Business Names Annual Renewal

Every year business name registrations must be renewed.  The renewal date is in the month which you originally registered your business name.   This can easily be done through the online registry, and only takes a few minutes – especially if you have no changes to make.  If you do not submit an annual renewal on time you will have to pay late fees.  If you fail to submit an annual renewal within two months of the due date for 6 months, your business name registration will expire and you must re-apply to register.   There are no annual renewal filing dates in December or January due to the holiday season.  If your business name was registered in December, then the annual renewal date will be November. If your business name was registered in January, your filing date will be in February.

Getting a reminder

If you provided a valid email address, you will receive two reminders by email (to the address you provided). The first is on the day before the first day of your annual renewal filing month (eg 31 May if your filing month is June). You will receive a second reminder 5 days before the end of the filing month.  The email will have a link that will take you to the VFSC registry website where you log in and follow the steps.

You will need to confirm any company details or update any changes.

Paying the fee

Pay the VFSC fee either online or in person to complete the annual renewal.

Submitting  an annual return

Once you have paid your fee you will be able to click submit on your online application.  If you have never used the VFSC Registry website, you will first need to create an account.  Click on the Create an Account link from the home page.  Once you have done this, search for your company, and click request authority.  Follow these instructions for getting authority over your company.

Late fees and Expiry

You have one month to submit your annual renewal. After that time you will have to pay a late fee. See this link for details.

If your annual return is more than 2 months late, your business name will expire and you will have to register a new business name.