For your company to be credible, registering it with the appropriate authority is highly important. Learn how to use CAC public search to register and check your company name. You don’t need to pay any third-party agency to help you register your company with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). After reading this article, you should be able to do that yourself. So please keep reading.
What is the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)
Before we proceed to the main business of this article, I’ll like to explain briefly what the CAC is all about. I believe this will be helpful for people who are starting up their first-owned business. The Corporate Affairs Commission is Nigeria’s corporate registry which was established under the “Companies and Allied Matters Act” in 1990.
The main objective of this corporate registry is to regulate the formation and management of companies in the country. The three primary functions of the CAC are Registry, Registration of Business Name, and Registration of Incorporated Trustees.
The commission groups businesses into four categories; Public Limited Companies (PLC), Private Limited Companies (LTD), Companies Limited by Guarantee, and Unlimited Companies.
List of services offered by the Corporate Affairs Commission;
- Incorporation of Public, Limited by guarantee, or Private companies.
- Assists in the accreditation of professionals who have direct access to the Company’s registry. These professionals include lawyers, chartered accountants, and secretaries.
- Handles complaints and inquiries about its services.
- Offers Sales of forms and other printed works by the Commission.
- Ensuring that businesses comply with the CAMA directives.
- Running of companies and also helping with the voluntary winding up of its businesses.
- Record various details of the business e.g. annual returns and increases, processing the filing of charges in memos, articles and address(es) of the company.
- Carrying out investigations based on the request of shareholders/public of the company or business.
- Registration of share capital or mortgages.
- Release of verified true copies of filed paperwork.
- Carrying out inspections.
- 24-Hour Incorporation for all Companies.
- Registration of Company or Business Names.
How to Register and Check Your Company Name using the CAC Public Search
Follow the guidelines listed below to register and check your company name with the CAC public search;
- Ensure you have the proposed name you wish to call your company/business ready.
- Now go to CAC public search page and check if the proposed company name already exists i.e if it’s taken by someone else. Two companies can’t bear the same name.
- Enter your proposed business name in the search box and click on the “Search” button.
- If the proposed name already exists, the website will display the company info such as name, address, registration number, date registered with CAC e.t.c. But if the name is not taken, you’ll be redirected to the CAC registration portal with a blank form displayed.
- Let’s assume the name is not yet taken. So you proceed to fill out the form with your proposed business name, type of business, company address, company’s owner name, occupation, address, and signature.
- Next is the Stamp duty charge. This can be paid at the nearest bank or on the CAC website.
- Upload the necessary documents such as evidence of payment, Memorandum and Article of Association (MEMART), and verified Form of Identification for Directors/Subscribers/ Secretary to the CAC portal.
- Then submit the application form and wait for the approval.
So long as you filled the form correctly, paid all required fees, and uploaded the right documents, the Commission will approve your application and issue a Business certificate for your company. You’ll need to visit the nearest CAC office to collect the business certificate. Make sure you go with all the original copy of your documents.
From this article, you can see it’s not hard to register your company/business. If you have any questions regarding how to use CAC public search to register and check your company name, feel free to reach out to us via the comment section.