Companies (CAC)
What is an RC number?
What is an RC number? A plain explainer of the Nigerian company number: where to find it, RC vs BN vs IT, and how to verify a company with the CAC.
Open a corporate bank account, bid for a contract, or invoice another company in Nigeria and you will be asked for your RC number. It is the single most important identifier a registered company has. This explainer covers what an RC number is, where to find yours, how it differs from a BN number, and how to verify a company by its RC number.
What an RC number is
RC stands for Registration Certificate. The RC number is the unique identifier the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) assigns to a registered company at incorporation. It appears on your Certificate of Incorporation and identifies your company everywhere it matters — banking, tax, tenders, contracts.
It is permanent. Once issued, your RC number never changes for the life of the company, even if the company changes its name, directors, or address.
Where to find your RC number
Your RC number is on:
- Your Certificate of Incorporation — printed prominently, usually as "RC 1234567".
- Your CAC status report and any CAC-filed document.
- Bank statements and letterheads, if you have added it.
- The CAC public search on icrp.cac.gov.ng, by searching your company name.
RC vs BN vs IT — three different prefixes
Not every CAC registration gets an RC number. The prefix tells you the entity type:
- RC — a limited liability company (Ltd or Plc). The classic RC number.
- BN — a registered business name (sole proprietorship or partnership). It has a BN number, not an RC number.
- IT / RC for trustees — an incorporated trustee (NGO, association, church) registered under Part F of the Companies and Allied Matters Act.
Why it matters so much
The RC number is how every other system finds your company. Your company's Tax ID, used by the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), formerly FIRS, is linked to its CAC registration number. Banks verify your incorporation against it. Tender boards check your CAC status by it. PenCom, NSITF and ITF read it on your compliance applications.
A wrong or inconsistent RC number across these systems is a common cause of stalled filings, which is why keeping your CAC record clean matters far beyond the CAC itself.
How to verify a company by RC number
Anyone can verify a Nigerian company on the CAC public search on icrp.cac.gov.ng using the company name or RC number — useful before paying a new supplier or signing a contract. It confirms the company exists, its registration status, and the registered particulars on file.
If you do not yet have an RC number because your company is not registered, that is a CAC registration. See live filing details on the company registration page, the CAC hub, and the guide on the cost of registering a company. Our CAC registration guides cover directors, shares and later changes.
Questions
Frequently asked.
What is an RC number?
RC stands for Registration Certificate. It is the unique, permanent identifier the CAC assigns to a registered limited liability company at incorporation. It appears on your Certificate of Incorporation and identifies your company for banking, tax, tenders and contracts.
Where do I find my RC number?
On your Certificate of Incorporation (printed as "RC 1234567"), on your CAC status report and any CAC-filed document, and via the CAC public search by company name.
What is the difference between an RC number and a BN number?
An RC number identifies a limited liability company (Ltd or Plc). A BN number identifies a registered business name — a sole proprietorship or partnership. Incorporated trustees (NGOs, churches) register under a separate Part F category.
Does my RC number ever change?
No. The RC number is permanent for the life of the company, even if you change the company name, directors, or registered address.
How do I verify a company by its RC number?
Use the CAC public search with the company name or RC number. It confirms the company exists, its registration status, and the registered particulars — useful before paying a new supplier or signing a contract.
Sources
Fees and rules last checked 27 Sep 2026. The agency that issues the document has the final word. See our editorial policy.
Articles that go deeper
What is a BN number, and where do you find yours
What is a BN number: the identifier CAC issues when it registers a business name, and where it appears on your paperwork.
2 min read
Certified true copy of CAC documents: what it costs
Certified true copy of CAC documents: the per-document fee, which documents you can request, and why banks and lenders often ask for one.
2 min read
Is a business name the same as a trademark?
Is a business name the same as a trademark? No. CAC registration protects your company name, not your brand, logo or slogan.
2 min read
CAC documents banks usually ask for a company account
CAC documents banks ask for a company account: the certificate of incorporation, memorandum and articles, and when a certified copy is needed.
2 min read
Ready to file your cac company registration (ltd)?
Target: 20 business days. Your document lands in your vault as a PDF with a verify link.
Keep reading