Whereas other provinces provide a way to perform business searches on an entirely free website provided by the government, the process in Alberta is slightly different. The corporate registry in AB is managed by Service Alberta, but public access is mostly available via licensed registry agents and not through a self-service online interface alone. Individuals seeking details on either current or former registrations of corporations, extra-provincial corporations, partnerships, trade names, and non-profit organizations in Alberta must use these agents, which charge fees for searching on behalf of the government as well as their own services.
There are a few unique types of searches that the corporate registry in AB provides based on requirements. A certified current search contains information as it is present at the time of search, such as date of registration, directors, and legal addresses. On the other hand, a certified historical search contains the exact same information as above but on a specific date in the past. Lastly, a certificate of status only serves the purpose of letting individuals know about the status of either a corporation or non-profit organization in AB.
This arrangement makes searching for Alberta companies a little more complicated than in those jurisdictions where there is an online searchable database of the sort. Those who want to do due diligence prior to making a partnership, entering a contract, or investing should be prepared for spending some time and paying a small fee, as the task won’t be as simple as just putting a name into a search box. The registration service also performs a number of related tasks, like registering an out-of-province company, which means you will be able to do everything at once in one place.
Knowing how the corporate registry in AB actually works before you need it is what keeps a due diligence search from turning into a costly delay.
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