Ontario · Essex County / Southwestern Ontario
Windsor occupies one of Canada's most strategically important economic positions: directly across the Detroit River from Michigan, carrying more than $300 million in trade every single day through the Ambassador Bridge and the new Gordie Howe International Bridge corridor. CorpStart files your OBCA corporation (Articles, By-law, and Minute Book) typically within one to two business hours.
Numbered corporation
$299
+ $300 Ontario gov fee
$599 total
Windsor's cross-border business reality is unlike any other Ontario city. Many local businesses serve US clients, carry US-sourced inventory, or employ workers on both sides of the border. An Ontario corporation provides a clean, recognized Canadian legal entity for contracts, banking, and trade compliance. Importantly, since Ontario eliminated director residency requirements in 2021, US-resident business owners can incorporate and run an Ontario corporation without any Canadian director requirement, making Windsor a natural bridgehead for cross-border enterprise.
Nearby communities (LaSalle, Tecumseh, Leamington, Chatham) are all in Ontario, so one Ontario corporation covers your operations across every one of them. You do not re-incorporate city by city.
Municipal licensing is a separate question from corporate registration, and the two get confused constantly. Depending on what you do, a municipality may still require its own business licence, and the fee is set by each municipality. Carrying on business outside Ontario is different again, and needs extra-provincial registration in that province.
Windsor licenses 3 of the business types we have researched. A food truck licence is called a Mobile Vendor of Food, Class 3 (motorized with on-board kitchen) under the city's own by-law, and costs $450.60 in the first year. That is separate from incorporating, and the city will want proof your business is registered before it issues anything.
| Business type | What the by-law calls it | First year |
|---|---|---|
| Food truck licence | Mobile Vendor of Food, Class 3 (motorized with on-board kitchen) | $450.60 |
| Taxi and rideshare driver licence | Taxicab Driver licence | $165.60 |
| Salon, barber and tattoo licence | Body Modification licence | $511 |
Food truck licence: Business Licensing By-law 395-2004, Schedule M2. Checked 2026-09-15. View the source
Taxi and rideshare driver licence: Public Vehicles, Licensing and Regulation of, By-law 137-2007 as amended. Checked 2026-09-15. View the source
Salon, barber and tattoo licence: Business Licensing By-law 395-2004, Schedule B3. Checked 2026-09-15. View the source
Fee schedules commonly reset in January, so follow the source before you budget. If a figure here disagrees with Windsor, the city is right and we would like to know. See how Windsor compares to other municipalities, or browse every licence type we track. Last checked 2026-09-15.
Three steps: no lawyers, no registry line-ups, no guesswork.
Answer our questionnaire
Tell us your corporation name preference, share structure, directors, and Windsor registered office address. Takes about 15 minutes. We flag issues before you pay.
We prepare and file
CorpStart prepares your Articles of Incorporation, By-law No. 1, and Organizational Resolutions, then files directly with the Ontario Business Registry. Most filings go out the same day.
Receive your Minute Book
Your Certificate of Incorporation, Articles, By-law, and complete digital Minute Book arrive by email. Your bank, accountant, and clients will recognise every document.
No hidden extras. The government fee is collected at cost and shown separately at checkout.
Most popular
Numbered Corporation
e.g., 1234567 Ontario Inc. Fastest option, no name search required.
$299
+ $300 Ontario gov fee = $599 total
Named corporation
Named Corporation
e.g., Acme Holdings Inc. Choose your corporate name, includes NUANS pre-search.
$299
+ $300 Ontario gov fee, NUANS search included = $599 total
Can a US-based business owner incorporate an Ontario corporation in Windsor?
Yes. Ontario has no director residency requirement since July 5, 2021. A US resident can be the sole director and officer of an Ontario corporation. The corporation requires a registered office address within Ontario (not P.O. box), but no Canadian director or Canadian shareholder is required. CorpStart handles the full filing.
Does a Windsor company doing business in Michigan need to register in the US as well?
CorpStart prepares and files Ontario corporate documents only. If your corporation carries on business activities in Michigan or any US state, you will likely need to register in that state as a foreign corporation. That is a US legal matter, outside the scope of Ontario incorporation. We recommend consulting a cross-border business lawyer for your US-side filings.
Is a Windsor automotive supplier required to incorporate to bid on Tier 1 or OEM contracts?
Often, but treat it as something to confirm rather than assume, because supplier qualification terms are set by each OEM and each Tier 1 and are not published in one place. Where incorporation is asked for it usually arrives bundled with insurance limits, quality certification and financial disclosure, so the corporation is one item on a longer list. Ask for the supplier qualification pack before you decide anything. An Ontario corporation is the structure most Windsor suppliers use. CorpStart's filing includes the Articles, By-law, and minute book documentation that procurement qualification processes commonly request.
Do I need a Windsor business licence as well as incorporating?
They are two different things and incorporating does not replace the licence. Incorporating is a provincial filing that creates the company. A municipal licence is Windsor's permission to carry on a specific activity inside the city, and it is issued under the city's own by-law. Of the business types we have researched, Windsor licenses food truck licence, taxi and rideshare driver licence and salon, barber and tattoo licence. The city will normally want proof the business is registered before it issues a licence, so the order runs registration first and licence second.
What does a food truck licence cost in Windsor?
$450.60 in the first year. Windsor calls it a Mobile Vendor of Food, Class 3 (motorized with on-board kitchen) under Business Licensing By-law 395-2004, Schedule M2, which is worth knowing because searching the city website for the common name often returns nothing. Keeping it costs $430 a year after that. We last checked this on 2026-09-15, and Ontario fee schedules commonly reset in January, so confirm against the city before you budget.
What does a taxi and rideshare driver licence cost in Windsor?
$165.60 in the first year. Windsor calls it a Taxicab Driver licence under Public Vehicles, Licensing and Regulation of, By-law 137-2007 as amended, which is worth knowing because searching the city website for the common name often returns nothing. Keeping it costs $145 a year after that. We last checked this on 2026-09-15, and Ontario fee schedules commonly reset in January, so confirm against the city before you budget.
What does a salon, barber and tattoo licence cost in Windsor?
$511 in the first year. Windsor calls it a Body Modification licence under Business Licensing By-law 395-2004, Schedule B3, which is worth knowing because searching the city website for the common name often returns nothing. Keeping it costs $255 a year after that. We last checked this on 2026-09-15, and Ontario fee schedules commonly reset in January, so confirm against the city before you budget.
Learn more about Ontario incorporation
Full OBCA overview, what's included, and Ontario vs federal comparison.
The process is the same province-wide, but the tax angle and pitfalls differ by line of work and situation. Explore the guide that fits you.
Incorporate in Windsor today
$299 service fee + $300 Ontario gov fee. Submitted to the Ontario Business Registry within one to two business hours. No lawyers, no delays.
Start my corporationCorpStart is a document preparation service, not a law firm. The information on this page is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice. For advice specific to your situation, consult a licensed Ontario lawyer.