ISED company number: what it is, how to look one up, and how to get one
An ISED company number (CN) is the identifier ISED assigns to each company that certifies or registers equipment in Canada. It forms the first half of every IC certification number (IC: CN-product identifier). To find an existing one, use ISED's company name search. To get a new one, register a web account in ISED's Spectrum Management System as a new applicant; ISED approves the profile and assigns the number. An applicant with an address outside Canada also needs a Canadian Representative before its certification can issue, and the representative's letter cites the company number.
What the number is
Every certified or registered product in Canada carries an identifier in the form IC: XXXXX-YYYYYYYYYYY. The first block is the company number, assigned by ISED to the applicant company. The second block is the product identifier, chosen by the applicant or its certification body, up to eleven characters. Together they are the IC certification number (for radio apparatus under RSP-100) or the registration number (for terminal equipment under DC-01).
Two formats are in circulation. Company numbers assigned in earlier years are four digits followed by a letter, such as 5136A. DC-01 section 8.2.1 describes new assignments as five numeric digits, for example 20001. Both remain valid; the format tells you roughly when the company first registered and nothing else.
The company number belongs to the company, not to a product. It appears on every certificate the company obtains, on every product label that displays the IC number, and in every Radio Equipment List record. A search on the company number alone returns everything that company has ever certified.
How to look up an existing company number
ISED publishes a public search tool for this purpose: the company name (profile details) search on the Spectrum Management System. ISED describes it as the way to "determine if the company is already registered with ISED for its equipment market surveillance program, and identify its assigned company number." Type the company name, or part of it, and the result lists matching registered companies with their numbers.
Three practical notes. Search under the legal name that appears on earlier certificates; a company that certified as "Acme Wireless Inc." will not turn up under "Acme". If your company has been renamed or acquired, the number may sit under the old name. And if you already hold a certified product, the number is on its label and in its REL listing, which is often faster than the search.
Labs and certification bodies use the same tool to confirm that an applicant's number matches its legal name before filing. A mismatch between the name on the company profile, the name on the test report and the name on the Canadian Representative letter is one of the most common reasons an application stalls.
How to get a new company number
Step 1: Register a web account in the Spectrum Management System
Go to ISED's Spectrum Management System registration page and create a new web account. Under Equipment Certification and Registration, ISED's own guidance directs a company that will hold certifications to register as a "New Applicant". A lab, consultant or certification body that will file on behalf of applicants registers as a "New Agent Applicant".
Step 2: Complete the applicant profile
Enter the company's legal name exactly as it appears on its incorporation documents, the registered address, and a contact person. ISED's registration page states that company numbers "must be approved by a departmental administrator before being assigned", so the profile is reviewed by a person rather than issued automatically.
Step 3: Wait for ISED approval and record the number
When the profile is approved, the company number appears in the account. Give it to your test laboratory and certification body; the CB needs it to structure the IC certification number for your application.
Step 4: If your address is outside Canada, appoint a Canadian Representative
RSP-100 section 4.1 requires a Canadian Representative "when the applicant's company address is not within Canada." The representative is named on the certification application, and the attestation letter your CB collects cites your company number. Order the letter as soon as you have the number, or in parallel with the profile if the CB is waiting; we issue the same business day and reissue free if the number arrives after the letter. See how to appoint a Canadian Representative.
Where the company number and the Canadian Representative meet
The company profile and the representative are separate records. The company number identifies the applicant to ISED. The Canadian Representative is the Canadian contact ISED will use for enquiries and audit samples about that applicant's certified products. Neither substitutes for the other: a foreign company with a company number still needs a representative, and a representative letter does not create a company number.
The two are linked on paper. The attestation letter states the applicant's legal name and company number so that the CB, and later ISED, can tie the representative to the right company profile. That is why the letter should carry the applicant's own number, never the lab's or the CB's agent number, a substitution we do see.
Common mistakes
Applying late. The company number is needed before the CB can finalize the certification, and ISED approval is a manual step. Start the profile when testing starts, not when the test report arrives.
A legal name that does not match. The profile name, the test report, the CB application and the representative letter must all name the same entity. A trade name, a parent company or a missing "Inc." is enough to stop the file.
Assuming the number changes with the company. A rename keeps the same company number; ISED updates the profile. A transfer of the certificate to a different legal entity means the new holder needs its own number and its own representative appointment.
Expecting the representative to appear in the REL. The public listing shows the certificate holder's name and company number. The Canadian Representative is recorded on the application and held by the CB and ISED; it is not displayed publicly.
Sources. ISED, Equipment Certification and Registration Services (company name search). ISED Certification and Engineering Bureau, frequently asked questions (company numbers obtained through a Spectrum Management System web account). ISED, Spectrum Management System web site registration. DC-01, Issue 7, section 8.2.1 (number format). RSP-100, Issue 12, section 4.1.
What is an ISED company number?
The identifier ISED assigns to a company registered in its Spectrum Management System for equipment certification or registration. It is the first block of every IC certification number that company holds, before the hyphen.
How do I find my ISED company number?
Use ISED's company name search on the Spectrum Management System, or read it from the label or REL listing of any product your company has already certified. Search under the exact legal name used on earlier certificates.
How do I apply for an ISED company number?
Register a web account in the Spectrum Management System as a new applicant, complete the company profile with the legal name and address, and wait for ISED's administrator to approve it. The number is then shown in the account.
Is the company number the same as the IC certification number?
No. The company number identifies the company. The IC certification number identifies one certified product and is made up of the company number, a hyphen, and a product identifier.
Do I need a company number before I can order a Canadian Representative letter?
No. We can issue the letter with the company number left to follow and reissue it free once ISED assigns the number. Most certification bodies prefer the final letter to show the number, so order both early.
Does my company number change if my company is renamed?
No. ISED updates the profile and the number stays. A transfer of a certification to a different legal entity is different: the new holder needs its own company number.
Is the Canadian Representative shown with my company number in the REL?
No. The REL shows the certificate holder's name and company number. The representative is recorded on the application held by the certification body and ISED.