Free Guide
What is Companies House?
The UK's official register of companies, explained without the jargon. What it does, what information it holds, and how to use it.
What Companies House Actually Does
Companies House is the UK government agency that maintains the register of companies. It's not a building you visit (though it does have offices in Cardiff and Edinburgh). It's a register — a public database of every limited company, limited liability partnership (LLP), and certain other business entities in the UK.
When someone forms a limited company in England, Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland, they register it with Companies House. From that point on, the company must file certain documents at regular intervals. Those documents become part of the public record.
Companies House doesn't regulate companies or check whether their accounts are accurate. Its primary job is to incorporate companies and make the filed information available to the public. It's a registry, not a regulator.
What Information It Holds
For every registered company, Companies House holds a range of publicly accessible information. Here's what you can find:
Company Details
Registered name, company number, date of incorporation, registered address, company type (Ltd, LLP, PLC), and current status (Active, Dissolved, etc.).
Directors & Officers
Names of current and former directors, their appointment and resignation dates, date of birth (month and year only), nationality, and occupation.
Filing History
Annual accounts, confirmation statements (formerly annual returns), and other filings. You can view and download these documents for free.
Persons with Significant Control
PSCs are the people who ultimately own or control the company — anyone holding more than 25% of shares or voting rights. Required since 2016.
Charges & Mortgages
Registered charges — when a company uses assets as security for a loan. Shows the lender, date registered, and whether the charge has been satisfied (paid off).
SIC Codes
Standard Industrial Classification codes that describe what the company does. Every company must have at least one. See our SIC codes guide for more detail.
Who Uses Companies House and Why
Business owners
Checking potential suppliers, partners, or customers before doing business with them. Understanding who you're trading with is basic due diligence.
Accountants and solicitors
Filing accounts, verifying company details for transactions, and conducting anti-money-laundering checks. Professional due diligence is a legal requirement in many cases.
Journalists and researchers
Investigating company ownership, financial health, and corporate structures. Much of the investigative journalism around UK business starts with Companies House data.
Consumers doing due diligence
Checking whether a company you're about to spend money with is actually registered and active. See our guide to checking company legitimacy for a step-by-step walkthrough.
Competitors
Reviewing competitors' filed accounts to understand their revenue, profitability, and financial health. Micro-entity and small company accounts show limited detail, but medium and large company accounts can be very revealing.
How to Search Companies House
You can search Companies House data directly through our company search tool. We connect directly to the Companies House API and present the data in a clear, readable format with additional analysis like health scores and filing status summaries.
You can search by company name, company number, or director name. Results are instant and free. You don't need an account or login.
What's Free vs What Costs
Free (always)
- Searching for companies and directors
- Viewing company details, directors, and filing history
- Downloading annual accounts and filings (PDF)
- Checking PSCs and charges
- Searching the disqualified directors register
Paid services
- Certified copies of documents
- Certificates of good standing
- Certified copies of incorporation documents
- Same-day document delivery
Common Misconceptions
"Companies House checks that accounts are accurate"
It doesn't. Companies House accepts filings and makes them publicly available. It checks that filings are in the correct format and submitted on time, but it doesn't audit or verify the numbers within them. That's the job of the company's own accountant and, for larger companies, their external auditors.
"A company registered at Companies House must be legitimate"
Registration means a company exists as a legal entity. It doesn't mean it's trading, profitable, or trustworthy. Anyone can register a company for a small fee. The information filed after registration is what tells you the real story.
"Companies House verifies registered addresses"
It doesn't verify that the company actually operates from the registered address. The registered office address is simply where official correspondence is sent. Many companies use their accountant's address or a virtual office service. The address must be in the correct jurisdiction (a company registered in England and Wales must have an address in England or Wales), but that's the extent of the check.
"Companies House is the same as HMRC"
They're separate organisations. Companies House handles company registration and public filings. HMRC handles taxation. A company must deal with both, but they serve different functions. Your corporation tax return goes to HMRC; your annual accounts go to Companies House. They do share some information, but they're independent bodies.
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