Quick facts
- Cost: $68 + GST, including a conflict review by a trained agent before you commit to the name.
- Time: usually within the hour during business hours.
- Validity: reserves the name for 90 days. The report must be less than 91 days old when the filing goes in.
- Who can order: anyone. You do not have to be the person incorporating, and we order it for you as part of every named filing.
- What you need: the proposed name with its distinctive, descriptive and legal elements, and one or two back-up names.
An Alberta NUANS report is a name search that lists existing names similar to the one you want and reserves your name for 90 days. Whether you must have one depends on what you are registering, so start with the table below.
Do I need a NUANS report in Alberta? Required or optional by registration
| What you are registering | Alberta NUANS report |
|---|---|
| Named Alberta corporation | Required, less than 91 days old at filing |
| Numbered Alberta corporation (for example, 1234567 Alberta Ltd.) | Not required |
| Professional corporation (physician, dentist, lawyer, CPA) | Required, because it is a named corporation; the regulator's naming rules also apply |
| Alberta society or non-profit under the Societies Act | Required, less than 91 days old |
| Extra-provincial registration of a BC, Ontario, federal or other outside corporation | Required, less than 91 days old |
| Changing a corporation's name with Articles of Amendment | Required, less than 91 days old |
| Reviving a corporation dissolved three or more years ago | Required |
| Trade name for a sole proprietor or a corporation | Optional, recommended |
| Partnership | Optional, recommended |
The pattern is simple. If the filing creates or changes a corporate name, the registry wants the report. If the filing only records a business name under the Partnership Act, the report is your choice.
What an Alberta NUANS report shows
The report lists existing corporate names, registered trade names and trademarks that look or sound like your proposed name. It does not say yes or no. It shows you what is already out there so you, and the registry, can judge whether your name is too close.
Two things the report is not:
- It is not an approval. Corporate Registry decides whether a name is acceptable when the filing is reviewed.
- It is not a trademark. Reserving a name for incorporation is a registry matter. Trademarks are a separate federal process.
What it does do is reserve the name for 90 days, so nobody else can incorporate under it while you finish your paperwork.
How long a NUANS report is valid
A NUANS report reserves the name for 90 days and must be less than 91 days old on the day the filing is submitted. Day 91 is too late, and the registry will not accept a stale report.
If the window closes, you order a new report for the same name. Whether a reservation can be extended instead of re-ordered is worth confirming. The practical rule: order the report when you are ready to file, not months ahead.
How to read a NUANS report in five steps
- Find your proposed name at the top. Check that it is spelled exactly as you want it on the Certificate of Incorporation, legal element included.
- Scan for an identical name. An identical existing name means yours will be refused. Change the distinctive element and search again.
- Look at the close matches. Names that share your distinctive element in the same line of business are the risk. Confusingly similar names may be refused.
- Check the trademarks. A registered trademark that matches your distinctive element is a warning sign even if the registry would accept the name.
- Decide. Clean report and a distinctive name: file. Close matches: adjust the name before you spend the government fee on a filing that could bounce.
This is the step where a person earns their keep. Every report we deliver comes with a trained agent's read of the conflicts, so you know before filing whether the name is likely to be refused.
How to pick a name that passes
Every Alberta corporate name needs three parts:
- A distinctive element that sets you apart: a coined word, a surname, or an unusual combination. "Bow Valley", "Kestrel", "Marchand".
- A descriptive element that says what you do: "Plumbing", "Consulting", "Dental".
- A legal element: Ltd., Limited, Inc., Incorporated, Corp. or Corporation.
Names that cause trouble on a report:
- Descriptive only. "Alberta Plumbing Ltd." has nothing distinctive in it.
- Geographic only. "Calgary Consulting Inc." collides with everyone else who thought of it first.
- Too close to a well-known company. The report will show the match, and the registry will not like it either.
- A brand you have not searched yet. If you are attached to a name, search it before you print the business cards.
If the name you want is taken, one option is to incorporate as a numbered company today and add the name later. Our comparison of numbered vs named companies in Alberta walks through when that makes sense.
Alberta NUANS reports vs federal and other-province reports
The word Alberta matters. Corporate Registry expects an Alberta NUANS report, ordered for an Alberta filing, rather than a report prepared for a federal or other-province incorporation. If you already hold a report from another jurisdiction, order an Alberta one before filing here rather than hoping it will be accepted.
The same applies to a BC, Ontario or federal corporation registering to carry on business in Alberta: the extra-provincial package needs an Alberta NUANS report less than 91 days old.
What a NUANS report costs
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Alberta NUANS report with conflict review | $68 |
| If you go on to incorporate a named Alberta corporation | $498 + GST, government fee included |
| If you register a trade name (report optional) | $86 + GST |
| If you form a society (report mandatory) | $1,619 + GST, government fee included |
Our prices are total fees before GST (5%), government fee included, as of September 2026.
Common mistakes
- Ordering the report too early. The 90 days run from the report date. Order it when the rest of the package is ready.
- Treating a clean report as approval. The registry reviews the name at filing. A clean report with a weak, descriptive name can still be refused.
- Skipping the search for a trade name. Registration does not protect a trade name. Finding a conflict after the signs are printed is expensive; a report is not. Our guide on how to register a trade name in Alberta covers what the registration does and does not give you.
- Using a federal or other-province report for an Alberta filing. Order the Alberta report.
- Ignoring the trademark section. The registry may accept the name; a trademark owner may still object.
- Changing the name after the report. Even a small change to the distinctive element means a new report.
Frequently asked questions
Is a NUANS report required for a trade name in Alberta?
No. For a trade name or partnership the report is optional, though recommended, because registering the name does not protect it and a search reduces the risk of a conflict with a name already in use. For a named Alberta corporation, a society or an extra-provincial registration, the report is required.
How long does a NUANS report take?
We usually deliver an Alberta NUANS report within the hour during business hours, with a trained agent's read of the conflicts before you commit to the name. Once you have it, the report reserves the name for 90 days.
What if my NUANS report shows a similar name?
An identical name will be refused, and a confusingly similar one may be. Change the distinctive element so the name stands apart, then order a fresh report for the new name. Our agent tells you before you file whether a name is likely to be refused, which saves a second filing.
Can I renew or extend a NUANS reservation?
The reservation lasts 90 days, and the report must be less than 91 days old when your filing goes in. If the window closes before you file, you order a new report for the same name.
Next step
Search the name before you commit to it. Order your Alberta NUANS report online for $68 + GST. A trained agent reads the report and tells you whether the name is likely to be refused, usually within the hour, and the report reserves your name for 90 days.
ACS is a private company. Our CORES-trained agents prepare your filing and submit it through a licensed Alberta registry agent. We are not a government office or a registry agent. Questions? Call (403) XXX-XXXX (Mon–Fri 8:00–6:00 MT).