Quebec Enterprise Register Search: Complete How-To
Looking up a Quebec business should take about two minutes, and it should cost nothing. The Quebec enterprise register is public, free to search online, and it holds the legal identity of the enterprises registered in the province. This guide covers the three search types, how to read a record, and how founders can use the same tool as a first filter on a company name before incorporating.
What is the Quebec enterprise register (and what is CIDREQ)?
The Quebec enterprise register is the official public record of registered enterprises in Quebec. It is kept by the Registraire des entreprises under Quebec's legal publicity of enterprises legislation, and consulting it online is free for anyone.
You will still see the term CIDREQ in older procedures and accounting files. It is an older acronym that stands for "Centre informatique du registre des entreprises du Québec", and it is still widely used to refer to the register. Some government forms even ask for a "numéro CIDREQ", which in practice means the business's NEQ, the number covered in our guide to the NEQ. Today the official service is simply called "Rechercher une entreprise au registre des entreprises", so if someone asks you for a CIDREQ search, they mean a search of the enterprise register.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is it? | The public register of enterprises registered in Quebec |
| Who keeps it? | The Registraire des entreprises, under Quebec's legal publicity of enterprises legislation |
| What does it cost? | Search and consultation are free; fees apply only for certain documents, such as copies of acts deposited in the register |
| What can you find? | NEQ, status, names used, establishment addresses, officers, directors, ultimate beneficiaries, legal form |
| Other names for it | CIDREQ, REQ, the Quebec business registry |
The three ways to search
The register offers three search types, and picking the right one saves a lot of scrolling. Two of them start from a person rather than a company, the part most people miss.
| Search type | What you enter | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Search an enterprise | An NEQ, a name, or a related word, with advanced criteria available | Finding a company, confirming its legal name, testing whether a name is in use |
| Search a natural person by name | A first name and a last name | Seeing the enterprises a person is linked to in the register |
| Search a natural person by NEQ | An NEQ | Listing the individuals connected to a specific enterprise |
The enterprise search is the workhorse, and the related-word option makes it forgiving: you do not need the exact legal name, since a partial keyword surfaces candidates you can narrow with the advanced criteria. You can reach all three from the official access page on Québec.ca: Accéder au registre des entreprises.
Search tips that actually work
Most failed searches come down to a typo in the number, an accent mismatch, or a business trading under a name that is not its legal name. Work through the list below before concluding a company is not registered.
| Tip | How to apply it | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Start with the NEQ | Enter the number exactly as given | The NEQ gives an exact match, with no ambiguity between similar names |
| Try name variants | Search with and without accents, with and without "inc." | Records are entered as declared, so small differences can hide a match |
| Use partial keywords | Search a distinctive word instead of the full name | Avoids failures caused by punctuation, articles and legal suffixes |
| Look for other declared names | Search the trade name on the invoice or storefront | Businesses often operate under other declared names, which the register indexes |
| Add advanced criteria | Narrow a common keyword with the advanced options | Turns dozens of near matches into a workable shortlist |
One point deserves emphasis: a restaurant, a clinic or an agency may operate publicly under a brand while contracting under a numbered company, so searching the brand is often the fastest way to find the legal entity behind it.
What a record shows you
The record you get back is called an état de renseignements, a statement of information: the register's snapshot of the enterprise as declared. Expect to see the NEQ, the registration status, the names the enterprise uses, the addresses of its establishments, contact information for its officers and directors, the names of its ultimate beneficiaries, plus its legal form, its registration date, its declared economic activities and the update dates.
Some information is kept out of public view. Generally not public: a person's date of birth, identity documents, and a person's home address when a valid professional address has been declared. The register tells you who is behind an enterprise and how to reach them professionally, without exposing personal identity details.
The fields that matter for due diligence
Before you sign a contract or onboard a supplier, a two-minute read of the record catches problems a website never will. On your own side, our overview of corporate records covers what you should be keeping.
| Field | What it tells you | Red flag to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Registration status | Whether the enterprise is currently registered | A "radiée" (struck off) status: removed from the register, often for failing to file its annual updating declaration |
| Names used | The exact legal name and the other declared names | The name on the contract or invoice does not match any name in the record |
| Establishment addresses | Where the enterprise operates | Addresses that do not match those used in your negotiations |
| Officers and directors | Who can speak and sign for the enterprise | The person signing does not appear in the record |
| Ultimate beneficiaries | Who ultimately controls the enterprise | Control sitting with people you were never told about |
| Registration date and update dates | How long it has existed and how current the file is | A very recent name change or a file left without updates for a long stretch |
Treat a struck off status as a serious warning sign before contracting. It does not automatically mean bad faith, but it does mean the enterprise fell out of compliance with its filing obligations. Ask why before money moves.
Checking a business name before you incorporate
Founders use the same free search in reverse. Instead of confirming a company, you are testing whether the name you want is already in use. Search the full name, the distinctive keyword on its own, then the variants with and without accents and legal suffixes. Look at other declared names too, since a name can be taken by a business that operates under it without carrying it as its legal name.
One caveat: the register shows what already exists, not what will be approved. Final name approval is decided by the Registraire against the applicable name rules and the Charter of the French language. A free search is a first filter that saves you from obvious collisions, not a guarantee. If your shortlist survives that filter, the next step is the filing itself, which we walk through in our guide to registering a business in Quebec online, and you can see how the whole process fits together on our incorporation page.
Searching beyond Quebec
If your counterparty operates in more than one province, the Quebec register tells only part of the story. Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada runs a federated search, Canada's Business Registries, covering Quebec plus several other provinces and Corporations Canada in a single query: Canada's Business Registries. Keep in mind that a federal corporation active in Quebec appears in both places, in Corporations Canada's records and in the Quebec register.
FAQ about the Quebec enterprise register
Is the Quebec enterprise register free?
Yes. Searching and consulting the register online is free for anyone, with no subscription required. Fees apply only for certain documents, such as copies of acts deposited in the register. For everyday needs like confirming a legal name, a status or a director, the free search is all you need.
What is CIDREQ?
CIDREQ stands for "Centre informatique du registre des entreprises du Québec". It is an older acronym still widely used to refer to the Quebec enterprise register. Some government forms ask for a "numéro CIDREQ", which in practice means the business's NEQ. The official service today is called "Rechercher une entreprise au registre des entreprises".
How do I find a company's NEQ?
Search the enterprise by name in the register, or by a related word if you only know part of it. The NEQ appears at the top of the statement of information. If the legal name fails, try the trade name, since businesses often operate under other declared names that the register also indexes.
What does "radiée" mean?
"Radiée" means struck off: the enterprise was removed from the register, often for failing to file its annual updating declaration. Treat it as a serious warning sign before contracting. Ask the business to explain the situation and to confirm it has brought its filings back up to date before you sign anything or release payment.
Can I search by a person's name?
Yes. The register offers a search for a natural person by first and last name, and another that lists individuals linked to a given NEQ. Note that some details stay private, including date of birth, identity documents, and a home address when a valid professional address has been declared.
From looking up to setting up
A free search answers two questions well: does this business exist and is it active, and is the name I want already taken. Once the name holds up, the work shifts to filing correctly. See our pricing for what incorporating costs, or browse our services if you want the registration, the name check and the ongoing filings handled together.
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