If you are doing business with an Alberta company it might be advantageous for you to do what is called an "Alberta corporation search" sometimes called an "Alberta company search" or "Alberta corporate search", or an "Alberta Non-Profit Search" for Alberta non-profit companies. These searches can be obtained online from companies who specialize in legal searches.

There are different types of searches so it is very important when determining what search to have done that you ensure you are ordering the correct one. You would not want to do an Alberta name search or an Alberta Nuans search in order to determine information about a company. Nuans name searches are done to determine if a name is in use. Likewise you would not want to do a corporate search for a business, sole proprietorship or trade name. That would be considered an Alberta trade name search. If you have any question as to whether you are ordering the correct product send an email to the online service you wish to use first and let them know what information you are trying to determine about a corporation and they will direct you to which search you should be ordering. The reason why this is important is that the government charges different fees for different searches and therefore you want to ensure you order the correct product.

Alberta provides more information about a corporation when you purchase a corporate search than most other provinces which can be a benefit. In many of the provinces you will not be able to ascertain who the shareholders of a corporation are. The shareholders are the owners of the corporation. The directors are elected by the owners to handle the business affairs of the corporation and the officers are appointed by the directors to assist them with their duties.

An Alberta Corporation/Non-Profit Search will provide you with the following information:

1. corporation's registered office address in Alberta;

2. names and addresses for all directors;

3. names and addresses of all shareholders and the percentage of ownership that each shareholder owns in the corporation;

4. the name of any other company that the corporation owns shares in;

5. confirmation that the corporation is up-to-date with its annual return filings and therefore in good standing with the government;

6. a list of all of the filings that the corporation has done to date and the dates of those filings which would include changes in its name, changes in its directors and/or changes in its address;

7. a breakdown of the share structure of the corporation which would tell you the types of shares that the corporation may issue, i.e. common, preferred;

8. the corporation's Alberta access number which is the number which the Alberta government assigns to the corporation;

9. a list of all previous names of the corporation;

10. date of incorporation;

11. the nature of business if there are any restrictions; and

12. any restrictions on the corporation's ability to transfer shares

The one thing that the Alberta government does not provide with an Alberta corporate search is the names of the officers of the corporation, however, frequently for smaller companies one or more of the directors will hold the standard position of President, Secretary, Treasurer, etc.