A bank institution number is a three-digit code that identifies a financial institution. It’s typically located on the bottom left-hand side of your cheque, at the bottom of your printed bank statement, or in your online banking portal.
For example, BMO’s institution number is 001, Scotiabank’s is 002, RBC’s is 003, TD’s is 004, and CIBC’s is 010.
Many aspects of banking in Canada require inputting your bank institution number. Most often, it's used when setting up interbank transactions, like direct deposits and automatic bill payments.
If you’re searching for a specific institution number, we have a comprehensive list of banks and their institution numbers below.
Key Takeaways
- A bank institution number is a 3-digit code that identifies a bank or credit union.
- You can find it at the bottom of your personal cheques, on a bank statement, or in your mobile banking app.
- The big bank institution numbers are: 001 (BMO), 002 (Scotiabank), 003 (RBC), 004 (TD), and 010 (CIBC).
- You may need a bank institution number to carry out transactions, such as bill payments.
What is a bank institution number?
Bank institution numbers are unique, three-digit codes used to identify the bank from which you're receiving or sending money. These transactions include:
- Direct deposits (like your pension and salary)
- Fund transfers
- Automatic bill payments
- Cheque payments
You may also need a routing number and transit number when making transactions, and these are specific to your bank, too. This applies whether it’s a local or international money transfer.
List of Canadian bank institution numbers
To help with any bank activity, here's a comprehensive list of bank institution numbers in Canada.
Institution numbers for Canada’s most popular banks
| Financial institution | Type of institution | Institution number |
|---|---|---|
| Bank of Montreal (BMO) | Bank | 001 |
| Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) | Bank | 003 |
| Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) | Bank | 010 |
| The Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) | Bank | 004 |
| The Bank of Nova Scotia (Scotiabank) | Bank | 002 |
| National Bank of Canada | Bank | 006 |
| Equitable Trust Company (EQ Bank) | Bank | 623 |
| Simplii Financial | Bank (division of CIBC) | 010 |
| Tangerine Bank (ING Bank of Canada) | Bank | 614 |
Institution numbers for other banks and credit unions in Canada
| Financial institution | Type of institution | Institution number |
|---|---|---|
| Airline Financial Credit Union Limited | Credit union | 830 |
| Alberta Treasury Branches | Bank | 219 |
| All-Trans Financial Services Credit Union Limited | Credit union | 810 |
| Alliance des caisses populaires de l'Ontario Limitée | Credit union | 890 |
| Alterna Savings and Credit Union | Credit union | 842 |
| Amex Bank of Canada | Bank | 303 |
| Arnstein Community Credit Union Limited | Credit union | 808 |
| Atlantic Central | Credit union | 839 |
| B2B Bank (formerly B2B Trust) | Bank | 618 |
| Bank of America National Association | Bank | 241 |
| Bank of Canada | Bank | 177 |
| Bank of China (Canada) | Bank | 308 |
| Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ (Canada) | Bank | 245 |
| Bank West | Bank | 342 |
| Barclay's Bank PLC Canada Branch | Bank | 360 |
| BNP Paribas (Canada) | Bank | 250 |
| BofA Canada Bank | Bank | 311 |
| Bridgewater Bank | Bank | 347 |
| La Caisse Centrale Desjardins Du Québec | Credit Union | 815 |
| Canadian Tire Bank | Bank | 338 |
| Canadian Western Bank | Bank | 030 |
| Capital One Bank (Canada Branch) | Bank | 323 |
| Central 1 Credit Union British Columbia | Credit union | 809 |
| Central 1 Credit Union Ontario | Credit union | 828 |
| CIBC Trust Corporation | Bank | 548 |
| Citibank Canada | Bank | 260 |
| Citibank N.A. | Bank | 328 |
| Citizens Bank of Canada | Bank | 309 |
| Comerica Bank | Bank | 330 |
| Communication Technologies Credit Union Limited | Credit union | 807 |
| Community Trust Company | Corporate trustee | 507 |
| Concentra Financial Services Association | Credit union | 853 |
| Credit Union Central Alberta Limited | Credit union | 899 |
| Credit Union Central of Manitoba Limited | Credit union | 879 |
| Credit Union Central of Saskatchewan | Credit union | 889 |
| CS Alterna Bank | Bank | 608 |
| CTC Bank of Canada | Bank | 315 |
| Deutsche Bank AG | Bank | 265 |
| DirectCash Bank | Bank | 352 |
| Dundalk District Credit Union Limited | Credit union | 840 |
| Dundee Bank of Canada | Bank | 343 |
| Effort Trust Company | Corporate trustee | 532 |
| Fifth Third Bank | Bank | 345 |
| First Commercial Bank | Bank | 332 |
| First Nations Bank of Canada | Bank | 310 |
| La Fédération des caisses populaires Acadiennes Limitée | Credit union | 865 |
| La Fédération des caisses populaires de l'Ontario Inc. | Credit union | 829 |
| La Fédération des caisses populaires du Manitoba Inc. | Credit union | 819 |
| General Bank of Canada | Bank | 344 |
| Goderich Community Credit Union Limited | Credit union | 844 |
| Golden Horseshoe Credit Union Limited | Credit union | 854 |
| Habib Canadian Bank | Bank | 321 |
| HomEquity Bank | Bank | 358 |
| Household Trust Company | Corporate trustee | 630 |
| ICICI Bank Canada | Bank | 340 |
| Industrial Alliance Trust Inc. | Insurance | 625 |
| Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Canada) | Bank | 307 |
| Investors Group Trust Co. Ltd. | Corporate trustee | 536 |
| J.P. Morgan Bank Canada | Bank | 314 |
| Jameson Bank | Bank | 354 |
| JPMorgan Chase Bank National Association | Bank | 270 |
| Korea Exchange Bank of Canada | Bank | 275 |
| Latvian Credit Union Limited | Credit union | 803 |
| Laurentian Bank of Canada | Bank | 039 |
| Laurentian Trust of Canada Inc. | Bank | 522 |
| M&T Bank | Bank | 357 |
| Manulife Bank of Canada | Bank | 540 |
| Manulife Trust Company | Corporate trustee | 626 |
| Maple Bank | Bank | 336 |
| Mega International Commercial Bank (Canada) | Bank | 269 |
| Meridian Credit Union | Credit union | 837 |
| Mizuho Corporate Bank Ltd. Canada Branch | Bank | 277 |
| MonCana Bank of Canada | Bank | 361 |
| Montreal Trust Company of Canada | Corporate trustee | 550 |
| National Trust Company | Corporate trustee | 590 |
| Ontario Civil Service Credit Union Limited | Credit union | 846 |
| Pacific & Western Bank of Canada | Bank | 334 |
| Peace Hills Trust Company | Corporate trustee | 568 |
| Peoples Trust Company | Corporate trustee | 621 |
| President’s Choice Financial | Bank | 326 |
| Rabobank Nederland | Bank | 322 |
| ResMor Trust Company | Corporate trustee | 620 |
| Royal Bank Mortgage Corporation | Mortgage company | 592 |
| Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) | Bank | 003 |
| Royal Bank of Scotland N.V. (Canada Branch) | Bank | 240 |
| Royal Trust Company | Corporate trustee | 570 |
| Royal Trust Corporation of Canada | Corporate trustee | 580 |
| Scotia Mortgage Corporation | Mortgage company | 606 |
| Shinhan Bank Canada | Bank | 355 |
| Société Générale (Canada Branch) | Bank | 292 |
| Société Générale (Canada Branch) Ontario | Bank | 346 |
| State Bank of India (Canada) Alberta | Bank | 294 |
| State Street | Bank | 327 |
| Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation of Canada | Bank | 301 |
| Sun Life Financial Trust Inc. | Insurance | 551 |
| TD Mortgage Corporation | Mortgage company | 597 |
| TD Pacific Mortgage Corporation | Mortgage company | 603 |
| The Bank of New York Mellon | Bank | 242 |
| The Canada Trust Company | Corporate trustee | 509 |
| The Northern Trust Company Canada Branch | Bank | 349 |
| U.S. Bank National Association | Bank | 318 |
| UBS AG Canada Branch | Bank | 339 |
| UBS Bank (Canada) | Bank | 290 |
| United Overseas Bank Limited | Bank | 335 |
| Walmart Canada Bank | Bank | 359 |
How to find the institution number for credit unions or smaller banks
If your financial institution isn't listed in the tables above, you can locate its institution number through the following methods:
- Bank's website or app: Most banks and credit unions provide their institution numbers on their official site or within their mobile banking app.
- Payments Canada directories: Payments Canada maintains directories of participant financial institutions, which include institution numbers.
- Check shared institution numbers: Some banks may share an institution number with their central organization. For instance, Simplii Financial and CIBC both use the institution number: 010.
How to find your bank institution number on a cheque
Our handy list above gives you most banking institution numbers, but if you want to locate it for yourself, you can find it on your bank cheques, monthly statements, or in your online banking app.
Generally, the cheques you get from your bank have a string of 8-digit numbers at the bottom.
The 3-digit bank institution number is usually followed by a 5-digit transit number. This combination of the bank number and the transit number is commonly designated as the routing number.
An account number is a string of 7 to 12 unique numbers and it appears immediately after the routing number on a cheque.
| Name | # of digits | What it identifies |
|---|---|---|
| Institution number | 3 | The bank |
| Transit number | 5 | The branch |
| Account number | 7 – 12 | Your personal account |
How do I find my bank institution number without a cheque?
Log into your online banking portal and navigate to your chequing account. The bank institution number, transit number, and account number should all be located close by.
For example, CIBC has a tab labelled "Account Info" where you can click to see your account details.
Do bank institution numbers apply to international transfers?
Institution numbers are primarily used for domestic transactions within Canada. For international transfers, other codes are used:
- SWIFT/BIC codes: These are codes used to identify banks globally. You'll need your bank's SWIFT code for international wire transfers.
- IBAN: International bank account numbers (IBANs) are used to identify financial institutions in the EU and other countries. These countries use IBANs like Canada uses SWIFT codes.
Always consult your bank for the precise information required for international transfers.
FAQ
What is a bank institution number?
A bank institution number is a unique three-digit code assigned to a bank for identification purposes. Each code is unique to the Canadian banking institution it represents and is used for setting up interbank transactions, like automatic bill payments.
Are institution numbers ever reused?
No, institution numbers are uniquely assigned and are not reused, even if a bank ceases operations. However, online banks or subsidiaries may share the same institution number as their central organization – like Simplii Financial and CIBC do.
How many numbers are in a bank institution number?
There are three digits in a bank institution number (e.g. 001, 002, 003, etc.). Transit numbers (or branch number) have five digits, account numbers are between seven and twelve digits, and routing numbers are eight digits long.
How do I find my bank's institution number?
You can find your bank’s institution number combined with your transit number at the bottom area of your cheque. Your bank's website or app will also have it, or you can check the Payments Canada directory of financial institutions.
What is a bank transit number?
A transit number is a five-digit number that represents the specific branch location where you first opened your bank account. It’s found at the bottom of a personal cheque, right before the bank institution number.
Can two banks have the same institution number?
No, each institution number is uniquely assigned to a financial institution by Payments Canada. Along with routing and transit numbers, these codes are individually assigned and used to identify Canadian banking institutions for various purposes.
Is the institution number the same as a routing number?
They're not quite the same thing. A routing number combines the five-digit transit number and the three-digit institution number to identify each specific banking institution and the individual branch in question.
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