
    Incorporate Your NL Business

Although you can run a variety of operational legal structures for your business in Newfoundland & Labrador, you only need to register when you are incorporating the business.

File the Articles of Incorporation and any other supporting documents through
CADO on the NL provincial government website.

If you must incorporate your business federally, you can save some time by registering your business in Newfoundland & Labrador at the same time.

Start by incorporating the business on the
federal website. Once you complete the incorporation process federally, you then can register federally and provincially in NL at the same time.

Although the NL provincial government does not require you to purchase insurance for your business, it does make some recommendations about the types of insurance you may want to purchase, including:

  • Commercial General Liability (CGL)
  • Directors and Officers (D&O)
  • Commercial Property Insurance
  • Special Event Liability

Insurance protects you from catastrophic occurrences that could destroy your financial investment in your business, such as severe weather events or fire. It also protects you if a visitor or customer suffers an injury on the property and attempts to sue your business and hold you liable.

BizPaL is a database that contains a list of permits and licences you need to operate certain types of businesses in several Canadian provinces, including Newfoundland & Labrador.

Other licenses and permits may be necessary for special events or for other aspects of operating your business in NL. Search for items you need on the
Newfoundland & Labrador website and on the St. John’s website.

Checklist for Registering a Business in Newfoundland & Labrador

  • Think of a unique business name.
  • Search to make sure that name is available to use in Newfoundland & Labrador.
  • Reserve the business name you want to use and pay the reservation fee.
  • Register your business either with the province or federally if you are incorporating.
  • Pay your business incorporation and registration fees.
  • Obtain any licences and permits required to operate your NL business.
  • Purchase insurance to protect your business investment.

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