What is a registered office and does my corporation need a physical address?

Under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario), every corporation must have a registered office — a physical address in Ontario where legal documents, government notices, and other official communications can be delivered. A post office box alone is not sufficient; there must be a street address.

The registered office does not need to be where you actually conduct business. Many smaller corporations use the address of their lawyer's or accountant's office as the registered office, with the professional's consent. Virtual office services can also serve this purpose in some cases. What matters is that someone at that address can receive and forward official mail.

The registered office address is public information — it appears on the Ontario Business Registry and can be searched by anyone. If you do not want your home address on the public record, this is an important consideration when choosing where to register.

Any change to the registered office address must be filed with the Ontario Business Registry promptly. Using an address that is no longer valid can mean missing legal notices, service of process in a lawsuit, or government correspondence, all of which can have serious consequences.