{ "$schema": "https://govschema.org/spec/v0.3/govschema.schema.json", "govschemaVersion": "0.3.0", "id": "ca/on/registration/business-incorporation", "version": "1.0.0", "title": "Ontario Business Corporation Incorporation (Articles of Incorporation, Form 5351E)", "description": "Incorporate a business corporation in Ontario by filing Articles of Incorporation (Form 5351E) under the Business Corporations Act (OBCA) with the Ontario Business Registry (Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement). Scoped to the single-director, single-individual-incorporator case most relevant to an individual forming their own corporation (the Ontario counterpart to gb/companies-house/company-incorporation-in01, ie/cro/company-incorporation, and us/ca/sos/business-entity-llc-formation): an English proposed name or a number name, a standard (non-rural) registered office address, pre-defined or custom shares-and-provisions text, and one individual incorporator. Out of scope, and not modelled: French and bilingual corporation names, the legal-opinion-for-identical-name pathway, lot/concession (rural) registered office addressing, multiple directors/incorporators, and corporate (rather than individual) incorporators — all rarer paths through Form 5351E; see VERIFICATION.md. Also out of scope: the director's and the individual incorporator's own address structure when that address is not simply 'same as the incorporator' (see the `directorAddressForService`/`incorporatorAddress` field notes and VERIFICATION.md for why). This document does not submit the filing; the live Ontario Business Registry and ontario.ca sources are always authoritative.", "status": "draft", "jurisdiction": { "country": "CA", "level": "subnational", "subdivision": "CA-ON" }, "authority": { "name": "Ontario Business Registry (Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement)", "abbreviation": "OBR", "url": "https://www.ontario.ca/page/incorporate-business" }, "process": { "type": "registration", "language": "en-CA" }, "source": { "url": "https://forms.mgcs.gov.on.ca/dataset/654ab672-9802-4978-8c48-4164cfdb3742/resource/8e2b1618-2359-4df3-ad6a-9a5a13083b97/download/5351e.pdf", "retrievedAt": "2026-07-02", "documentRef": "Form 5351E (2025/01) — Articles of Incorporation, Business Corporations Act" }, "verification": { "method": "manual-source-review-v1", "lastVerifiedAt": "2026-07-02", "verifiedBy": "GovSchema Engineering (Standards Engineer)", "nextReviewBy": "2027-01-01", "notes": "Source-derived reference schema authored from the Ontario Central Forms Repository's official fillable Form 5351E (Articles of Incorporation, Business Corporations Act, edition 2025/01), a dynamic Adobe LiveCycle/XFA PDF retrieved directly from forms.mgcs.gov.on.ca (an ontario.ca-family domain, unaffected by the canada.ca access block recorded for ca/cra/individual-income-tax-and-benefit-return-t1). Fields were extracted with pdfjs-dist's `enableXfa` option and its `allXfaHtml` flattened-form tree (the AcroForm-only `getFieldObjects()` API returns null for this document, since it is a pure XFA form; the ordinary, non-XFA page render is just an 'open with Adobe Reader' placeholder). See VERIFICATION.md for the full field-by-field sourcing, the form's own developer notes on subforms hidden in this static rendering, and open items." }, "maturity": { "level": "structural-reference", "criteria": { "structuralReference": true, "verifiedSchema": false, "agentReadySchema": false, "executionTestedSchema": false }, "method": "maturity-self-assessment-v1", "assertedBy": "GovSchema Engineering (Standards Engineer)", "assertedAt": "2026-07-02" }, "license": "CC-BY-4.0", "fields": [ { "name": "contactFirstName", "label": "Contact person — first name", "type": "string", "required": true, "description": "First name of the person to contact regarding this filing. This person receives official documents, notices, and correspondence related to the filing.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 1, Contact Information", "classification": "pii", "validation": { "minLength": 1, "maxLength": 30 } }, { "name": "contactMiddleName", "label": "Contact person — middle name", "type": "string", "required": false, "description": "Optional middle name of the filing contact.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 1, Contact Information", "classification": "pii", "validation": { "maxLength": 13 } }, { "name": "contactLastName", "label": "Contact person — last name", "type": "string", "required": true, "description": "Last name of the filing contact.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 1, Contact Information", "classification": "pii", "validation": { "minLength": 1, "maxLength": 50 } }, { "name": "contactTelephoneCountryCode", "label": "Contact person — telephone country code", "type": "string", "required": false, "description": "Country calling code for the contact's telephone number, e.g. '1' for Canada/US.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 1, Contact Information", "validation": { "maxLength": 12 } }, { "name": "contactTelephoneNumber", "label": "Contact person — telephone number", "type": "string", "required": true, "description": "Telephone number of the filing contact.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 1, Contact Information", "classification": "pii", "validation": { "minLength": 1, "maxLength": 12 } }, { "name": "contactTelephoneExtension", "label": "Contact person — telephone extension", "type": "string", "required": false, "description": "Optional extension for the contact's telephone number.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 1, Contact Information", "validation": { "maxLength": 5 } }, { "name": "contactEmail", "label": "Contact person — email address", "type": "string", "required": true, "description": "Email address of the filing contact.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 1, Contact Information", "classification": "pii", "validation": { "minLength": 1, "maxLength": 50 } }, { "name": "corporationNameType", "label": "Will this corporation have a number name?", "type": "enum", "required": true, "description": "number_name = the corporation is assigned an Ontario corporation number as its name (e.g. '1234567 Ontario Inc.'), with a chosen legal element only; proposed_name = the applicant proposes a specific English name, which must be supported by a NUANS Report (see nuansReportReferenceNumber/nuansReportDate). This document models the English-name path only; French and combined/equivalent English-and-French names (also offered by Form 5351E) are out of scope — see VERIFICATION.md.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 2, Corporation Name", "validation": { "enum": ["number_name", "proposed_name"] } }, { "name": "numberNameLegalElement", "label": "Legal element for the number name", "type": "string", "required": false, "requiredWhen": { "field": "corporationNameType", "equals": "number_name" }, "description": "The legal element (e.g. 'Inc.', 'Limited', 'Corporation') appended to the Ontario corporation number to form the corporation's number name. Form 5351E does not publish a fixed list of permitted legal elements on its face; recorded as free text pending confirmation of the exact enumerated options against the live Ontario Business Registry form (see VERIFICATION.md).", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 2, Corporation Name — Legal Element for the Number Name", "validation": { "minLength": 1, "maxLength": 30 } }, { "name": "proposedCorporationName", "label": "New corporation name (proposed)", "type": "string", "required": false, "requiredWhen": { "field": "corporationNameType", "equals": "proposed_name" }, "description": "The proposed English corporation name, as it appears on the supporting NUANS Report. Must not be identical or confusingly similar to an existing registered name.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 2, Nuans Report (English)", "validation": { "minLength": 1, "maxLength": 120 } }, { "name": "nuansReportReferenceNumber", "label": "NUANS Report reference number", "type": "string", "required": false, "requiredWhen": { "field": "corporationNameType", "equals": "proposed_name" }, "description": "Reference number of the NUANS (Newly Upgraded Automated Name Search) Report confirming the proposed name is not identical or confusingly similar to an existing registered name.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 2, Nuans Report (English)", "validation": { "minLength": 1, "maxLength": 10 } }, { "name": "nuansReportDate", "label": "NUANS Report date", "type": "date", "required": false, "requiredWhen": { "field": "corporationNameType", "equals": "proposed_name" }, "description": "Date the NUANS Report was issued. A NUANS Report is generally only accepted for a limited period after issuance.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 2, Nuans Report (English)" }, { "name": "requestedIncorporationDate", "label": "Requested date for incorporation", "type": "date", "required": false, "description": "An optional future effective date for the incorporation, if the applicant does not want it to take effect on the date the Ontario Business Registry processes the filing.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 3, General Details" }, { "name": "primaryActivityCode", "label": "Primary activity code", "type": "string", "required": true, "description": "The code classifying the corporation's primary business activity, as required by the Ontario Business Registry.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 3, General Details", "validation": { "minLength": 1, "maxLength": 6 } }, { "name": "officialEmailAddress", "label": "Official email address", "type": "string", "required": true, "description": "An official email address for the corporation, required for administrative purposes and which must be kept current. All official documents, notices, and correspondence to the corporation are sent here.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 3, General Details", "validation": { "minLength": 1, "maxLength": 50 } }, { "name": "registeredOfficeStreetNumber", "label": "Registered office address — street number", "type": "string", "required": true, "description": "Every corporation must have a registered office address in Ontario, set out in full; a post office box alone is not acceptable. This document models the standard-address path only; the lot/concession (rural) address path offered by Form 5351E is out of scope.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 4, Address — Standard Address", "validation": { "minLength": 1, "maxLength": 6 } }, { "name": "registeredOfficeStreetName", "label": "Registered office address — street name", "type": "string", "required": true, "description": "Street name of the registered office address.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 4, Address — Standard Address", "validation": { "minLength": 1, "maxLength": 45 } }, { "name": "registeredOfficeUnitNumber", "label": "Registered office address — unit number", "type": "string", "required": false, "description": "Optional unit or suite number of the registered office address.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 4, Address — Standard Address", "validation": { "maxLength": 8 } }, { "name": "registeredOfficeCity", "label": "Registered office address — city or town", "type": "string", "required": true, "description": "City or town of the registered office address.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 4, Address — Standard Address", "validation": { "minLength": 1, "maxLength": 45 } }, { "name": "registeredOfficeProvince", "label": "Registered office address — province", "type": "enum", "required": true, "description": "An Ontario corporation's registered office must be located in Ontario; the live form pre-populates and locks this value rather than asking the applicant to type it, which is why it carries no mandatory asterisk on the source form itself.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 4, Address — Standard Address", "validation": { "enum": ["Ontario"] } }, { "name": "registeredOfficePostalCode", "label": "Registered office address — postal code", "type": "string", "required": true, "description": "Canadian postal code of the registered office address, format A1A 1A1.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 4, Address — Standard Address", "validation": { "pattern": "^[A-Za-z][0-9][A-Za-z] ?[0-9][A-Za-z][0-9]$", "maxLength": 7 } }, { "name": "directorCountType", "label": "How the number of directors is specified", "type": "enum", "required": true, "description": "fixed_number = the corporation will always have exactly a fixed number of directors; minimum_and_maximum = the corporation's articles instead set a minimum and maximum number of directors, allowing the actual number to vary within that range.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 5, First Director(s)", "validation": { "enum": ["fixed_number", "minimum_and_maximum"] } }, { "name": "fixedDirectorCount", "label": "Fixed number of directors", "type": "integer", "required": false, "requiredWhen": { "field": "directorCountType", "equals": "fixed_number" }, "description": "The fixed number of directors of the corporation.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 5, First Director(s)", "validation": { "minimum": 1 } }, { "name": "minimumDirectorCount", "label": "Minimum number of directors", "type": "integer", "required": false, "requiredWhen": { "field": "directorCountType", "equals": "minimum_and_maximum" }, "description": "The minimum number of directors the corporation's articles permit.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 5, First Director(s)", "validation": { "minimum": 1 } }, { "name": "maximumDirectorCount", "label": "Maximum number of directors", "type": "integer", "required": false, "requiredWhen": { "field": "directorCountType", "equals": "minimum_and_maximum" }, "description": "The maximum number of directors the corporation's articles permit. Must be greater than or equal to minimumDirectorCount.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 5, First Director(s)", "validation": { "minimum": 1 } }, { "name": "directorFirstName", "label": "First director — first name", "type": "string", "required": true, "description": "First name of the corporation's first director. This document scopes to a single first director; Form 5351E supports adding multiple directors, out of scope here. A director must always be an individual (a body corporate may not act as director), unlike an incorporator.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 5, First Director(s)", "classification": "pii", "validation": { "minLength": 1, "maxLength": 30 } }, { "name": "directorMiddleName", "label": "First director — middle name", "type": "string", "required": false, "description": "Optional middle name of the first director.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 5, First Director(s)", "classification": "pii", "validation": { "maxLength": 13 } }, { "name": "directorLastName", "label": "First director — last name", "type": "string", "required": true, "description": "Last name of the first director.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 5, First Director(s)", "classification": "pii", "validation": { "minLength": 1, "maxLength": 50 } }, { "name": "directorEmail", "label": "First director — email address", "type": "string", "required": false, "description": "Optional email address of the first director.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 5, First Director(s)", "classification": "pii", "validation": { "maxLength": 50 } }, { "name": "directorIsResidentCanadian", "label": "Is this director a resident Canadian?", "type": "boolean", "required": true, "fieldRole": "eligibility", "description": "Form 5351E still asks this question, but it is informational only: the OBCA's requirement that at least 25% of an Ontario corporation's directors be resident Canadians was repealed effective 2021-07-05 (Better for People, Smarter for Business Act, 2020). A 'No' answer does not gate any other field in this document.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 5, First Director(s) — Is this director a Resident Canadian?" }, { "name": "directorIsAlsoIncorporator", "label": "Is this director also an incorporator?", "type": "boolean", "required": true, "fieldRole": "eligibility", "description": "When true, the director's address for service is the incorporator's own address (incorporatorAddress) and no separate address is collected on the live form. When false, the live form instead presents a distinct 'Address for Service' subform for the director; see directorAddressForService.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 5, First Director(s) — Is this director also an Incorporator?" }, { "name": "directorAddressForService", "label": "First director — address for service", "type": "object", "required": false, "requiredWhen": { "field": "directorIsAlsoIncorporator", "equals": false }, "description": "The director's address for service, only collected when the director is not also the incorporator. Carried opaquely: the live form's own developer notes state this Address for Service subform (and its Canada/U.S.A./International country choice) is dynamically shown/hidden by form logic not present in this static extraction, so its exact sub-field breakdown is not independently confirmed from source — see VERIFICATION.md. Expected to resemble a standard mailing address (street/unit/city/province-or-state/postal-or-zip/country).", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 5, First Director(s) — Address for Service" }, { "name": "sharesProvisionsTextType", "label": "Use pre-defined text or custom text for shares and provisions?", "type": "enum", "required": true, "description": "predefined = use the Ontario Business Registry's own suggested boilerplate text for a private company's classes of shares and provisions (an unlimited number of common shares, with no transfer/business/other restrictions beyond the pre-defined text itself); custom = the applicant supplies their own text for each of the five provisions fields below (legal advice suggested).", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 6, Shares and Provisions", "validation": { "enum": ["predefined", "custom"] } }, { "name": "classesOfSharesDescription", "label": "Description of classes of shares", "type": "string", "required": false, "requiredWhen": { "field": "sharesProvisionsTextType", "equals": "custom" }, "description": "The classes of shares, and any maximum number of shares, that the corporation is authorized to issue.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 6, Shares and Provisions — Description of Classes of Shares", "validation": { "minLength": 1, "maxLength": 900000 } }, { "name": "sharesRightsPrivilegesRestrictionsConditions", "label": "Rights, privileges, restrictions and conditions", "type": "string", "required": false, "requiredWhen": { "field": "sharesProvisionsTextType", "equals": "custom" }, "description": "Rights, privileges, restrictions, and conditions (if any) attaching to each class of shares, and directors' authority with respect to any class of shares that may be issued in series. Enter 'Not Applicable' if there is only one class of shares.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 6, Shares and Provisions — Rights, Privileges, Restrictions and Conditions", "validation": { "minLength": 1, "maxLength": 900000 } }, { "name": "shareTransferRestrictions", "label": "Restrictions on share transfers", "type": "string", "required": false, "requiredWhen": { "field": "sharesProvisionsTextType", "equals": "custom" }, "description": "Whether the issue, transfer, or ownership of shares is restricted, and if so how. Enter 'None' if there are no restrictions.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 6, Shares and Provisions — Restrictions on Share Transfers", "validation": { "minLength": 1, "maxLength": 900000 } }, { "name": "businessOrPowersRestrictions", "label": "Restrictions on business or powers", "type": "string", "required": false, "requiredWhen": { "field": "sharesProvisionsTextType", "equals": "custom" }, "description": "Restrictions, if any, on the business the corporation may carry on or the powers it may exercise. Enter 'None' if there are no restrictions.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 6, Shares and Provisions — Restrictions on Business or Powers", "validation": { "minLength": 1, "maxLength": 900000 } }, { "name": "otherProvisions", "label": "Other provisions", "type": "string", "required": false, "requiredWhen": { "field": "sharesProvisionsTextType", "equals": "custom" }, "description": "Any other provisions of the corporation's articles. Enter 'None' if there are none.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 6, Shares and Provisions — Other Provisions", "validation": { "minLength": 1, "maxLength": 900000 } }, { "name": "incorporatorFirstName", "label": "Incorporator — first name", "type": "string", "required": true, "description": "First name of the individual incorporator. This document scopes to a single individual incorporator; Form 5351E also supports a corporation registered in Ontario, or a corporation not registered in Ontario, as incorporator (each with its own field set), both out of scope here — see VERIFICATION.md.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 7, Incorporator(s) — Individual", "classification": "pii", "validation": { "minLength": 1, "maxLength": 30 } }, { "name": "incorporatorMiddleName", "label": "Incorporator — middle name", "type": "string", "required": false, "description": "Optional middle name of the individual incorporator.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 7, Incorporator(s) — Individual", "classification": "pii", "validation": { "maxLength": 13 } }, { "name": "incorporatorLastName", "label": "Incorporator — last name", "type": "string", "required": true, "description": "Last name of the individual incorporator.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 7, Incorporator(s) — Individual", "classification": "pii", "validation": { "minLength": 1, "maxLength": 50 } }, { "name": "incorporatorAddress", "label": "Incorporator — registered or head office address", "type": "object", "required": true, "description": "The individual incorporator's address, carried opaquely for the same reason as directorAddressForService: the live form's Canada/U.S.A./International address subform for this section is dynamically populated by form logic not present in this static extraction, so its exact sub-field breakdown is not independently confirmed from source — see VERIFICATION.md. Expected to resemble a standard mailing address (street/unit/city/province-or-state/postal-or-zip/country).", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 7, Incorporator(s) — Individual, Registered or Head Office Address" }, { "name": "authorizationConfirmed", "label": "Authorization confirmation", "type": "boolean", "required": true, "description": "Confirmation that the form has been signed by all the required person(s). See documents[].authorizationAttestation for the verbatim statement text.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 8, Authorization" }, { "name": "signatureFullName", "label": "Required signature — typed full name", "type": "string", "required": true, "description": "The full name of the signing individual, typed into the fillable PDF's signature field in place of a wet signature.", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 8, Required Signature", "classification": "pii", "validation": { "minLength": 1, "maxLength": 30 } } ], "documents": [ { "id": "nuansReportDocument", "label": "NUANS Name Search Report", "category": "supporting-evidence", "required": false, "requiredWhen": { "field": "corporationNameType", "equals": "proposed_name" }, "issuingAuthority": "NUANS-licensed search house", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 2, Nuans Report (English)" }, { "id": "authorizationAttestation", "label": "Authorization confirmation", "category": "attestation", "required": true, "statement": "I confirm that this form has been signed by all the required person(s).", "sourceRef": "Form 5351E, Section 8, Authorization" } ], "crossFieldValidation": [ { "id": "maximumDirectorCountNotLessThanMinimum", "compare": { "field": "maximumDirectorCount", "operator": "greaterThanOrEqual", "compareTo": "minimumDirectorCount" } } ], "steps": [ { "id": "filing_contact", "title": "Contact information", "fields": [ "contactFirstName", "contactMiddleName", "contactLastName", "contactTelephoneCountryCode", "contactTelephoneNumber", "contactTelephoneExtension", "contactEmail" ], "next": "corporation_name" }, { "id": "corporation_name", "title": "Corporation name", "fields": [ "corporationNameType", "numberNameLegalElement", "proposedCorporationName", "nuansReportReferenceNumber", "nuansReportDate" ], "next": "general_details" }, { "id": "general_details", "title": "General details", "fields": ["requestedIncorporationDate", "primaryActivityCode", "officialEmailAddress"], "next": "registered_office" }, { "id": "registered_office", "title": "Registered office address", "fields": [ "registeredOfficeStreetNumber", "registeredOfficeStreetName", "registeredOfficeUnitNumber", "registeredOfficeCity", "registeredOfficeProvince", "registeredOfficePostalCode" ], "next": "first_director" }, { "id": "first_director", "title": "First director", "fields": [ "directorCountType", "fixedDirectorCount", "minimumDirectorCount", "maximumDirectorCount", "directorFirstName", "directorMiddleName", "directorLastName", "directorEmail", "directorIsResidentCanadian", "directorIsAlsoIncorporator", "directorAddressForService" ], "next": "shares_and_provisions" }, { "id": "shares_and_provisions", "title": "Shares and provisions", "fields": [ "sharesProvisionsTextType", "classesOfSharesDescription", "sharesRightsPrivilegesRestrictionsConditions", "shareTransferRestrictions", "businessOrPowersRestrictions", "otherProvisions" ], "next": "incorporator" }, { "id": "incorporator", "title": "Incorporator", "fields": ["incorporatorFirstName", "incorporatorMiddleName", "incorporatorLastName", "incorporatorAddress"], "next": "authorization" }, { "id": "authorization", "title": "Authorization and signature", "fields": ["authorizationConfirmed", "signatureFullName"] } ] }