Alberta Incorporation - Incorporating your business in Alberta

A corporation is a self-sufficient legal entity that is distinct and separate from its shareholders or owners. In essence, the corporation functions as a "person." In its capacity as a "person," a corporation has the ability to acquire, dispose of, and possess assets, including real estate. It can also enter into agreements, initiate legal proceedings, and be the subject of legal action. It is not necessary to be a large corporation to register as one. Even a small business that is solely owned can register as a corporation. 

Alberta Incorporation Form

Steps to Apply for Incorporation in Alberta

Step 1: Choose a corporation name and apply for an Alberta NUANS report

In Alberta, a corporation name consists of three elements: distinctive, descriptive, and legal.  

  1. The distinctive element is a unique word or location that sets your corporation name apart from others.  
  2. The descriptive element describes what your corporation does or is.  
  3. All Alberta corporations are required to have a legal element at the end of their name, which can be Limited, Ltd., Corp., Corporation, Inc., or Incorporated. 

The 'Professional Corporation' element is reserved for specific professions, including Chartered Professional Accountants, Chiropractors, Dentists, Lawyers, and Optometrists. Additionally, a numbered name assigned by Corporate Registry, such as ''890191 Alberta Inc.,' can be used, where 'Alberta' always forms the second part of the name. 

Before incorporating a named corporation, you need to obtain an Alberta NUANS report to ensure that there is no identical or too-similar corporation name. This report reserves the proposed name for 90 days and must be submitted with the incorporation application. You can obtain a NUANS report at our office, and it takes approximately 5-10 minutes to retrieve the result. However, a NUANS report is not required when the proposed name is a 'number name' assigned by Corporate Registry.

Step 2 : Fill out the application forms

  1. Articles of incorporation -
    When incorporating, you need to record all the necessary information, including the shares structure, restrictions on shares transfer, minimum and maximum number of allowed directors, and other rules and provisions. If you require additional space on the form, you can save your schedules in plain text format and email them to [email protected]
    Starting January 2019, a valid email address must be provided when incorporating. 
  2. Notice of address -
    To ensure that the corporation can receive legal documents, the registered office must be a physical location within Alberta. Additionally, the records address, if different from the registered office, must also be physically located in Alberta. If mail is not delivered to the registered office, you will need a separate mailing address within Alberta for the corporation. 
  3. Notice of directors -
    To incorporate your corporation, you must elect or appoint at least one director and provide their information on the Notice of Directors. It's important to note that all directors must be adults. 
  4. Notice of Agent for service/Change of Agent for service -
    It's important to note that as of March 29, 2021, all Alberta corporations and Out-of-province corporations continuing into Alberta must appoint an agent for service. This agent must be an individual, with a physical Alberta address, who can receive notices and documents in person or by mail on behalf of the corporation. It's not necessary for the agent for service to be a lawyer. 

Step 3 : Submission of application forms

To incorporate a corporation in Alberta, you must bring or email the completed and signed application forms, Articles of Incorporation, Notice of Address, Notice of Directors, Notice of Agent for Service/Change of Agent for Service, and an Alberta NUANS report (not older than 90 days). Additionally, you need to provide one piece of government-issued photo identification such as a provincial driver's license or passport. You can submit your request by email along with all the necessary forms and supporting documents. After our corporate specialist reviews your application, an electronic invoice will be sent to you for payment. We normally process payment first and send receipt. Once payment is received, your request will be processed within 2 business days.