Workflow checklist
- Identify the registry. www.orcjamaica.com
- Check access requirements. Account required: Yes. Local ID required: No.
- Plan budget. Price range: USD 0.00-32.00. Payment methods: Credit card, Online banking.
- Anticipate friction. Captcha / 2FA: Unknown. English UI: Yes.
- Plan turnaround. Expected: Instant download.
- Verify recency. Last verified: 6 May 2026. Confirm current pricing at the official registry before submitting.
TL;DR. Jamaica’s official business registry is the Companies Office of Jamaica (COJ), accessible at orcjamaica.com. A free account gives you basic entity profiles including status, registration number, and officer names. Certified document orders are priced in JMD and are available for download. The interface is fully English. Jamaica was removed from the FATF grey list in June 2024 after completing its AML/CFT action plan.
What is the official Jamaica business registry?
The Companies Office of Jamaica (COJ) is the statutory body responsible for company registration and regulation in Jamaica. It operates under the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce (MIIC) and derives its authority from the Companies Act 2004 and the Registration of Business Names Act. The public-facing online portal is at orcjamaica.com.
The COJ registers companies, business names (sole traders and partnerships), and non-profit organisations. It also administers Jamaica’s Beneficial Ownership Registry (JBOR) at boregistryjamaica.com, which is a separate, subscriber-access system for UBO data.
Records in the online system go back to at least the 1990s for most entity types. Older historical records may require in-person requests to the COJ offices in Kingston.
What can you search?
The COJ online portal at orcjamaica.com/CompanySearch.aspx supports:
- Company name (full or partial)
- Company registration number
- Business name (for sole traders and partnerships)
Basic free search returns: company name, registration number, entity type, and current status. With a registered account, you can access more detailed profile data including officer names, registered address, and filing history.
A separate validation portal at services.orcjamaica.com/validation allows verification of entity details against the registry, useful for confirming the authenticity of documents presented by a counterparty.
Data is updated on a filing-event basis. Director changes, address updates, and share capital amendments are reflected in the registry within the COJ’s normal processing window, typically within a few business days.
How much does it cost?
| Item | Cost (JMD) | Cost (USD, approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Basic entity profile (with account) | JMD 0 | USD 0 |
| Name search (pre-registration check) | JMD 500 | ~USD 3 |
| Business name registration | JMD 2,500 | ~USD 16 |
| Company registration (standard, 2 business days) | Varies by type | Varies |
| Express registration (1 business day) | + JMD 1,500 | ~USD 10 |
| Certified document extract | JMD ~2,500 to 5,000 | ~USD 16 to 32 |
Fees are based on COJ published schedules and third-party reporting as of early 2026. The JMD/USD rate used: approximately JMD 155 = USD 1 (verify at point of purchase). Exact certified document fees vary by document type; confirm current pricing at orcjamaica.com before ordering.
Do you need a local account or ID?
An account on the COJ portal is required to access the full company profile and purchase certified documents. Account creation requires an email address; no Jamaican Taxpayer Registration Number (TRN) or national identification document is required of foreign users.
Foreign compliance buyers can register with any valid international email address and pay by credit card. Basic entity status can be checked at no cost after account creation.
Is the website in English?
Yes. The COJ portal is fully English. All search interfaces, entity status labels, document descriptions, and form guidance are in English. Jamaica’s sole official language is English, consistent across all government digital services.
What’s the turnaround time?
Basic entity profiles and status data are available instantly after search. Certified document orders are processed and made available for download via the COJ’s e-commerce portal, typically on the same business day for standard orders. An express same-day service is available for an additional fee.
For entities where the digital record is incomplete or historical documents require manual retrieval, processing may take longer. The COJ advises contacting their customer support at custsupport@orcjamaica.com for complex requests.
Is there an API?
No public API is available from the Companies Office of Jamaica as of May 2026. Bulk data access and platform-level integration are not offered through an official developer programme. Screen scraping the COJ portal is not permitted under its terms of use.
What you legally cannot do
The COJ’s terms of use and Jamaica’s Data Protection Act 2020 apply to use of registry data:
- Automated bulk scraping or harvesting of registry records is prohibited
- Redistribution of certified COJ documents for commercial purposes requires written permission
- Using registry data for unsolicited marketing, spam, or purposes beyond the stated compliance use case is not permitted
- Beneficial ownership data from the JBOR is accessible only to subscribers with a verified purpose; it cannot be republished or redistributed
Jamaica’s Data Protection Act 2020 aligns with international data protection principles and applies to processing of personal data of Jamaican residents. Compliance buyers should document the stated purpose of each registry fetch as part of their internal CDD audit trail.
Practical tips for foreign compliance buyers
- Company number is the anchor identifier. Each registered company and business name is assigned a unique registration number at incorporation. Always search by number rather than name when you have it: Jamaican company names can be changed, and similar names may appear in partial-name searches.
- Jamaica was removed from the FATF grey list in June 2024. The FATF confirmed Jamaica’s removal at its June 2024 plenary, after Jamaica completed a 13-point action plan addressing strategic AML/CFT deficiencies identified in its mutual evaluation. The Bank of Jamaica and the Financial Investigations Division (FID) have since continued to strengthen enforcement frameworks. For current status, see fatf-gafi.org.
- Beneficial ownership registry is subscriber-access. The Jamaica Beneficial Ownership Registry (JBOR) at boregistryjamaica.com is a centralised electronic register for UBO data. Subscribers must set up an account and have a verified compliance purpose. The beneficial ownership threshold was lowered from 50% to 25% ownership or control for companies with shares. This registry is separate from the main COJ company search and requires separate registration.
- Annual returns matter. Jamaican companies are required to file annual returns with the COJ. Non-filing results in a compliance flag on the company’s record. Review the filing history of any counterparty as part of due diligence.
- Status field meanings. “Active” means the entity is registered and in good standing. “Struck Off” means the COJ has removed it from the register, typically for non-filing. A struck-off company can apply for restoration within a defined statutory window. “In Liquidation” or “Dissolved” means the entity is winding down or has ceased to exist. See the global due diligence guide for how to interpret these statuses in a cross-border context.
- JMD pricing. Jamaica uses the Jamaican Dollar (JMD). All COJ fees are in JMD. International credit cards are accepted at the day’s exchange rate.
Alternatives if you cannot access the COJ directly
- Aggregator search (free, indicative only): OpenCorporates indexes Jamaica company filings (see opencorporates.com/registers/121) but lags official data. Useful for a quick name check; not for compliance-grade verification.
- COJ validation portal (services.orcjamaica.com/validation): allows counterparty verification without purchasing a certified document. Useful for confirming that a document presented by the counterparty matches the current registry record.
Local data suppliers
The Companies Office of Jamaica is the authoritative source for entity registration data and certified extracts. For credit risk, payment behaviour, or banking relationship data, engage a local financial institution or accounting firm in Kingston that can commission a commercial credit report through local market channels.
FAQ
Can a foreign company access the Jamaica registry directly?
Yes. The COJ portal is accessible worldwide. Foreign compliance buyers can create an account with an international email address, search entities, and purchase certified documents online. No Jamaican TRN or national identification is required to set up a basic account.
What is the company registration number in Jamaica?
Each entity registered with the COJ is assigned a unique registration number at incorporation. For companies, this is a numeric identifier issued sequentially. For business names (sole traders and partnerships), a separate registration number series applies. The registration number remains constant through the life of the entity and is the most reliable identifier for cross-referencing across Jamaican government systems.
What entity types are registered with the Companies Office of Jamaica?
The COJ registers limited companies (private and public), business names (sole traders and partnerships), external company registrations (foreign company branches), and non-profit organisations. The Companies Act 2004 governs limited companies; the Registration of Business Names Act governs business name registrations.
Does Jamaica have a beneficial ownership (UBO) registry?
Yes. The Jamaica Beneficial Ownership Registry (JBOR) at boregistryjamaica.com is a centralised electronic register administered by the COJ. Subscribers can search for beneficial owners of registered Jamaican companies. The ownership threshold is 25% of shares or voting rights, or other indicators of control. The registry supports Jamaica’s FATF Recommendation 24 commitments and its AML/CFT action plan obligations that led to the June 2024 grey list removal.
How current is the data in the Companies Office of Jamaica?
The COJ updates records on a filing-event basis. Director changes, address updates, and annual returns are reflected in the registry within the COJ’s processing window after acceptance. The validation portal provides a real-time check against the current registry state. The COJ reports periodic data quality improvement programmes to bring legacy records up to current standards.
Is Jamaica on the FATF grey list?
No. Jamaica was removed from the FATF list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring on 28 June 2024, following completion of its 13-point AML/CFT action plan. The Bank of Jamaica, the Financial Investigations Division, and the COJ (through the JBOR) were central to Jamaica’s compliance improvements. Current status is confirmed at fatf-gafi.org.
What’s the difference between the COJ registry and the NIS/TRN systems?
The COJ registers companies and business names for corporate law purposes. The National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and Taxpayer Registration Number (TRN) are tax and social security systems maintained by TAJ (Tax Administration Jamaica). A company registered with the COJ must separately obtain a TRN from TAJ to trade. The COJ registration number and the TRN are different identifiers; both may appear in a compliance file.
Last verified: May 2026. Source: Companies Office of Jamaica (orcjamaica.com); FATF June 2024 plenary statement (fatf-gafi.org); Bank of Jamaica AML/CFT statements (boj.org.jm). For the full global due diligence framework, see our Global Business Due Diligence Guide.