TD Institution Number 004: What It Is and How to Find It

Setting up direct deposit or wiring money to a TD account usually means hunting for a three-digit code that isn’t always printed where you’d expect, but the good news is that every Toronto-Dominion Bank account shares the same institution number, so you only have to find it once. This guide walks through where to locate it — on a cheque, in online banking, on a statement — and clears up the common confusion over whether it’s 004 or 0004.

TD institution number: 004 ·
Digit count: 3 (often written as 004) ·
Purpose: Identifies Toronto-Dominion Bank in electronic transactions ·
Used with: Transit number (5-digit branch code) and account number ·
Common confusion: 004 vs 0004 (4-digit formatting)

Five key facts about the TD institution number, one pattern: the code never varies by account or branch.

The implication: the institution number itself is constant, but the way it appears on forms can trip people up. The real variable is how many digits the system expects.

What is TD Bank institution number?

The institution number is a three-digit code that identifies which bank holds your account. For Toronto-Dominion Bank, that code is 004, as confirmed by TD Canada Trust (official banking portal) and Float (financial services platform). It’s not the same as a branch number (also called transit number) — the institution number points to the bank itself, not a specific location.

What does the institution number represent?

• A three-digit identifier assigned by Payments Canada (Payments Canada (national payment systems authority)).
• Used in electronic transactions — direct deposits, wire transfers, bill payments — to route funds to the correct bank.
• Never changes, even if you switch branches or account types.

Is 004 the same for all TD accounts?

Yes. Whether you hold a chequing account, savings account, or business account with TD Canada Trust, the institution number is always 004, per Venn (financial reference site).

The pattern: one code fits all TD accounts. That’s a relief if you manage multiple accounts — you only need to remember one three-digit number.

Is TD institution number 004 or 0004?

This is the most common point of confusion. Officially, the institution number is three digits: 004. But some electronic payment forms — especially older ones — require a four-digit field, meaning you pad the number with a leading zero to become 0004.

Why do some systems show 004 as 0004?

• Many online banking and direct deposit platforms built in the 1990s or earlier use fixed-length fields for the institution number.
• When a field is four characters long, 004 is automatically left-padded with a zero to 0004.
• Both 004 and 0004 represent the same bank identifier.

Float notes that Canadian routing numbers are often formatted as 0YYYXXXXX, where YYY is the institution number and XXXXX is the transit number (Float). That leading zero is a routing-layer convention, not a separate code.

How should I enter the institution number in online forms?

• If the form has a dedicated three-digit “institution number” field, enter 004.
• If the form combines the routing number into one field (typically 9 digits for Canada), the first three digits of that field are the institution number.
• If you’re on a U.S. banking form asking for a routing number, you’ll need the 9-digit transit number, not the institution number. TD Bank U.S. explains that U.S. direct deposits use a different routing system.

How do I find my institution number?

You can find the institution number in three places: on a physical cheque, in TD online banking (EasyWeb), or on a paper bank statement. Since the number is the same for all TD accounts, once you’ve confirmed it as 004, you’re done.

Find institution number on a TD cheque

• Look at the bottom MICR line — the row of numbers printed in magnetic ink.
• TD’s format: transit number (5 digits), institution number (004), account number (variable digits).
• TD Canada Trust explains that “the first set of numbers on a cheque is the branch (or transit) number and the second set is the account number” (TD Canada Trust – My Accounts). The institution number sits in between but is often omitted from the printed explanation because it’s the same for all TD customers.

A TD instructional video shows the full account number format as transit five digits, institution 004, account seven digits (TD Canada Trust YouTube channel). Note: this is a helpful visual guide, but the video comes from a non-official third-party upload, so treat it as illustrative.

Find institution number in TD online banking

• Log in to TD EasyWeb.
• Navigate to “My Accounts” and select “View Account Details”.
• Look for a line labelled “Institution No.” or “Bank No.” — it will show 004.
• TD Canada Trust confirms that account information is available on the View Account page (same source).

Find institution number on a bank statement

• Paper or electronic statements list the institution number under “Account Details” or “Financial Institution”.
• It typically appears as “004” in a small table along with transit number and account number.
• Some statements abbreviate it as “Inst. No.” — still 004.

Can I find my institution number on my TD Bank check?

Yes — the institution number is printed directly on the MICR line at the bottom of any TD Canada Trust cheque. This is the most reliable physical source.

Reading the MICR line

• The MICR line uses a special font (E-13B) that can be read by machines during cheque processing.
• Numbers are grouped: first five digits (transit number), next three digits (institution number — 004), then the account number (usually 5 to 12 digits).
• TD Canada Trust states that “cheques show account information along the bottom” (same source).

Which numbers correspond to transit, institution, and account?

• Transit number: The first five digits (e.g., 12345). Identifies the branch.
• Institution number: The three digits after the transit number (always 004 for TD).
• Account number: The remaining digits to the right.

Some cheques separate the transit and institution numbers with a special character (branch symbol). The institution number 004 will be clearly visible.

Why this matters: if you have a cheque handy, you have the code. No need to call the bank or search online.

What if my transit number is only 5 digits?

That’s normal. All Canadian bank transit numbers are exactly five digits. The institution number is separate and always three digits (004 for TD). Together with the account number they form a complete routing code for electronic transfers.

Is a 5-digit transit number valid?

• Yes. A five-digit transit number is the standard for Canadian bank branches (Venn).
• For example, TD’s main Toronto branch has transit number 00012? Not relevant — just know all TD transit numbers are five digits.
• TD Canada Trust notes that if a direct deposit form requests a five-digit branch/transit number, “the 5th digit is a geographical number added to the end of the branch/transit number” (same source).

How do transit and institution numbers combine?

• For domestic electronic transfers (Canada), the routing code is usually formatted as 0-YYY-XXXXX-XXXXXXXX where YYY is the institution number, XXXXX is the transit number, and the long number is your account.
• The leading zero is part of the Canadian routing number standard, not the institution number.
• Payments Canada oversees this format (Payments Canada).

The takeaway: transit numbers and institution numbers are two different things. One identifies the branch, the other identifies the bank. Both are required for electronic payments.

For TD Canada Trust accounts, the institution number is 004. It never varies by account type or branch.

— TD Canada Trust (official banking portal) TD Canada Trust official banking portal

The institution number for Toronto-Dominion Bank of Canada is 004. This three-digit code is used in combination with your transit number to route funds.

— Wise (money transfer platform) via Wise guide

Summary
For anyone in Canada setting up payroll, direct deposit, or a wire transfer to a TD account, the institution number 004 is constant and easy to find — on a cheque, inside EasyWeb, or on a statement. The only nuance is the digit padding for legacy forms. For Canadian account holders, the correct code is 004; for international transfers or U.S. forms, you may need the full routing number. The consequence for skipping this check: delayed payments or rejected transfers. For the Canada Revenue Agency direct deposit setup, entering the wrong institution number means your tax refund goes nowhere.

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