BC Business Name Request

The first step to starting a business in B.C. is getting your business name approved. Before registering or incorporating, it is required to submit a Name Request that will be approved at the discretion of BC Registries.

You can include up to three business name choices per request and you should rank them in your order of preference – they’ll be reviewed accordingly, and only one will be approved. If your first name is rejected, the second will be reviewed, and so on. If you want multiple names approved, you must file a separate request (with a separate fee for each).

Once approved, your business name is reserved for 56 days. We’ll provide you with your Name Request (NR) number, and you’ll need to register or incorporate your business within this time, or the name will expire and become available to anyone, in which case you would have to submit a new request.

Your proposed names must follow BC Registries’ naming rules and include two parts:

• A distinctive element (e.g. a person’s name, unique word, location, or acronym)

• A descriptive element (what your business does – like ‘Consulting’, ‘Salon’, or ‘Builders’)

You’ll also need to use the correct business designation:

• Incorporated companies are required to have a corporate designation included in their name, and must end with: Limited (Ltd.), Incorporated (Inc.), Corporation (Corp.), etc.

• Sole proprietorships and general partnerships cannot use corporate endings but may use Company or Co.

Example of an acceptable Business Name – Morgan Design Co.:

• Distinctive: Morgan (person’s name)
• Descriptive: Design (service offered)
• Designation: Co. (acceptable for a sole proprietorship)

Certain words are not allowed to be used by the public and will automatically be rejected. These include any words that imply a connection with the government or Crown e.g. RCMP, GST, Post Office, Access BC, Credit Union, Better Business Bureau, Build BC, White Knight, Bonded, and more.

Other terms require official consent to use, including already well-known trademarks (e.g. Apple), names of public figures, and the following legal professions: Engineering, Doctor, DR , MD, Registered Massage Therapist, Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine, Lawyer, Law, CPA, Registered Music Teacher, Honeywell, Legion, Games (when used for a sport).

Who gets name protection?

• Incorporated companies and limited liability partnerships get exclusive name protection in their business sector across B.C.

• Sole proprietorships and general partnerships do not receive name protection, even after registration. Others can use the same or a similar name.

Who needs to submit a Name Request:

• Anyone registering a sole proprietorship or general partnership under a custom name

• Anyone incorporating a named company in B.C.

• Anyone changing an existing business name or merging companies under a new name

You don’t need to submit a Name Request if:

• You’re incorporating a numbered company (e.g. 1234567 B.C. Ltd.)

• You’re using your own full legal name for a sole proprietorship or partnership (e.g. Jamie Singh or M. Reynolds)

• Your company is already federally incorporated – you’ll register it separately as an extra-provincial company