ABOUT US


The Companies Office of Jamaica which originally formed part of the Registrar General's Department was established as a separate Department in 1975 under the then Ministry of Marketing and Commerce, now the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce with responsibility for the day to day administration of the following subjects:

Companies
Business Names

Mission Statement

To facilitate ease of doing business in Jamaica by providing easy to use, efficient registration systems which will promote business regulation and deliver accurate information to all stakeholders.

Our Vision
To become the premier business facilitation agency in the world. To become a world class business registry providing valuable, easy to use and customer focused information

Recording and dissemination of information
Documents are currently recorded in computer based databases

Information technology will play a key role and will be an important tool in improving productivity and achieving the required levels of efficiency.

Our Objective
To foster trade and commerce through the registration and regulation of businesses and the provision of accurate information facilitated by a motivated workforce in an environment of trust and commitment to our stakeholders.

Our Role
The COJ has four (4) main roles; to register and regulate companies and businesses, maintaining accurate and up to date records on those commercial entities, administer the National Security Interests in Personal Property Online Registry and our Beneficial Owner Online Registry.
Through this Website the public can check a company’s or business’current:

  • Legal status
  • Statutory compliance
  • Ownership

The COJ registers local and overseas companies and individuals and firms carrying on business in Jamaica. It actively encourages voluntary compliance of companies and businesses with the Companies Act of 2004, the Companies (Amendment Act) 2013, 2017 and 2023, the Registration of Business Names Act of 1934 and strives to maintain up-to-date records of all companies and businesses registered. Where necessary, the COJ initiates court action against delinquent clients to ensure compliance with all provisions of the law. It also removes entities which have been wound up and those which the Registrar has reason to believe are not in operation.

Our Covenant With Our Customers
As we seek to modernize services at the Companies Office of Jamaica and become more responsive to the needs of our customers:

  • We commit to providing trained, polite and capable staff to handle customers’’ business
  • We commit to providing courteous and helpful compliance officers.
  • We commit to providing service beyond the standards of the day.
  • We commit to efficiently and pleasantly fulfill clients’ needs in the shortest possible time.
  • We commit to the following standards
  • Certificate of Company Incorporation issued within four (4) working days of receipt of properly completed applications.
  • Business Name Certificates issued within two (2) working days of receipt of properly completed applications.
  • Certified copies of documents issued within forty-five (45) minutes of a request, provided that documents are in order.
  • Documents available for public inspection within fifteen (15) minutes of request.
  • Complaints dealt with within five (5) working days of receipt or if resolution is delayed the customer will be notified.

As our partners we ask that you

  • Provide accurate and honest information in all documents and forms.
  • File all statutory documents in a timely manner.
  • Consult us on any aspect of our operation which needs clarification or explanation
  • Conduct yourselves in an orderly manner as you carry out your business with us.
  • Suggest how we may improve our service to you.

Services
The Companies Office of Jamaica offers customers website and portal with an emphasis on efficient online services and public education. Through our website we inform and educate customers and guide them through the process of registering companies and business names as well as other services. We offer a significant menu of online services which will save customers’ time and money:

  • Company and Business Name searches
  • Company Name approval
  • Print documents
  • Document searches
  • View Company Information Details
  • Business Name details
  • View documents online
  • Letter of Good Standing
  • Letter of Confirmation
  • Request certified documents
  • Courier documents
  • Verify documents
  • Document filing watch
  • Customer notifications

Accessibility
The COJ has an “open door” policy where the public is concerned. We are available via the telephone and in person on visits to our office Monday to Wednesday 8.30am to 3.30pm and Thursday to Friday 8.30am to 3.00pm. Online the website is available 22 hours daily. In addition to our website and face to face contact, we provide information on all our services through brochures, posters and advertisements in the media. To make sure we keep abreast of what our customers want we conduct surveys twice per year to identify gaps in service.

Got Complaints?
Complaints may be forwarded to the Customer Service Unit which will investigate grouses and respond in most cases within five (5) working days. Customers may air their dissatisfaction in person or through telephone calls, letters or e-mail or our suggestion box. We ask that you provide full information on your complaints to enable us to investigate and resolve the problem quickly.