NUANS stands for Newly Upgraded Automated Name Search. Obtaining a NUANS Report is necessary before you can start a corporation in Canada. The report will consist of a list of corporations and businesses that exists which seem similar or matched to the proposed business name. The report is generated by doing a search in the Canadian government's databases. This will reserve the name you have chosen in the database. In Canada, name protection exists for corporation and trademarks. Therefore, to ensure your new corporation name does not conflict with an existing name, you will need to submit a Canada NUANS report
Depending on where you want your business registered, you should order the NUANS Report according to that province or jurisdiction. You will be able to reserve the business name for 90 days after obtaining a NUANS report. Rules for incorporating varies among different provinces in Canada. Incorporating in the following provinces requires a report:
- Federal (Canada)
- Ontario
- Alberta
- New Brunswick
- Nova Scotia
- Prince Edward Island (PEI)
Can I search my business name before getting my NUANS report?
You might run into some issues and would need to re-order a new report if there are conflicting names. We recommend doing a pre-search to ensure the name you have chosen for the new business will work. Luckily, we offer the pre-search report at a lower cost compared to the NUANS report. So you would want to get a pre-search report before ordering a NUANS name reservation report. It will help you to avoid unnecessary extra charges while starting your business. You will be able to see which names are already registered in the databank, and if there are similar names, you can easily make adjustments. If you want to order a Pre-search report now, click the Button:
When is a NUANS report not Mandatory?
You technically do not require a NUANS Report when registering a sole proprietorship. However, we are recommending all clients to consider getting a pre-search report. This way, you will be able to make sure that the name you want to use has not already been trademarked or incorporated. Name protection does not apply for sole proprietorship, so even if you have a NUANS name reservation report for your business, it does not guarantee that another company in Canada won't be able to use your name. If you want exclusive rights to that name, incorporating is the better option!
How and When do I use the NUANS report?
Before you can register your new company, you will need to gather some documents required. For a corporation, these document would be the articles of incorporation and a NUANS Report. The federal or provincial examiners will then review these documents to check that there are no confliction with existing business names. This is a part of the incorporation process in Ontario, Alberta, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI and for federal incorporation.
Whatever choices you make for your new business, we are here to help you make informed decisions and help you save money while starting out. We know that starting a business can be stressful and confusing for a new business owner. That is why we here to assist you with any questions you may have! We are proud to provide you with super-fast service to obtain your required documents instantly with the click of a button!
Should you have any further questions, please reach out to us via email at info@instantnuansreport.ca for extra information and guidance.