Corporate Address

ONCA says your corporate address must be a physical address in Ontario. And it must be registered in the Ontario Business Registry. A P.O. Box address is not considered a valid address.

This page explains why you need a physical address and what kinds of addresses are valid.

If you incorporated before ONCA was proclaimed on October 19, 2021, your bylaws or articles may not comply with the rules explained below. You have until October 18, 2024 to transition to the new rules. Until then, the rules in your articles and bylaws continue to be valid. This is true as long they were valid before the ONCA took effect.

A corporate address is the official headquarters of your nonprofit that you register with the Government on Ontario.

ONCA expects nonprofits to keep corporate records at their corporate address. It is also the address to where the Government of Ontario mails important documents.

You may need a physical address for many reasons.

This is because your physical address is, for example:

• the default location to keep records that need to be accessible to directors, members, auditors, or other authorized persons, unless your board passes a resolution choosing a different location
• where the Government of Ontario mails important information to, such as your Company Key.
• the default location at which Board and members meetings are held if no other location is specified in your governing documents

If you do not have an office with a valid physical address, with permission you can use a:

• shared workspace address
• lawyer or accountant’s office address
• director or officer’s personal address

The address you use will show on all public records for your nonprofit.