The short answer
If you work under your own legal name ("Jane Smith"), you don't have to register anything with Ontario. If you use any other name ("Jane Smith Dog Walking", "Maple Paws"), register it online on the Ontario Business Registry: $60, done in minutes.
The registration (what used to be called a Master Business Licence) lasts 5 years and costs $60 to renew. Fees as of September 2026.
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Do you need to register at all?
Most people searching "register a business in Ontario" are one person starting a service business: walking dogs, tutoring, cleaning houses. For you, the question is really what name will clients see?
- Your own name only. A sole proprietor trading as "Jane Smith" has nothing to register with the province. Ontario's guide to choosing an ownership structure says you need to register a sole proprietorship "if you are not using your own name as your business name."
- Your name plus anything else. "Jane Smith Tutoring" or "Smith & Co." is a business name. Ontario's registration form instructions treat an added word as a business name that must be registered under the Business Names Act.
- A made-up name. "Maple Paws" always needs registering.
You're still a business either way. Registering a name doesn't change how you pay tax: a sole proprietor reports business income on Form T2125 with their personal return, whether or not they registered a name.
How to register a business name in Ontario, step by step
Everything happens online on the Ontario Business Registry, which is open 24/7. Here's the path for a sole proprietor, checked September 2026:
- Search the name. Searching the registry is free. Look for names that are the same or confusingly close to yours. A quick search of the web and social media is worth doing too.
- Create an Ontario.ca Login and an Ontario Business Account. You need a working email address.
- Choose "Register a Business Name for a Sole Proprietorship" (or for a general partnership) and fill in your name, the business name, your address and a short description of what the business does.
- Pay $60 by debit or credit card.
- Save what you get back: your Business Name Registration and a 9-digit Ontario Business Identification Number (BIN), plus a company key. Ontario asks for the company key for any later filing, including the renewal, so keep it somewhere safe.
Filing online is immediate. Paper forms by mail cost the same $60 and take about 15 business days, according to Ontario's fee and processing-time table.
What it costs
| Filing | Online | By mail |
|---|---|---|
| Register a business name (sole proprietorship or partnership) | $60, immediate | $60, 15 business days |
| Renew it (every 5 years) | $60, immediate | $60, 15 business days |
| Change or cancel it | $0 | $0 |
| Incorporate an Ontario corporation | $300, immediate | $300, 15 business days |
Government fees from Ontario's cost and time to register a business name or corporation, as of September 2026. Private filing services charge their own fee on top; you don't need one for a sole proprietorship.
The master business licence and the 5-year renewal
If someone asks for your "master business licence", they mean your Business Name Registration. Ontario renamed it, but it's the same document. Per the Ontario Business Registry services page, checked September 2026:
- It expires every 5 years.
- You can renew online from 6 months before the expiry date until 60 days after it, using your company key. Renewal costs $60, the same as a new registration.
- If it has been expired for more than 60 days, you can't renew. You have to register the name again as a new registration.
Put the expiry date in your calendar the day you register. Banks sometimes ask for a current registration when you open or update a business account.
Partnership or corporation instead?
A sole proprietorship is the default for a one-person business. The other options, briefly:
| Structure | What you file | Government fee | Who's on the hook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sole proprietorship, your own name | Nothing to register | $0 | Just you. Unlimited personal liability. |
| Sole proprietorship, a business name | Business Name Registration (Ontario Business Registry) | $60, renew every 5 years | Just you. Unlimited personal liability. |
| General partnership | Business Name Registration (Ontario Business Registry) | $60, renew every 5 years | Two or more partners, each liable for the partnership's debts. |
| Ontario corporation | Articles of incorporation (Ontario Business Registry) | $300, plus an Ontario-biased NUANS report for a word name | A separate legal entity with limited liability. |
| Federal corporation | Incorporation with Corporations Canada, then register in Ontario | $200 online; no Ontario fee | Limited liability and the right to the name across Canada. |
- Partnership. Two or more people in business together. A general partnership registers its name the same way for $60, and all partners are responsible for all the partnership's debts.
- Ontario corporation. $300 online. A word name like "Maple Paws Inc." needs an Ontario-biased NUANS name search report first; a numbered company ("1234567 Ontario Inc.") doesn't.
- Federal corporation. $200 online through Corporations Canada, with the name search built into the online application for most word names. You get the right to use the name across Canada, but you still have to register with Ontario within 60 days of starting business here (no Ontario fee).
A corporation limits your personal liability, but it files its own tax return, needs its own bank account and bookkeeping, and costs more every year. Ontario's own guide suggests talking to a lawyer or professional advisor before you incorporate. For most people starting out, a registered name and good business insurance cover the same worries for far less.
After you register: the four things to set up next
1. A business number and GST/HST, when you need them
Your Ontario registration number isn't a tax number. The CRA's business number (BN) is separate, and a sole proprietor only needs one when they register for a CRA program, most often a GST/HST account. You must register for GST/HST once your taxable sales pass $30,000 in a single calendar quarter or over four consecutive quarters. In Ontario you then charge 13% HST. The business number guide covers how to get a BN, and the GST/HST guide covers the threshold in detail.
2. A separate bank account
Not legally required for a sole proprietor, but one account for business money makes tax time far easier. If you registered a business name and want clients to pay "Maple Paws", banks usually ask for the Business Name Registration to open a business account in that name.
3. Insurance
Registration doesn't protect you if a dog you're walking bites someone or you damage a client's floor. Commercial general liability is the usual starting point, and home insurance often doesn't cover business activity. See small business insurance in Canada for the types and typical costs.
4. Invoicing and getting paid
Once you have a name, put it on every invoice, along with your contact details, a description of the work, the amount and how to pay. How to write an invoice walks through each part, and the free invoice generator makes one in a minute. Your invoices become the record behind the income you report at tax time; the self-employed tax calculator shows what to set aside.
Registering in another province?
The rules differ. British Columbia needs a name approval before you register, and Alberta registers trade names through registry agents. See how to register a business in BC and how to register a business in Alberta.
Common questions
Do I need to register my business in Ontario if I use my own name?
No. A sole proprietor doing business under their own legal name, for example "Jane Smith", does not need to register a business name. As soon as you add anything, such as "Jane Smith Dog Walking" or "Maple Paws", it is a business name and you must register it with the Ontario Business Registry.
How much does it cost to register a business name in Ontario?
$60 for a sole proprietorship or general partnership, paid online by debit or credit card through the Ontario Business Registry, as of September 2026. Registration lasts 5 years, and renewing costs another $60. Searching the registry to check a name is free.
Is the master business licence still a thing in Ontario?
It has a new name. Ontario now calls it a Business Name Registration, but it is the same document the province used to call a Master Business Licence. It is valid for 5 years.
How long does it take to register a business in Ontario?
Online registration through the Ontario Business Registry is immediate. You get your registration and a 9-digit Ontario Business Identification Number as soon as you pay. Mailed paper forms take about 15 business days.
What happens if I forget to renew my Ontario business name?
You can renew from 6 months before your expiry date up to 60 days after it. If the registration has been expired for more than 60 days, you can no longer renew it and have to register the name again as a new registration.
Is an Ontario business registration the same as a business number or HST number?
No. The Ontario Business Registry is provincial and gives you an Ontario Business Identification Number. A business number (BN) and a GST/HST account come from the Canada Revenue Agency and are a separate registration. Most one-person businesses only need a GST/HST account once they pass $30,000 in taxable sales.
Should I incorporate instead of registering a sole proprietorship?
Most one-person service businesses start as sole proprietors because it is cheap and simple. Incorporating costs more ($300 in Ontario or $200 federally, plus a corporate tax return every year) and makes sense when you want limited liability or your profit is high enough that keeping money in the company saves tax. Talk to an accountant before you incorporate.