- This checks the structure only. There is no published check digit, so a mistyped digit cannot be caught here.
🔒 Nothing you type leaves this page. The parsing runs in your browser: no data is sent, stored or logged. Enter only branch and institution numbers; this tool never needs an account number.
The two formats
The same branch and institution are written in different orders depending on where they are used. Payments Canada defines both.
01722-050
Five-digit branch (transit) number, a hyphen, then the three-digit institution number. Payments Canada’s Rule A3 uses this layout for the identification stamp on paper items.
005001722
Nine digits: a leading zero, the three-digit institution, then the five-digit branch. Payments Canada calls this the CACPA code or Direct Payment Routing Number.
Both examples describe the same branch: institution 050, branch 01722. The example comes from Payments Canada’s own formatting guide.
Major institution numbers
A short extract from Payments Canada’s list, updated October 7, 2026. It is not the full list, and numbers can be retired or reassigned.
| Number | Institution |
|---|---|
| 117 | Government of Canada |
| 127 | Canada Post Office |
| 177 | Bank of Canada |
| 219 | ATB Financial |
| 320 | President’s Choice Bank |
| 509 | The Canada Trust Company |
| 614 | Tangerine Bank |
| 621 | Peoples Trust Company |
| 623 | Equitable Bank |
| 809 | Central 1 Credit Union (British Columbia) |
| 815 | Fédération des caisses Desjardins du Québec |
| 828 | Central 1 Credit Union (Ontario) |
| 829 | Caisse Desjardins Ontario Credit Union Inc. |
| 837 | Meridian Credit Union Limited |
| 839 | Atlantic Central |
| 001 | Bank of Montreal |
| 002 | The Bank of Nova Scotia |
| 003 | Royal Bank of Canada |
| 004 | The Toronto-Dominion Bank |
| 006 | National Bank of Canada |
| 010 | Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce |
| 030 | National Bank of Canada (formerly Canadian Western Bank) |
| 039 | Laurentian Bank of Canada |
Frequently asked questions
Is the number I type sent anywhere?
No. The tool is a few lines of JavaScript on this page. Nothing is sent, stored or logged. You never need to enter an account number here.
Where do I find my transit number?
It is printed on your cheques, next to the institution number, and your bank’s app or online banking usually shows it for each account. The branch directory from Payments Canada lists branches.
Which format do I give for direct deposit?
Many forms ask for branch and institution as separate boxes. Where a single nine-digit routing number is requested, use the EFT form shown by this tool. If unsure, ask the organisation which format it wants.
Can this tell me if a branch exists?
No. We found no published check digit for these numbers, so only the structure is checked. Confirm a branch with your bank or the Payments Canada directory.
Why is my institution number “not in the short list”?
We list only a few well-known institutions, and credit unions, trust companies and many others are not included. It can still be perfectly valid.
Last updated
Related tools
Sources
- Payments Canada — Rule F8: Direct payment routing numbers (PDF)
- Payments Canada — CACPA code straight-through processing formatting (PDF)
- Payments Canada — Rule A3: Endorsement and identification of paper items (PDF)
- Payments Canada — Institution numbers and clearing arrangements (PDF)
- Payments Canada — Financial institutions branch directory
How we check it
The tests use Payments Canada’s formatting-guide example: routing number 005001722 is institution 050 and branch 01722, which in cheque format is 01722-050. A second example from the same guide, 083902923, is institution 839 and branch 02923.
Conversion between the cheque and routing-number forms is round-tripped for several branch and institution values, including leading zeros, and the institution names in the short list are compared with the October 7, 2026 Payments Canada list.
Limits: Payments Canada publishes no check digit for these numbers, so the tests cover structure only. We do not hold the branch directory and cannot tell you that a branch exists. The institution list is a short extract.