Checking business name availability in Quebec before incorporating.

Business name availability in Quebec starts at the REQ

The Registraire des entreprises' search tool is public and free. Type the name you have in mind, then its variations: with and without accents, singular and plural, with one word removed. Look at the "other names" declared by existing companies too, since many businesses trade under a name that differs from their legal one. Our guide to the Quebec enterprise register search explains how to read a company file in detail.

Keep one thing in mind, though: the Registraire refuses a name identical to one already used in Quebec, but it does not run a full confusion analysis at filing time. A name merely similar to yours can slip through, and the reverse is true as well: your name can be accepted, then challenged by an established business that feels wronged. The Act respecting the legal publicity of enterprises provides recourses to force a non-compliant name to change.

An example: "Café Boréal inc." is registered in Laval. You file "Resto Boréal". Since the names are not identical, the filing could go through, yet the first company could raise confusion and force you to rename your shop after your signage has been printed.

Federal incorporation: the Nuans report comes into play

If you incorporate under the Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA) with a chosen name, Corporations Canada requires a Nuans search report, valid for 90 days, before approving it. The report compares your proposal against corporate names and trademarks across the country, and the federal review focuses precisely on the risk of confusion, a stricter test than the Registraire's. Note that the search runs Canada-wide, which considerably increases the odds of turning up a name similar to the one you want to use.

Until quite recently, the Nuans database did not include names entered in the Quebec register. A founder incorporating federally to do business in Quebec therefore needed both searches, Nuans and REQ. Fortunately, an agreement between the two regimes has simplified matters for Quebec entrepreneurs, and the Nuans report now covers names recorded in the Quebec register as well. The choice between Quebec's Business Corporations Act and the CBCA rests on many other factors; our guide to incorporating in Quebec walks through them.

The trademarks register: the check too many founders skip

This is the nuance many founders discover too late: a name entered in the REQ does not protect you the way a trademark does. Registration makes your name public and affords a degree of protection, without necessarily granting an exclusive right. A trademark registered under the Trademarks Act, by contrast, gives its owner exclusivity across Canada for the covered goods and services, even against a company whose name has sat quietly in the register for years. Our article on trademarks in Quebec explains what registration actually protects.

Before settling on a name, search CIPO's Canadian Trademarks Database. Look for identical marks first, then similar marks in your line of business. And if the name sits at the heart of your brand, consider registering it as a trademark yourself: that is the real shield, whereas the register entry is only a legal publicity formality.

What the Charter of the French language requires of your name

The name declared to the register must comply with the Charter of the French language: as a general rule, you need a French name. An expression from another language can appear in it, but the regulations then require, in most cases, that it be paired with a French generic term. A business whose name exists only in another language must declare the French version it uses in Quebec.

Think about signage as well. Since June 1, 2025, French must be markedly predominant on public signs visible from outside, including when the name contains a trademark in another language. Picking a name that works in French from day one spares you redone storefronts and correspondence with the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF).

Name reservation and numbered companies: two ways out

Your name is available but your articles are not ready? The Registraire offers name reservation: for a fee, the name is held for you for 90 days. On the federal side, name pre-approval backed by the Nuans report plays the same role for a comparable period.

And if no name clears every check, the numbered company remains a proven route: the Registraire assigns a numerical designation, for instance "9543-2100 Québec inc.", and you launch without delay. You can later declare an "other name" to trade under, running it through the same checks. Our guide on how to incorporate a business in Quebec covers how this works in detail.

FAQ

Q: Is a free REQ search enough before incorporating?

A: Not necessarily. It flags identical or similar names already registered, but it covers neither trademarks nor, for a federal incorporation, the Nuans database.

Q: How long does a name reservation last?

A: A reservation with the Registraire des entreprises holds the name for 90 days. The Nuans report required federally is valid for the same period.

Q: Can I give my Quebec corporation an English name?

A: You may declare a version in another language, but as a general rule you need a French name, used in Quebec in line with the Charter of the French language.

Q: Is a name accepted by the Registraire protected?

A: Not on its own. Registration can serve as prima facie proof that your use came first, but only a registered trademark provides Canada-wide exclusivity for the covered goods and services.

Has your name cleared every check? Incorporate with a lawyer: our online incorporation form starts the process in minutes.