How to Change Your Corporation's Registered Office Address
Your corporation's registered office is its official legal address — where the government sends notices, where legal documents can be served, and where your corporate records are expected to live. Changing it is genuinely simple, but it is a two-step process, and both steps matter: a directors' resolution approving the change, and a registry filing notifying the government, usually within 15 days.
Skip the filing and your corporation stops receiving government notices — including default warnings before an administrative dissolution. Skip the resolution and your minute book no longer explains why the registry says one thing and your records say another.
Step 1: The Directors' Resolution
Under the CBCA and most provincial statutes, the directors may change the registered office address within the province or territory named in the articles by simple resolution — no shareholder vote required. A written resolution signed by all directors is the standard approach for private corporations:
RESOLVED that the registered office of the Corporation be and is hereby changed to [new address], effective [date].
Two situations need more than a directors' resolution:
- Moving to a different province — the articles name the province of the registered office, so relocating from, say, Ontario to Alberta requires articles of amendment, which take a special resolution of shareholders (two-thirds majority).
- Provisions in your articles or a unanimous shareholder agreement that restrict the directors' authority — check before relying on the default rule.
Step 2: The Registry Filing
| Jurisdiction | How to file | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Federal (CBCA) | Form 3, filed online with Corporations Canada (free) | Within 15 days of the change |
| Ontario | Notice of Change via the Ontario Business Registry | Within 15 days |
| British Columbia | Notice of Change of Address with BC Registries | Promptly after the change |
| Alberta | Notice of Address change through a registry agent | Within 15 days |
If your corporation is extra-provincially registered in other provinces, update those registrations too — each province tracks its own record of your addresses.
Free: Generate your first corporate resolution
MinuteKeep handles all your corporate compliance documents — resolutions, minute books, director registers — in minutes, not hours.
Try MinuteKeep Free →Step 3: Update the Minute Book
File the signed resolution in your minute book and make sure the change is reflected wherever the old address appears in your records going forward. If your corporation's annual return is coming up, the registry will expect the new address to match what you file.
While you're at it, update the address with the CRA, your bank, and your insurers — none of them learn about it from the corporate registry.
Registered Office vs. Records Office vs. Mailing Address
- Registered office — the legal address on the public registry; service of documents happens here.
- Records office — in BC, a separately designated address where corporate records are kept (often the same place, frequently the law firm).
- Mailing address — some registries let you show a separate mailing address; it has no legal significance for service.
Using a lawyer's or accountant's office as the registered office is common and perfectly fine — just remember that moving firms means a formal change of registered office, with the same resolution and filing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use my home address as the registered office?
Yes, and many small corporations do. Be aware it appears on the public registry. If you'd rather not publish your home address, a professional office or registered-agent service can act as the registered office.
Is there a fee to change the registered office?
Federally, the Form 3 filing is free. Provincial fees vary from free to modest ($20–50 range through some registry agents). The real cost of the change is remembering to do it everywhere.
What happens if I forget to notify the registry?
Government mail — including annual return reminders and default notices — goes to the stale address. Corporations have been administratively dissolved without ever seeing the warnings. The registry record, not your actual office, is what the government relies on.
Does changing the registered office change where I do business?
No. The registered office is a legal address, not an operational one. You can run the business anywhere; the registered office simply has to be a physical address (not a P.O. box) in the corporation's home jurisdiction.
How MinuteKeep Helps
MinuteKeep's resolutions generator produces a signature-ready registered office change resolution in about a minute — your first resolution is free. For federal corporations, MinuteKeep's ISED registry sync pulls the registered office Corporations Canada has on file, so you can spot immediately when your records and the public registry disagree.
Generate your change of registered office resolution — free.
This article is general information, not legal advice. For advice on your corporation's specific situation, consult a lawyer.