How to Change a Federal Corporation's Registered Office Address in Canada

When must a federal corporation report its new registered office?

A federal business corporation must notify Corporations Canada of a change to its registered office address within 15 days after the change. This requirement comes from section 19 of the Canada Business Corporations Act.

The registered office is the corporation's legal address. It is important because corporate records may be kept there and official documents may be served on the corporation at that address. Corporations Canada also publishes the registered office address in its public federal corporation database.

If you are managing other federal corporate compliance at the same time, Helpydo also explains how to file a federal corporation annual return and significant control information.

Does the new office stay in the same province or territory?

This is the key question because the procedure changes depending on where the corporation is moving.

Moving within the province or territory already in your articles

If the new registered office remains in the same province or territory stated in the articles, the directors may change its place and address without amending the articles. The corporation then reports the new address to Corporations Canada through the online registered-office filing service.

Corporations Canada identifies this filing as Form 3 – Change of Registered Office Address. For federal business corporations, the current filing route is online through the Online Filing Centre.

Moving to a different province or territory

If the corporation is moving its registered office to another province or territory, a simple address update is not sufficient. The province or territory of the registered office forms part of the corporation's articles under the Canada Business Corporations Act.

The corporation must therefore amend its articles. Corporations Canada's amendment guide requires Form 4 – Articles of Amendment and, when the province of the registered office changes, Form 3 – Change of Registered Office Address.

Changing the province or territory specified in the articles requires a special resolution. Corporations Canada states that amendments to the articles of a business corporation require a special resolution passed at a special meeting.

If the corporation is newly incorporated and you are still setting up its federal records, see how to incorporate a business federally in Canada.

What do you need before filing the address change?

For a routine move within the same province or territory, Corporations Canada says you will need the corporation's corporate name and, for online filing where required, its corporation key.

A corporation key is an eight-digit access code used for certain online transactions, including changes to registered office and director information. If your My ISED Account has already been linked to the corporation, you may no longer need to enter the corporation key for future filings.

Identity verification is now mandatory for access to most Corporations Canada services. A person filing through the Online Filing Centre should therefore be prepared to sign in with a My ISED Account and complete personal identity verification.

Who can file the change?

The filing must be made by an individual who has relevant knowledge of the corporation and is authorized by the directors. Corporations Canada identifies people such as a director or officer as examples of individuals who may have the necessary authority.

Only give a corporation key or online access to someone who is authorized to file for the corporation. Corporations Canada specifically recommends limiting access to the corporation key to authorized individuals.

What address can be used as the registered office?

The registered office must be located in the province or territory specified in the corporation's articles unless those articles are amended. Corporations Canada's registered-office instructions require a street address and state that a post office box cannot be used as the registered office address.

Choose an address where the corporation can reliably receive official documents. Corporations Canada explains that documents served at the registered office are legally assumed to have been received by the corporation.

Will the new registered office address be public?

Yes. A federal corporation's registered office address is public corporate information. Corporations Canada publishes it in the Search for a federal corporation database. This applies even when the registered office is also a residential address.

Consider this public-disclosure rule before using a home address as the registered office.

How to change the registered office through the Online Filing Centre

1. Confirm that the corporation is governed by the Canada Business Corporations Act and that the new office remains in the province or territory named in its articles.
2. Sign in to the Corporations Canada Online Filing Centre using your My ISED Account.
3. Complete identity verification if your account has not already satisfied the requirement.
4. Locate or access the corporation. Enter the corporation key if the service requires it and your account is not already linked.
5. Select Change registered office information.
6. Enter the complete new registered office address and any applicable additional address information.
7. Review the information carefully before submitting it.
8. Submit the filing within 15 days after the registered office changes.
9. Retain the filing confirmation with the corporation's records.

The regular online registered-office change is free.

How much does the change cost and how long does it take?

As verified on September 3, 2026, Corporations Canada's current service table lists an online change of registered office address within the same province or territory as free, with a 1-business-day processing time.

Corporations Canada states that the processing times on its services page are measured in business days or business hours.

If the registered office is moving to another province or territory, an amendment to the articles is required. Corporations Canada's current fees page specifically identifies a change to the province or territory of the registered office as free when filed online. If the corporation makes other chargeable amendments at the same time, the normal online articles-amendment fee can apply; the current general fee for chargeable online amendments is $200.

How do you change the province of the registered office?

A corporation moving its registered office across a provincial or territorial boundary should not submit only a routine address update. It must first complete the corporate authorization required to amend its articles.

Corporations Canada's guide identifies the following documents for an amendment involving the registered-office province:

• Form 4 – Articles of Amendment.
• Form 3 – Change of Registered Office Address.
• Form 6 – Changes Regarding Directors, only if director information is also being changed.

Corporations Canada provides the amendment service through its Online Filing Centre. A change to the province or territory of the registered office is one of the amendments available online.

What if you cannot find the corporation key?

The corporation key may be found on the Corporate Information Sheet sent when the corporation was incorporated and on certain older annual-return confirmation emails.

If it cannot be found, an authorized person can request a new corporation key. Corporations Canada states that a replacement key is mailed to the current registered office address on file by the end of the next business day, after which normal mail-delivery times apply. Issuing a new key immediately invalidates the previous one.

If the registered office address itself is no longer correct, or the corporation urgently needs access, Corporations Canada instructs users to contact it before requesting a replacement key.

Does changing the registered office update other government accounts?

The Corporations Canada filing changes the corporation's registered office information in the federal corporate registry. It should not be treated as a substitute for updating information held by other government programs or registries.

For example, corporations that maintain CRA business and program accounts should manage those records through the appropriate CRA procedures. Helpydo's guide to CRA business numbers and program accounts explains that separate federal tax-account system.

Common registered office change mistakes to avoid

• Waiting more than 15 days after the address changes before notifying Corporations Canada.
• Using the simple address-change filing when the new office is in a different province or territory.
• Entering a post office box as the registered office.
• Assuming that the registered office address is private; it is published as corporate information.
• Allowing an unauthorized person to use the corporation key.
• Forgetting that a move to another province or territory requires an articles amendment and the necessary corporate authorization.
• Assuming the Corporations Canada update automatically changes addresses held by the CRA or other government bodies.

What happens after you submit the change?

Corporations Canada processes the online registered-office filing and updates the corporation's federal record. Its published service time for the routine online address change is one business day.

Because the registered office is public corporate information, the updated address becomes part of the information available through Corporations Canada's federal corporation database. Keep the confirmation of filing with the corporation's records and verify that the public record reflects the correct new address after processing.