How to Verify a Canadian Business License Number for Free

Canada is America´s biggest supplier of oil.

According to a 2011 report on imports and exports by the U.S. Census Bureau, Canada is America's number one partner in exports and number two in imports. Verifying a Canadian business is a normal practice done by import and export brokers before they do business with a particular company. This can be done easily and at no cost by obtaining the company's business license number and then searching one of the many databases available to see if it is valid.

Things You'll Need

• Computer

Instructions

1. Get the name of the company and its business license number.

2. Go to the Industry Canada website and search for a federal corporation. Put the name of the company or the business number in the correct field and click "Search."

3. Double-check with another website. Middle Earth Technologies Canada, for example, has a simple business number verification tool. Otherwise, go to the business registry website for the particular province the company is located in and and search that database.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are dealing with a newly created business, the business number may not have been updated on some sites. If this occurs, contact the business registry in that particular Canadian province and have them verify the number.

References

• US Census Bureau: US International Trade in Goods and Services: Trade by Country and Area -- Current Year
• Corporations Canada: Search for a Federal Corporation
• Metca: Validate a Canadian Social Insurance Number or Business Number