Workflow checklist
- Identify the registry. www.rgd.gov.bs
- Check access requirements. Account required: Optional. Local ID required: No.
- Plan budget. Price range: USD 100.00. Payment methods: Credit or debit card (live-cited on rgd.gov.bs/service/company-search).
- Anticipate friction. Captcha / 2FA: Unknown. English UI: Yes.
- Plan turnaround. Expected: Unknown.
- Verify recency. Last verified: 4 Sept 2026. Confirm current pricing at the official registry before submitting.
TL;DR. The Bahamas Registrar General’s Department (RGD) is at https://www.rgd.gov.bs (HTTP 200, title Registrar General’s Department | Bahamas Government Services). The service page https://www.rgd.gov.bs/service/company-search (HTTP 200, title Registrar Generals Dept | Online Company Search Tool) live-cites Related Fee(s) $100.00 per company search and eligibility for the general public with a valid credit or debit card, via the CARS portal. https://cars.rgd.gov.bs is HTTP 200, title CARS, Angular JS shell. https://pub.rgd.gov.bs is HTTP 200, title BDR Online Public Services, not CARS. Instant is not live-cited (turnaround on the service page is Customer-driven). Visa/Mastercard brand names are not on that HTML. Certified-extract BSD 100-300 and IBC incorporation fees are not on the live HTML and are dropped.
What is the official Bahamas business registry?
The Registrar General’s Department (RGD) operates the Bahamas’ central corporate registry under the Companies Act 1992 (domestic companies) and the International Business Companies Act 2000 (IBCs). The department portal is https://www.rgd.gov.bs (HTTP 200). The live home lists CARS Platform and links https://cars.rgd.gov.bs (HTTP 200, title CARS, JS shell). Do not call https://pub.rgd.gov.bs CARS: that host’s live title is BDR Online Public Services.
The registry covers domestic limited liability companies, International Business Companies (IBCs), external company registrations, partnerships, and registered foundations.
The Bahamas financial services industry is regulated separately by the Securities Commission of the Bahamas (SCB), the Central Bank of the Bahamas, the Insurance Commission, and the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).
What can you search?
The live Company Search service page describes this path: register at the CARS Portal, select Company Search, enter company details, enter credit or debit card information, then print a receipt after approval. Search UI fields inside the CARS JS shell at cars.rgd.gov.bs were not observed beyond the shell HTML.
The service page does not list returned fields. Historical descriptions of name and registration-number search are not live-cited on that HTML and are not restated as a live UI.
IBC officer and shareholder detail, and any beneficial-ownership register, were not live-cited on rgd.gov.bs or on the CARS shell.
How much does it cost?
| Item | Cost (BSD) | Cost (USD, approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Company search (CARS, live-cited) | BSD 100 | USD 100 |
| Certified extract / status certificate | Unknown | Unknown |
| IBC incorporation | Unknown | Unknown |
| Annual IBC government fee | Unknown | Unknown |
BSD is pegged 1:1 to USD. The live Company Search page cites $100.00 per company search. BSD 100-300 certified extracts, IBC BSD 300-800, and annual IBC BSD 350 are not on that HTML and are dropped. priceMax is 100 from the live-cited search fee. Instant is not live-cited.
Do you need a local account or ID?
The live service page says the general public with a valid credit or debit card is eligible, and the process includes Registration at the CARS Portal (receive access codes). No Bahamian identity document is stated on that page. Visa and Mastercard brand names are not live-cited; the page says credit or debit card.
Is the website in English?
Yes. rgd.gov.bs, the Company Search service page, and the CARS shell title page are in English.
What’s the turnaround time?
Unknown. The live service page says Turn-around time Customer-driven. Instant download is not live-cited.
Is there an API?
No public API is published on the live rgd.gov.bs HTML. apiAvailable is No.
What you legally cannot do
The RGD’s terms of use and the Bahamas’ Data Protection (Privacy of Personal Information) Act 2003 apply:
- Automated bulk scraping or harvesting of CARS records is prohibited
- Certified documents and search results may not be commercially redistributed without authorisation
- Using registry data for unsolicited marketing or spam is not permitted
A non-public beneficial-ownership register was not live-cited on the RGD HTML in this check. Do not invent UBO access rules from this check.
Practical tips for foreign compliance buyers
- BSD is pegged 1:1 to USD. The live-cited search fee $100.00 is USD 100 at par.
- CARS is not BDR. cars.rgd.gov.bs is CARS. pub.rgd.gov.bs is BDR Online Public Services.
- IBCs are not the same as domestic companies. The IBC Act 2000 creates a distinct entity class. Entity-type rules were not re-verified inside the CARS JS shell.
- FATF and EU list status is not on the live RGD HTML. Check fatf-gafi.org.
Alternatives if you cannot access the Registrar General’s Department directly
- Aggregator search (indicative only): OpenCorporates indexes some Bahamas filings. Coverage for IBCs is limited. Not for compliance-grade verification.
- Licensed registered agents: Every IBC must have a licensed registered agent in the Bahamas.
Local data suppliers
- Bahamas Financial Services Board (BFSB) (bfsb-bahamas.com). Industry body directory of licensed service providers.
Use the Registrar General’s Department and CARS for the corporate registry record. Engage a licensed registered agent for documents that are not on the public search path.
FAQ
Can a foreign company access the Bahamas registry directly?
The live Company Search page states eligibility for the general public with a valid credit or debit card, via CARS registration. The CARS app itself is a JS shell in this check.
What is the company registration number in the Bahamas?
Each entity registered with the RGD receives a unique registration number assigned at incorporation. Format rules were not live-cited on the service page HTML.
What entity types are registered with the Registrar General’s Department?
The RGD home lists domestic/regular Bahamian companies, IBCs, segregated accounts companies, exempted limited partnerships, non-profits, and foundations among Registry of Companies services.
Does the Bahamas have a beneficial ownership (UBO) registry?
UBO was not live-cited on rgd.gov.bs or on the CARS shell. Do not invent a public UBO search.
How current is the data in the CARS registry?
Not observed inside the CARS JS shell. Instant is not live-cited.
Is the Bahamas on the FATF grey list?
FATF status is not on the live RGD HTML. See fatf-gafi.org.
What’s the difference between the RGD and the Securities Commission of the Bahamas?
The RGD is the corporate registry. The Securities Commission of the Bahamas (SCB) licenses investment managers, fund administrators, broker-dealers, and digital asset service providers. scb.gov.bs was not the primary live check.
Last verified: 2026-09-04. Live check from a Cursor VM without SOCKS. Sources: rgd.gov.bs HTTP 200; rgd.gov.bs/service/company-search ($100.00, credit or debit card); cars.rgd.gov.bs title CARS JS shell; pub.rgd.gov.bs title BDR Online Public Services. For the full global due diligence framework, see our Global Business Due Diligence Guide.