Restrictions on Corporate Names

A Government office will review your proposed name to determine if it can be registered. As per the Business Corporations Act, the use of certain words is not permitted.

Names containing the following terms are absolutely prohibited

- Air Canada
- Canada Standard or CS
- Cooperative, Coopérative, Co-op or Pool when it connotes a cooperative venture
- Parliament Hill or Colline du Parlement
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Gendarmerie Royale du Canada, RCMP or GRC
- United Nations, Nations Unies, UN or ONU

Names containing terms that may imply Crown patronage, or association, control, sponsorship or affiliation with the federal or provincial governments, their departments or agencies, are qualifiedly prohibited.

Names containing such terms are prohibited under most circumstances. A name including part or all of the name of a federal government department or agency, without consent in writing from the appropriate department or agency, is prohibited.

A name containing the same initials as those of a federal government department is not acceptable, unless the combination of distinctive element and descriptive element make clear that the business activity is unrelated to government administration.

not acceptable

- Sports Canada Ltd.
- Canadian Association of Postmasters
- Health & Welfare Programmers Association
- Canadian Armed Forces Ltd.
- Canadian Forces Inc.
- Canadian Labelling Standards Council

There are restrictions on suggesting a relationship with a university or a professional association.

You may not use terms in a corporate name connoting control by or affiliation with a university or professional association of accountants, architects, physicians, engineers, lawyers, surgeons or any other professional association recognized by the laws of Canada or a province without consent in writing from the appropriate body.

Consent required
University of Montreal Debating Society
Upper Canada Lawyers' Debating Society (connotes a link with the Law Society of Upper Canada)
Certified General Accountants Debating Society

You may not include the terms university, academy, college, institute, school, adult education, research, applied research or a similar terms in the corporate name of an entity that appears to suggest the ability to grant post-secondary degrees. If the corporation will be authorized by the relevant federal or provincial authority to grant bachelors, masters or doctoral degrees or licences, these terms are acceptable. Your request should specifically state under which authority your corporation will grant degrees.

Obscene names are not acceptable.

A name may not contain a word or phrase that is obscene or connotes a business that is obscene or immoral.

You should take great care when selecting a name. Unique name will help with quick registration and will make your business stand out among thousands of other businesses.

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