Filing Form 6B Notice of Change: Ontario Registry, Deadlines, and Fees

To complete and file Form 6B, the Notice of Change for an Ontario corporation, log in to the Ontario Business Registry with your ServiceOntario account and company key, open the corporation’s profile, enter the updated director, officer, or registered office information, and have an authorized person verify and submit it — all within 15 days of the change, at no cost.1Government of Ontario. Cost and Time Required to Register, Change or Search for a Business Name, Corporation, Not-for-Profit

What Changes Require a Notice of Change

Section 4(1) of the Corporations Information Act requires a corporation to file a Notice of Change for every change to previously filed information within 15 days after the change takes place.2Ontario.ca. Ontario Code – Corporations Information Act Three categories of change trigger the filing:

  • The registered office address, including any update to the street location.
  • Directors — new appointments, resignations, or a change to a director’s address.
  • Officers — appointments, departures, or a change to an officer’s address.

One boundary worth naming: a corporation that changes only its name does not file a Notice of Change. The Act exempts name-only changes, which are handled through articles of amendment instead.2Ontario.ca. Ontario Code – Corporations Information Act

What to Gather Before You Start

Missing information will stall the filing. The Ministry stops processing incomplete submissions and returns them for correction, so pull everything together first:

  • The Ontario Corporation Number (OCN) assigned when the corporation was incorporated or registered.
  • The exact legal corporate name as it appears on the articles of incorporation.
  • The company key that proves your authority over the corporation’s profile in the Ontario Business Registry. If you don’t have one, request it through ServiceOntario before you try to file.3Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement. Notice – Corporations Information Act – Filing an Initial Return and Notice of Change – Ontario Corporations
  • Full legal names and addresses for service for every director and officer being added or changed. The address for service must be reachable by mail; it’s used for legal notices and litigation documents.
  • The NAICS code for the corporation’s primary business activity, if not previously provided.
  • A contact name, email address, and an official email address for the corporation.
  • The exact effective date of the change. Pull this from board meeting minutes or the corporate resolution that authorized it — the 15-day clock starts on that date, not on the day you sit down to file.

Corporate resolutions and minutes are the best proof of effective dates. Keep them accessible in case a filing is ever questioned.

Filing Online Through the Ontario Business Registry

Electronic filing is the fastest route. The update processes immediately and costs nothing.1Government of Ontario. Cost and Time Required to Register, Change or Search for a Business Name, Corporation, Not-for-Profit The steps:

Check every field before submitting. Director names must match their legal identification exactly, and addresses for service must be complete and deliverable. A small typo can create real headaches during due diligence for financing or a sale.

Filing by Mail

Paper submissions are accepted, but processing takes 15 business days instead of the instant online turnaround, and the Ministry is strict about formatting.1Government of Ontario. Cost and Time Required to Register, Change or Search for a Business Name, Corporation, Not-for-Profit

Complete the approved form on a computer, then print it. Handwritten forms will not be processed and will be returned by regular mail. The form must be printed on 8.5-by-11-inch letter-size paper. If any required information is missing or the form is filled out incorrectly, the Ministry will stop processing and return it electronically to the email address on the form with instructions to complete the filing online instead.3Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement. Notice – Corporations Information Act – Filing an Initial Return and Notice of Change – Ontario Corporations

Mail the completed form to the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement, Business Registry Services Branch, 393 University Avenue, Suite 200, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2M2.3Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement. Notice – Corporations Information Act – Filing an Initial Return and Notice of Change – Ontario Corporations Given the 15-business-day processing time against a 15-calendar-day deadline, mail leaves almost no margin. If the change happened recently, filing online is the safer option.

Deadline, Fees, and Penalties

The deadline is 15 days after the day the change takes place.2Ontario.ca. Ontario Code – Corporations Information Act That’s 15 calendar days, not business days. A change on March 1 is due by March 16.

There is no fee for filing the Notice of Change, whether online or by mail.1Government of Ontario. Cost and Time Required to Register, Change or Search for a Business Name, Corporation, Not-for-Profit The Act does provide for a late filing fee if you miss the deadline, with the specific amount set by regulation.

The penalties for non-compliance are steeper than most people expect. A corporation that contravenes the Act is guilty of an offence and can be fined up to $25,000 on conviction. Any person who, without reasonable cause, fails to comply can be fined up to $2,000, imprisoned for up to one year, or both.2Ontario.ca. Ontario Code – Corporations Information Act The individual exposure is the piece that catches directors off guard: the Act reaches the people responsible for the failure, not only the corporation.

Check Director Residency Before You File

When adding or removing directors, confirm the resulting board still meets Canadian residency requirements. Under the Canada Business Corporations Act, at least 25 percent of a corporation’s directors must be resident Canadians, and if the corporation has fewer than four directors, at least one must be a resident Canadian.5Justice Laws Website. Canada Business Corporations Act RSC 1985 c C-44 – Section 105 Corporations in certain prescribed business sectors face a higher threshold, requiring a majority of directors to be resident Canadians.

The Notice of Change asks for director details that include residency status. Filing a change that reveals a non-compliant board creates its own set of problems, so verify the composition before submitting.

After the Ministry Accepts the Filing

Once an electronic submission is accepted, the corporation’s public profile in the Ontario Business Registry updates right away, and keeping that information accurate going forward is the corporation’s responsibility.4Government of Ontario. Ontario Business Registry – All Services

Store a copy of the filing confirmation, along with the board resolution or minutes that authorized the change, in the corporate minute book. Consistent records between the minute book and the public filings matter during due diligence for financing, acquisitions, and audits. If you filed by mail, allow the full 15 business days before checking the public profile. If the update hasn’t appeared after that window, contact ServiceOntario to confirm the filing was received and processed.