- Do you need to register your business in BC?
- How to register a business in BC, step by step
- What it costs to register a business in BC
- The catch: a BC business name isn't protected
- How to get your business name approved first time
- The 56 day deadline
- Registration isn't a business licence
- Changing or closing your BC registration
- My advice
- Frequently asked questions
To register a business in BC as a sole proprietorship or general partnership, request and reserve a business name through BC Registries, then register the business online in the BC Business Registry within 56 days of the name being approved. As of October 2026, the name request is $30, the online registration is $40, and you need a basic or premium BC Registry account to file.
If you're trading under your own name, you don't need a name request or a provincial registration at all. And you don't have to live in B.C. to start a business there. The province says you can live outside B.C.; if you live in Canada, you can set up a BC Services Card Account and use it to log in.
Do you need to register your business in BC?
| Your situation | What B.C. asks you to do |
|---|---|
| Sole proprietor using your own name | No name request or provincial registration needed |
| Sole proprietor using a business name | Reserve the name, then register the business |
| General partnership | Reserve the name, then register the business |
| Limited partnership or limited liability partnership | Paper filing only, using the province's forms |
| Existing company trading under another name | Register a doing business as (DBA) name |
How to register a business in BC, step by step
- Pick your structure. If you're unsure, the province suggests looking at its business structure options and getting advice from a chartered professional accountant or lawyer.
- Search the name. Check registered B.C. companies, names used across Canada, and trade names and trademarks used in Canada.
- Submit a name request. You can give up to three names, ranked. The later choices are only considered if your first can't be approved.
- Wait for approval. Results go to your email if you gave one. You get a name request number.
- Register within 56 days. Use the name request number in the BC Business Registry, or register in person at a Service BC location.
- Get your paperwork. When registration is complete, a copy of the Statement of Registration and your business number are mailed to you.
What it costs to register a business in BC
These are the provincial fees as the gov.bc.ca pages list them, as of October 2026, in Canadian dollars:
| Filing | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Name request | $30 | Online, by mail or at Service BC |
| Priority name request | $100 | Name approved in 1 to 2 business days |
| Register a sole proprietorship or general partnership | $40 | Online in the BC Business Registry or in person |
| Register a limited partnership | $165 | Paper filing only |
| Register a limited liability partnership | $275 | Paper filing only |
| Correct a minor mistake | No fee | Spelling mistakes or typos, done by registry staff |
One thing the fee table doesn't tell you: each name request covers one name. If you want more than one name approved, you need another name request and another fee.
The catch: a BC business name isn't protected
This is the line most new owners miss. B.C. says only incorporated companies, cooperatives and societies can guarantee exclusive use of their name. There's no name protection for a sole proprietorship or partnership. Having a name approved for a sole proprietorship also doesn't guarantee it'll be approved for a company if you incorporate later.
So the name request records your name and checks it doesn't conflict with a corporation's. It doesn't stop someone else using it. If the brand matters, check the trademark database too, and talk to an advisor about a trademark.
How to get your business name approved first time
The province rejects names that look too close to existing ones, and it gives clear rules:
- Add a distinctive element. Kitimat Tire Shop Ltd. rather than Tire Shop Ltd.
- Add a descriptive element that says what the business does, unless the name is a made-up word with a place name.
- Watch similar descriptive words. B.C.'s example: if John's Inn exists, John's Hotel will be rejected, but John's Hotel and Bar can be approved.
- You can appeal. Appeals have to reach the registrar within 30 days of the rejection, and a second appeal within 5 days of the first being denied. Registered trademarks count as evidence; personal testimonies don't.
The 56 day deadline
Once a name request is approved, it's reserved for 56 days. If you don't register or incorporate before then, you'll need to submit another name request, and anyone can use the name once the reservation expires. Book the registration the same week the approval email arrives.
Registration isn't a business licence
B.C. points out that business registration with the province is different from getting a business licence. You get a licence from your municipal or local government, where you live or plan to trade. You'll also register with other government partners, such as the Canada Revenue Agency, depending on what you do.
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Changing or closing your BC registration
- Changes to sole proprietorships and general partnerships can be done online, or at a Service BC location.
- Changes to limited partnerships and LLPs are paper filings only.
- Switching from a sole proprietorship to a partnership, or the other way round, means registering an entirely new business and dissolving the old one once the new one is registered.
- Help: the BC Registries helpdesk answers Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, but it doesn't give business or legal advice.
My advice
Do the name search and the trademark search the same afternoon, send the name request with a strong first choice and two backups, and register online the day it's approved. Then get the business licence from your city. Once the paperwork's done, a simple business plan and a few business name ideas for future products are a better use of your time than another round of forms.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to register a business in BC?
As of October 2026, gov.bc.ca lists $30 for a name request and $40 to register a sole proprietorship or general partnership online in the BC Business Registry or in person.
Do I need to register my business in BC if I use my own name?
No. If you're going to do business under your own name, you don't need to request a business name or register the business with the province.
How long is a BC name request valid?
Once a name request is approved, it's reserved for 56 days. If you don't register or incorporate in that time, you'll need to submit another name request.
Does registering a business name in BC protect it?
No. B.C. says there's no name protection for a sole proprietorship or partnership. Only incorporated companies, cooperatives or societies can guarantee exclusive use of their name.
Do I need to live in BC to register a business there?
No. You don't need to be a resident of B.C. to start a business there. If you live in Canada, you can set up a BC Services Card Account to log in.
