Effective Date: This Notice is effective on October 19, 2021.

This Notice sets out requirements for the use of a company key for filings under the following business statutes (the business statutes):

1.Business Corporations Act
2.Business Names Act
3.Co-operative Corporations Act
4.Corporations Act
5.Corporations Information Act
6.Extra-Provincial Corporations Act
7.Limited Partnerships Act
8.Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, 2010

A company key is required to access your Ontario Business Registry profile and make filings under the business statutes. Corporations and other entities created or registered on or after October 19, 2021 will receive the company key as part of their registration.

A company key consists of a unique series of digits and/or characters. It is provided to the official email, or registered office or other business address, as applicable, for a sole proprietorship, corporation or other entity under the business statutes.

The sole proprietorship, corporation or other entity, as applicable, is responsible for the care and control of the company key. Treat this company key as confidential information and do not share it unless the company key is being provided to a trusted service provider or other trusted intermediary to make filings on behalf of the sole proprietorship, corporation or other entity.The sole proprietorship, corporation or other entity, as applicable, is responsible for all filings authorized by the company key with respect to the entity.

To obtain a replacement company key, select “Regenerate Company Key” in your ServiceOntario online account. This will invalidate the previous company key and provide a new company key. However, to revoke the authority that has been delegated to another person to make filings on behalf of the sole proprietorship, corporation or other entity, you must select “Revoke Authority”. If you do not “Revoke Authority” after regenerating a new company key, the authority that was delegated to another person under the previous company key will remain in place.

If an existing sole proprietorship, corporation or other entity has not received a company key, a company key can be requested by completing and submitting the Company Key Request Form. For more information, contact ServiceOntario at 416-314-8880 or toll-free at 1-800-361-3223.