Question 1

What is a registered office address?

Accepted Answer

The official address every Ontario and federal corporation is legally required to maintain, published on the public corporate registry. It's where the government sends official notices and where courts and other parties serve legal documents on your corporation. It doesn't have to be where you actually work — it just has to be a reliable address in the province where someone can receive documents on the corporation's behalf.

Question 2

Is a registered office required in Ontario?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every Ontario corporation must maintain a registered office in Ontario from the day it's incorporated, and it must be a physical location where documents can be delivered — a P.O. box doesn't qualify. You name the address in your articles of incorporation, and if it changes you're required to file a notice of change with the registry to keep it current.

Question 3

What's the difference between a registered office and a business mailing address?

Accepted Answer

Your registered office is the legal address on the public registry where the government and courts reach your corporation. A business mailing address is what you put on invoices, websites, and vendor forms. With Ribbon Business, one plan covers both: the same Toronto address serves as your registered office and your everyday virtual business address at no extra cost.

Question 4

Can I use my home address as my registered office?

Accepted Answer

You can, but it becomes public record — anyone who searches the corporate registry sees it, and it can end up in marketing databases. You'd also need to file a change with the registry every time you move. Many entrepreneurs use a commercial address like Ribbon Business's to keep their home address private and stable.

Question 5

What kind of mail arrives at a registered office?

Accepted Answer

CRA notices and assessments, annual return reminders, notices from the provincial or federal registry, WSIB and other government correspondence, and legal documents like statements of claim served on your corporation. Ribbon Business scans legal and government mail for free and notifies you when something arrives, so nothing sits unread.

Question 6

What happens if I miss a legal document served at my registered office?

Accepted Answer

Legal documents served at your registered office are considered delivered to the corporation whether or not anyone reads them. Miss a statement of claim and a court can enter default judgment against your corporation; miss a government notice and you can face penalties or even administrative dissolution. That's the core risk of listing an address you don't check — and why we scan your legal and government mail and notify you when it arrives.

Question 7

Does this work for federal (CBCA) corporations?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Federal corporations must maintain a registered office in the province named in their articles, so as long as your corporation's registered office province is Ontario, you can use our Toronto address. If your articles name a different province, that would need to be amended first.

Question 8

Can I use this address when incorporating a new corporation?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Sign up and complete online KYC first, then list our address as the registered office in your articles of incorporation — your corporation is compliant from day one, and government mail lands in your virtual mailbox from the start.

Question 9

How do I switch my existing corporation's registered office to Ribbon Business?

Accepted Answer

Sign up and complete online KYC for a director or officer, and the address is yours to use. Then the change needs to be filed with your registry — a notice of change for Ontario corporations, or an update to Corporations Canada for federal ones. We'll walk you through the filing so the public record matches your new address.

Question 10

Can I use this for a corporation registered in another province?

Accepted Answer

Only if its registered office is in Ontario. A B.C. or Alberta corporation must keep its registered office in its home province, so our Toronto address can't serve that role — though it can still work as a general mailing address for your business.

Question 11

How long does Ribbon Business store my mail?

Accepted Answer

We store your physical mail for up to 60 days after it arrives. Within that window you decide whether to have it forwarded to any Canadian address or securely shredded — scans stay available in your virtual mailbox either way.

A Toronto Registered Office Without the Office Lease

Government and Legal Mail, Handled

Trusted by entrepreneurs across Canada

How it works

Sign up with Ribbon

Complete online KYC for a director or officer

Start using your new address

We scan, forward, or shred your mail

Included Features

Professional address

Virtual mailbox

You are in control

Storage

Enhanced privacy

Virtual Business Address

FAQ

Set up your registered office