What you need to know
about trade names
Did you know that besides your company’s legal name, the Travel Industry Act, 2002 allows you to operate under other ‘trade names’ as well?
Trade names can be a powerful way to market a particular segment of your business.
For example, while your legal business name might be London Travel Company Inc., you may also want to do business as True North Experiences and Escape the Cold to showcase your agency’s specialties.
To legally use trade names, follow these two easy steps:
1. Register your trade name with Service Ontario – click here to access the self-service online portal. Wait for Service Ontario to send you a Master Business License for the trade name.
2. Complete TICO’s Notice of Business Change Form to add the new trade name. Submit to TICO along with a copy of the Master Business License for that trade name from Service Ontario.
Other helpful tips:
- Any change from your legal business name would require a trade name, even something as simple as dropping the “Inc.” at the end. For example, if the London Travel Company Inc. conducts business as the London Travel Company, they would be required to register that as a trade name.
- Trade names expire with Service Ontario after five years. Be sure to set a reminder for yourself to renew before expiry – the government doesn’t send a reminder. When processing your TICO renewal, we will verify with Service Ontario whether your trade names have expired. An expired trade name will impact TICO’s ability to process your registration renewal in a timely manner.
- Contact TICO immediately if you would like to add a trade name, don’t wait for your renewal. Trade names that aren’t properly registered are a growing source of compliance queries to TICO.
- Similarly, if you are no longer using a trade name, please complete the Notice of Business Change Form to remove the trade name from your registration.
For any questions about trade names, contact TICO’s registration department at 1-888-451-TICO (8426).