CAC Status Check: Your Registration, or Any Company's
"CAC status" means two things: where your own application is, and whether a business is active on CAC's register. Here's how to check both.
VerificationOctober 29, 20265 min read
Which Status Do You Mean?
- Your registration application: you filed with CAC and want to know if it's approved. Jump there.
- A registered business's status: you want to know if a business (yours or someone else's) is active on CAC's register. Jump there.
Check Your CAC Registration Status
Sign in to the account you filed from. If you filed on CAC's portal, that's your CAC account. If you registered with FastCAC, your dashboard shows each step live, and we email you when CAC decides.
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Submitted | Filed with CAC and waiting for a decision. |
| Queried | CAC wants something corrected. Fix it and resubmit. |
| Approved | Registered. Your certificate and status report follow. |
| Rejected | CAC turned it down, usually over the name. Start again with a different one. |
CAC usually decides within 24 hours of filing; some applications go to a final review of about 48 working hours. Once approved, see our guide to the CAC certificate, and the registration timeline for each stage.
Check Any Company's CAC Status
Search the business by name or RC/BN number in our free CAC public searchor on CAC's own at search.cac.gov.ng. You'll see one of these:
- Active: registered and up to date with CAC.
- Inactive: registered, but usually behind on annual returns.
- Struck off: removed from the register.
If it's your own business and it shows inactive, our free annual returns checkershows every return you owe and what CAC charges. Checking someone else's business? Follow how to verify a company in Nigeria.
Status Checks for Developers
- Registrations you file: the Status APIsends a signed webhook at every CAC decision, with CAC's queries field by field and the certificate as a PDF.
- Businesses you rely on: the Monitoring APIsends a webhook when one's status or name changes, for ₦100 per business a month.
- A one-off check: the Verification APIconfirms a business's number, name and active status, free.
CAC Status: FAQs
How long does CAC take to approve a registration?
CAC usually decides within 24 hours of filing. Some applications go to a final review, where an officer confirms within about 48 working hours.
What does queried mean?
CAC needs something corrected before it approves, such as a clearer passport photo or a document that doesn't match. Fix what CAC asked for and resubmit. With FastCAC, resubmitting after a query costs nothing extra.
Why does my business show as inactive?
CAC marks businesses that are behind on their annual returns as inactive. File the overdue returns to become active again. Our free annual returns checker shows which ones you owe.
Is checking a company's CAC status free?
Yes. Search the business by name or RC/BN number on CAC's public register or with FastCAC's free CAC public search, no account needed.
FastCAC Legal Team
Helping Nigerian businesses register with CAC and stay active.
