Register a business in British Columbia the right way: BC's two-stage process — the $30 Name Request with its 56-day reservation clock — who must register under the Partnership Act, the $40 registration fee, why sole proprietorships get no name protection, and why BC has no 5-year renewal cycle like Ontario.
Applies in: British Columbia
Registering a business in British Columbia is a two-stage process, not a single form: first you get your name approved through a Name Request ($30, up to three name choices, reserved for 56 days), then you register the sole proprietorship or general partnership with BC Registries ($40). The typical named sole proprietorship costs $70 in government fees. BC's system has two quirks Ontario founders should unlearn: the registrar actually approves your name before you can register it, and there is no 5-year renewal cycle — the registration stays active until you dissolve it or file changes. Everything below walks through both stages, the exact-name test that decides whether you register at all, and what the registration does and doesn't give you.
Most provinces let you register a business name directly. BC inserts a gate before the registration: the Name Request. You submit up to three proposed names in priority order, and a BC Registries examiner reviews them against BC's corporate database for conflicts and naming-rule compliance. The fee is $30, and it's non-refundable — if all three names are rejected, you pay again for a new request, so choose carefully and have backups ready.
When a name is approved, you get a Name Request number and the name is reserved for 56 calendar days. That's the deadline that quietly matters: you must complete the registration (or incorporation) inside that window. If the reservation expires, you submit a new Name Request and pay the $30 again. If you can't wait for standard processing, priority service costs an extra $100 and targets approval in 1–2 business days.
One important nuance from the province itself: businesses must confirm their name doesn't conflict with a name already in use by a corporation — and only incorporated companies, cooperatives, or societies can guarantee exclusive use of a name. A sole proprietorship registration gets you no name protection (Step 4 below), so the approval step is a conflict check, not a trademark.
Before spending the $30, check whether BC even requires you to register. For a sole proprietor, the Partnership Act's registration duty kicks in when you carry on business under a name other than your own:
A side note for incorporators: if you're forming a numbered company instead (e.g. 1234567 B.C. Ltd.), you skip the Name Request entirely — the registry assigns the number at incorporation. But a numbered company still needs the $30 Name Request if it later wants a branded operating name.
With your approved Name Request number in hand, register online through BC Registries, or in person at any Service BC location. Online you sign in with your BC Services Card account; if you can't file online, complete the Name Request form and mail it or drop it off at a Service BC location with payment made out to the Minister of Finance.
What the Statement of Registration asks for:
Sign carefully: the Partnership Act makes a statement that is false or misleading on a material fact an offence — a fine of up to $2,000 for an individual and up to $5,000 for a company or other non-individual — so double-check the details before submitting. Registration agents, law firms, and formation services will file for you, but the government fee is the same whoever submits it — they add their own service charge on top.
What you get back: the Statement of Registration and — importantly — a CRA business number. BC assigns the federal tax identifier as part of the provincial registration, which is the number you'll use for GST/HST accounts, payroll, and import/export program accounts.
The filing does one job: it lets you legally carry on business under your business name in BC, sign contracts under it, and open the business bank accounts that require the registration document. It does not:
Most readers of this guide are registering a sole proprietorship, so here is that path in brief. A sole proprietorship is a business with only one owner: you run every part of the operation and you assume all of its liabilities personally. There is no separate company between you and the business.
British Columbia draws the line at your name. Trade under your own full legal name and the province does not require a Name Request or a registration. Trade under anything else and two filings apply: the Name Request ($30, up to three names, an approved name reserved for 56 days), then the registration itself ($40) through BC Registries, online with a BC Services Card account or in person at a Service BC location. A named sole proprietorship costs $70 in government fees, and there is no annual registry fee or renewal payment afterwards. Registration does not protect the name — only incorporated companies, cooperatives, and societies can guarantee exclusive use of a name in British Columbia — and it does not limit your liability.
The full step-by-step version of this path — name approval in detail, the registration itself, the municipal business licence, the 5% GST + 7% PST picture, and WorkSafeBC — is our dedicated guide: How to Start a Sole Proprietorship in BC. This guide covers the decision that comes first: whether you register at all, and which structure — sole proprietorship, general partnership, corporation, or extraprovincial registration — the registration belongs to.
BC's registration doesn't expire on a fixed cycle, but two things still need your attention:
Also note: each business name is its own registration. If your corporation trades under three operating names in BC, that's three separate name filings and three fees.
| Name Request (up to 3 names), standard | $30 |
|---|---|
| Name Request, priority (1–2 business days) | $100 additional |
| Sole proprietorship or general partnership registration | $40 |
| Typical named sole proprietorship, total government fees | $70 |
| Limited partnership | $165 plus $30 name request |
| Limited liability partnership | $275 plus $30 name request |
| BC company incorporation (separate process, for contrast) | $350 plus $30 name request |
These are BC Registries' filing fees for registering directly — the $30 Name Request fee is set in the Partnership Act fee list (not refunded if the name is not approved). Registration agents and formation services charge a service fee on top of the same government fees, so filing directly is the cheapest route.
Only if you trade under something other than your own full legal name. Jane Smith selling as 'Jane Smith' doesn't register; selling as 'Jane Smith Design' does. A general partnership is different: the Partnership Act requires it to file a registration statement whatever its firm name — the exact-name exemption is a sole-proprietor rule.
For a named sole proprietorship, $70 in government fees: $30 for the Name Request, then $40 for the registration itself. General partnerships pay the same $40. In a hurry? Priority name processing adds $100 and targets approval in one to two business days.
Think of it as BC's reservation system. You file up to three proposed names in priority order and a registrar checks them against BC's corporate database. Win approval and the name is held for you for 56 calendar days. That's your window to finish the registration. Miss it and you're filing (and paying for) a fresh request — unlike Ontario, where you can just register whenever.
There is no expiry date and no renewal cycle. A BC sole proprietorship or general partnership registration stays active until you dissolve it or file changes — Ontario's fixed 5-year renewal doesn't exist here. The one thing that does expire is the name reservation: 56 days, so finish the registration inside that window.
No. The province is explicit on this: only incorporated companies, cooperatives, and societies can guarantee exclusive use of a name. Your sole proprietorship registration lets you trade and bank under the name, but it won't stop anyone else from registering a similar one. If the name is a genuine brand asset, the filing you actually want is a federal trademark — that's the one with enforceable rights.
Don't buy one. NUANS belongs to federal incorporations and Ontario corporations. BC runs its own name-approval system through the Name Request, so a sole proprietorship or partnership registration here never needs a NUANS report.
Start with your approved Name Request number — nothing proceeds without it. Then sign in with a BC Services Card account and complete the Statement of Registration, paying the $40 fee at the end. The form wants your business name, addresses, the nature of the business, and your start date of operations. Can't file online? Service BC locations take filings in person, or you can mail the Name Request form.
A DBA is how an existing company trades under an extra name — say a numbered company selling publicly under a brand. BC lets any company or organization register one except sole proprietorships, which simply register their trade name directly under the Partnership Act. Incorporating instead? A numbered company skips the Name Request stage altogether.
Yes — extra-provincial registration runs $350, plus a $43.39 BC annual report alongside whatever your home jurisdiction charges. Two things worth checking before you pay the standard fee: companies from Alberta, Saskatchewan, or Manitoba may qualify for fee exemptions under the New West Partnership Trade Agreement, and if your corporate name clashes with an existing BC name, you'll operate under an assumed name in the province.
First, save your Statement of Registration and the CRA business number BC assigns you — banks ask for the registration when you open an account. Then set up the accounts the registration doesn't create: GST/HST with the Canada Revenue Agency, BC PST with the province, your municipal business licence, and any industry permits. The BizPal tool lists what your business type needs.
If you will trade under a name other than your own full legal name, file a Name Request with BC Registries first ($30, up to three names, approval reserves the name for 56 days). Then register the sole proprietorship with BC Registries ($40), signing in online with a BC Services Card account, or filing at a Service BC location. You get a Statement of Registration and a CRA business number. If you trade only under your exact legal name, the province does not require the name request or the registration at all.
Yes. The Name Request and the registration itself are both filed online through BC Registries. The follow-on accounts are separate filings: GST/HST with the Canada Revenue Agency, British Columbia PST with the province, WorkSafeBC coverage, and your municipal business licence. Paper filing still exists if you need it: mail the Name Request form or visit a Service BC location.
A sole proprietorship registration ($40, plus the $30 Name Request for a named business) lets one owner trade under a business name, but the owner and the business are the same legal person, so the owner carries the business debts personally and the registration gives no exclusive right to the name. Incorporating a British Columbia company ($350, plus the $30 name request) creates a separate legal entity with limited liability. The province is clear that only incorporated companies, cooperatives, and societies can guarantee exclusive use of a name.