Can I obtain corporate information if I only have the name of an individual?
No; corporate information can only be obtained if you have a partial or full corporation name or a corporation number.

If a company is bankrupt, does it necessarily mean that the company is no longer active?
No: not necessarily. A corporation can still be in good standing with the Companies Branch, yet still be bankrupt.

Does it matter where a Bulk Sales search is conducted?
Yes: it should be conducted in the jurisdiction where the business carries on.

Do I have to know that the corporation is in good standing before I order a certificate?
No: we verbally confirm the present status of the corporation with Industry Canada before ordering the hard copy.

Can I only obtain a Certificate of Status on a company that is in good Standing?
No; A Certificate of Status will give you the present status of the Company.

How far do microfiche records go back?
On older corporations, most records go back to the original incorporation date.

When does corporate information become inactive or archived?
Any file that became inactive previous to 1975 is sent to Cooksville and must be ordered from there.

Can I get copies of notices that appear on the document list?
Yes; certified copies of the documents that appear on a document list are available and take approximately 10 business days.

Can I get copies of notices that appear on the document list?
Yes; certified copies of the documents that appear on a document list are available and take approximately 10 business days.

Is the entire corporate history on the microfiche?
No: only corporate information prior to January 1, 1995.

Do all Business Names ever registered by a corporation show on the list?
No: only Business Names filed within the last 5 years appear on a Business Names List.

Can I obtain corporate information if I only have the name of an individual?
No; corporate information can only be obtained if you have a partial or full corporation name or a corporation.

How long does the Ministry keep records of expired searches?
The Ministry keeps records of expired searches for 10 years and then forwards all records to the Public Archives office’s number.

Can I conduct all the searches I do in Ontario in other jurisdictions?
Some searches are the same, others are known by a different name but cover the same material.

Is a PPSA search up to date?
No: the file currency, which is on the front of every PPSA printout, is approximately 2 business days behind the date of order.

What is the difference between an archived file and an inactive file?
Inactive files are those kept in Cooksville, while archived files pre-date records in Cooksville.

Can I get particulars if a search reveals that a Notice of Intention has been filed?
Yes: A Bank Act letter contains all the particulars you will require.

Can photocopied files be certified?
No: only the microfiche itself can be certified.