Business Registration Renewals
In most provinces and territories, sole proprietorships must be renewed in order to continue operating and maintain an active, “good standing” status with the Corporate Registry. There are, however, a few exceptions to this rule where once the business has been registered the entity will remain active until a dissolution form is filed to close the business.
What is a renewal?
A renewal consists of forms to be filed either in paper copy or online that confirm or update the entity corporate information that appears on the company profile on the government database, such as the business or registrant addresses. The renewal filing also typically requires a registry filing fee, and can potentially include a penalty imposed by the registry, if the filing is late or received outside of a prescribed filing period.
Once my sole proprietorship is registered, how often must I renew the registration?
The renewal period (if applicable) can vary depending on the location of the sole proprietor. Please refer to the chart below to determine the appropriate filing period for your sole proprietorship.
Canadian Province |
Renewal Period |
| Alberta | Alberta Entity remains active unless a dissolution form is filed. |
| British Columbia | Entity remains active unless a dissolution form is filed. |
| Manitoba | Renewals must be filed every three years after registration. |
| New Brunswick | Renewals must be filed every five years after registration. |
| Nova Scotia | Annual updating declaration required each year after registration |
| Ontario | Ontario Renewals must be filed every five years after registration. |
| Price Edward Island | Renewals must be filed every three years after registration. |
| Québec | Annual updating declaration required each year after registration |
| Saskatchewan | Renewals must be filed every three years after registration. |
| Yukon | Renewals must be filed every three years after registration. |
| Newfoundland & Labrador | Registry does not keep record of sole proprietors, no renewals required. |
| Nunavut | Nunavut Entity remains active unless a dissolution form is filed. |
| Northwest Territories | Renewals must be filed every four years after registration. |
How do you renew?
In certain provinces (such as Prince Edward Island), sending in a signed renewal on paper is the only method that is currently accepted to renew a sole proprietorship; the renewal notice is generated by the Corporate Registry and sent to the business address on file. You must verify the information on the notice and return the form for processing.
In other provinces renewal forms are sent with bar codes or pin numbers that are required to be able to file the renewal through the registry’s secure online portal.
Whatever the accepted method of submission, the onus to file on time remains the business owner’s responsibility to ensure that the entity is renewed before the filing period has elapsed.
Please refer to the chart below for the accepted filing methods and government fees:
Canadian Province |
Filing Method |
Government Fees |
| Alberta | N/A | N/A |
| British Columbia | N/A | N/A |
| Manitoba | Renewals must be filed every three years after registration. | $60 |
| New Brunswick | Online filing | $62 |
| Nova Scotia | Paper filing, by phone or online filing | $68.55 |
| Ontario | Online filing | $60 |
| Price Edward Island | Paper filing | $75 |
| Québec | Online filing | $34 |
| Saskatchewan | Online filing | $45 |
| Yukon | Paper filing, in person by mail, email or fax | $25 |
| Newfoundland & Labrador | N/A | N/A |
| Nunavut | N/A | N/A |
| Northwest Territories | Paper filing by mail | $60 |
Not sure where to begin?
Helping Canadian Businesses
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