canada corporate-law
Use of Co. in a Non-Registered Business Name
<p>A few of my friends and I have started a business in Canada, and in our name we have "Co." at the end. We are deciding whether to register as a business or not, and are unsure as to whether we can continue to use `Co." in the name without registering.</p>

<p>In the <a href="https://corporationscanada.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/cd-dgc.nsf/eng/cs01191.html" rel="nofollow" title="choosing a name">choosing a name</a> section of the canada corporation site it states:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><em>The accepted way to include a legal element in a corporate name is to add a term to the end of the name such as Limited, Incorporated or Corporation, or contractions of these such as Ltd., Inc. or Corp.</em></p>
</blockquote>

<p>Does this mean that "Co." indicates a corporation? If so, can we continue to use it if we decide to not register as a corporation?</p>

<p>Co is not one of the words or phrases reserved for corporations. You can use it.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><strong>Canada Business Corporations Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-44) Section 10(1)</strong></p>
  
  <p>The word or expression “Limited”, “Limitée”, “Incorporated”,
  “Incorporée”, “Corporation” or “Société par actions de régime fédéral”
  or the corresponding abbreviation “Ltd.”, “Ltée”, “Inc.”, “Corp.” or
  “S.A.R.F.” shall be part, other than only in a figurative or
  descriptive sense, of the name of every corporation, but a corporation
  may use and be legally designated by either the full or the
  corresponding abbreviated form.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Keep in mind that registering and incorporating are two different things in Canada. The page that you linked to applies specifically to corporations. Not every business is a corporation but most provincial and territorial governments require that you register your business with them.</p>

<p>Co. is company not corporation. You can do business as a d/b/a and use Co, without doing anything at all. You can register or not (if you have a good name and you want to keep it, register). You should, however, consider creating an LLC no matter whether you're a sole proprietor or 3 friends who make 10k a year: It's cheap and it removes your personal liability. Your company can go bankrupt and your personal property is safe. That is what I would do. You don't even need a lawyer...it's simple. However, to answer your question, you can continue doing what you're doing no problem.</p>
