diff --git a/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/companies/companies.service.ts b/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/companies/companies.service.ts
index 02f77b2e0..62be578bb 100644
--- a/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/companies/companies.service.ts
+++ b/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/companies/companies.service.ts
@@ -1183,9 +1183,11 @@ export class CompaniesService {
     const { businessInfo } = await this.etradeService.resolveCompanyData(tin);
     if (!businessInfo) {
       throw new BadRequestException(
-        "No business license found for this TIN. Please check the number and try again.",
+        "We couldn't find a business license for this TIN with eTrade. Please double-check the number and try again.",
       );
     }
-    return this.etradeService.extractRegistrationData(businessInfo);
+    const registrationData = this.etradeService.extractRegistrationData(businessInfo);
+    const tinTaken = await this.companiesRepo.existsByTin(tin);
+    return { ...registrationData, tinTaken };
   }
 }
diff --git a/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/companies/dto/create-company.dto.ts b/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/companies/dto/create-company.dto.ts
index e5b686d11..a56ea5ad8 100644
--- a/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/companies/dto/create-company.dto.ts
+++ b/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/companies/dto/create-company.dto.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { IsString, IsNotEmpty, IsOptional, IsEnum, MaxLength, Length, Matches, IsEmail } from 'class-validator';
+import { IsString, IsNotEmpty, IsOptional, IsEnum, MaxLength, Length, IsEmail } from 'class-validator';
 import { CompanyType, CompanyStatus } from '../entities/company.entity';
 import { IsValidPhone } from '../../../common/validators/is-phone-number.validator';
 
@@ -17,10 +17,7 @@ export class CreateCompanyDto {
 
   @IsString()
   @IsNotEmpty()
-  @Length(10, 10)
-  @Matches(/^00\d{8}$/, {
-    message: 'TIN must be 10 digits starting with 00',
-  })
+  @Length(10, 10, { message: 'TIN must be exactly 10 digits' })
   tin!: string;
 
   @IsOptional()
diff --git a/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/companies/dto/etrade-response.dto.ts b/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/companies/dto/etrade-response.dto.ts
index 200b69fee..ef7eb2a21 100644
--- a/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/companies/dto/etrade-response.dto.ts
+++ b/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/companies/dto/etrade-response.dto.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ export class ETradeResponseDto implements CompanyRegistrationData {
   managerName!: string;
   managerEmail?: string;
   managerPhone!: string;
+  tinTaken?: boolean;
 
   constructor(data: CompanyRegistrationData) {
     this.licenceNumber = data.licenceNumber;
@@ -35,5 +36,6 @@ export class ETradeResponseDto implements CompanyRegistrationData {
     this.managerName = data.managerName;
     this.managerEmail = data.managerEmail;
     this.managerPhone = data.managerPhone;
+    this.tinTaken = data.tinTaken;
   }
 }
diff --git a/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/companies/dto/update-profile.dto.ts b/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/companies/dto/update-profile.dto.ts
index 316038dc9..9fd8f28ae 100644
--- a/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/companies/dto/update-profile.dto.ts
+++ b/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/companies/dto/update-profile.dto.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { IsString, IsOptional, IsEmail, MaxLength, Length, Matches, IsEnum } from 'class-validator';
+import { IsString, IsOptional, IsEmail, MaxLength, Length, IsEnum } from 'class-validator';
 import { CompanyNationality } from '../entities/company.entity';
 import { IsValidPhone } from '../../../common/validators/is-phone-number.validator';
 
@@ -34,10 +34,7 @@ export class UpdateProfileDto {
 
   @IsOptional()
   @IsString()
-  @Length(10, 10)
-  @Matches(/^00\d{8}$/, {
-    message: 'TIN must be 10 digits starting with 00',
-  })
+  @Length(10, 10, { message: 'TIN must be exactly 10 digits' })
   tin?: string;
 
   @IsOptional()
diff --git a/apps/edr-freight-web/portal/src/components/onboarding/ETradeInfo.tsx b/apps/edr-freight-web/portal/src/components/onboarding/ETradeInfo.tsx
index 98efc2613..6c38bba46 100644
--- a/apps/edr-freight-web/portal/src/components/onboarding/ETradeInfo.tsx
+++ b/apps/edr-freight-web/portal/src/components/onboarding/ETradeInfo.tsx
@@ -7,9 +7,11 @@ import {
   Text,
   TextInput,
 } from "@mantine/core";
+import { useEffect, useRef } from "react";
 import type { UseFormRegisterReturn } from "react-hook-form";
-import { AlertCircle, CheckCircle2, Download } from "lucide-react";
+import { AlertCircle, CheckCircle2, Download, Info } from "lucide-react";
 import { useETradeData } from "@/hooks/useETradeData";
+import { extractApiError } from "@/utils/result";
 import type { CompanyRegistrationData } from "@edr/types";
 
 interface ETradeInfoProps {
@@ -22,6 +24,8 @@ interface ETradeInfoProps {
   onDataLoaded: (data: CompanyRegistrationData) => void;
 }
 
+const isValidTin = (tin: string) => tin.length === 10;
+
 export default function ETradeInfo({
   tin,
   register,
@@ -30,53 +34,100 @@ export default function ETradeInfo({
 }: ETradeInfoProps) {
   const mutation = useETradeData();
   const isLoading = mutation.isPending;
-  const hasData = mutation.data;
+  const tinTaken = mutation.data?.tinTaken;
+  const hasData =
+    mutation.data && !mutation.data.tinTaken ? mutation.data : null;
 
   const handleFetch = async () => {
-    if (!tin || tin.length !== 10 || !tin.startsWith("00")) return;
+    if (!isValidTin(tin)) return;
     const result = await mutation.mutateAsync(tin);
-    if (result) {
+    if (result && !result.tinTaken) {
       onDataLoaded(result);
     }
   };
 
-  const errorMessage =
+  // Auto-fetch as soon as the TIN reaches its full 10-digit length — only
+  // once per distinct value, so retyping the same TIN doesn't refetch.
+  const lastFetchedTin = useRef<string | null>(null);
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (isValidTin(tin) && lastFetchedTin.current !== tin) {
+      lastFetchedTin.current = tin;
+      handleFetch();
+    }
+    // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
+  }, [tin]);
+
+  const apiError =
     mutation.isError && mutation.error
-      ? (mutation.error as any).message ||
-        "Failed to fetch company information. Please try again."
+      ? extractApiError(mutation.error)
+      : null;
+  // A 400 here means eTrade simply has no record for this TIN — not a
+  // failure. Soft-pedal it as an FYI, not a red error, so filling in
+  // manually doesn't feel like something went wrong.
+  const notFound = apiError?.statusCode === 400;
+  const errorMessage =
+    apiError && !notFound
+      ? apiError.message ||
+        "We couldn't reach eTrade to fetch your company information. Please try again, or fill in the details manually below."
       : null;
 
   return (
     <Stack gap="md">
       <Group align="flex-start" grow>
         <TextInput
-          label={<>TIN Number (10 digits) <span style={{ color: "var(--mantine-color-red-6)" }}>*</span></>}
+          label={
+            <>
+              TIN Number (10 digits){" "}
+              <span style={{ color: "var(--mantine-color-red-6)" }}>*</span>
+            </>
+          }
           placeholder="0012345678"
           maxLength={10}
           error={error}
           {...register}
         />
-        <Button
-          variant="filled"
-          color="edr-green"
-          onClick={handleFetch}
-          disabled={!tin || tin.length !== 10 || !tin.startsWith("00") || isLoading}
-          leftSection={
-            isLoading ? <Loader size={16} /> : <Download size={16} />
-          }
-          mt="24px"
-        >
-          {isLoading ? "Getting..." : "Get Data"}
-        </Button>
+        {errorMessage && (
+          <Button
+            variant="filled"
+            color="edr-green"
+            onClick={handleFetch}
+            disabled={!isValidTin(tin) || isLoading}
+            leftSection={
+              isLoading ? <Loader size={16} /> : <Download size={16} />
+            }
+            mt="24px"
+          >
+            {isLoading ? "Getting..." : "Get Data"}
+          </Button>
+        )}
       </Group>
 
+      {notFound && (
+        <Alert icon={<Info size={16} />} color="gray">
+          We couldn't find a matching business record for this TIN — no
+          problem, just fill in the details below.
+        </Alert>
+      )}
+
       {errorMessage && (
         <Alert
           icon={<AlertCircle size={16} />}
           color="red"
-          title="Failed to fetch data"
+          title="Couldn't fetch eTrade data"
         >
-          {errorMessage} You can still fill in the details manually below.
+          {errorMessage}
+        </Alert>
+      )}
+
+      {tinTaken && (
+        <Alert
+          icon={<AlertCircle size={16} />}
+          color="red"
+          title="TIN already registered"
+        >
+          This TIN is already registered to another company account. Please
+          double-check the number, or contact support if you believe this is a
+          mistake.
         </Alert>
       )}
 
diff --git a/apps/edr-freight-web/portal/src/pages/accounts/CompanyProfileForm.tsx b/apps/edr-freight-web/portal/src/pages/accounts/CompanyProfileForm.tsx
index 85af9bfdd..3cce6d4f8 100644
--- a/apps/edr-freight-web/portal/src/pages/accounts/CompanyProfileForm.tsx
+++ b/apps/edr-freight-web/portal/src/pages/accounts/CompanyProfileForm.tsx
@@ -450,8 +450,6 @@ export default function CompanyProfileForm({
                 onDataLoaded={handleETradeDataLoaded}
               />
 
-              <Divider my="sm" />
-
               <TextInput
                 label="Company Name"
                 placeholder="Global Logistics Ltd"
@@ -507,7 +505,7 @@ export default function CompanyProfileForm({
                       from eTrade · read-only
                     </Text>
                   </Group>
-                  <SimpleGrid cols={2} spacing="md">
+                  <SimpleGrid cols={2} spacing="sm">
                     <ReadOnlyField
                       label="License Number"
                       value={watch("licenceNumber")}
diff --git a/packages/types/src/freight/etrade.ts b/packages/types/src/freight/etrade.ts
index 9067569fb..c125b75c5 100644
--- a/packages/types/src/freight/etrade.ts
+++ b/packages/types/src/freight/etrade.ts
@@ -76,4 +76,6 @@ export interface CompanyRegistrationData {
   managerName: string;
   managerEmail?: string;
   managerPhone: string;
+  /** True when this TIN is already registered to an existing company. */
+  tinTaken?: boolean;
 }