Running a company check before signing a contract, onboarding a supplier, or accepting a new client is one of the smartest moves you can make. Companies House gives you free, instant access to official registration details, filing history, and officer information for millions of UK businesses. This guide walks you through how to search the register, interpret what you find, and spot the red flags that matter.
Key Takeaways
Companies House is the official UK register where you can run a free company check on any incorporated business by company name or number. You can check the registration details of a company in the UK for free, and checking a company's profile allows you to access free public records.
The "Find and update company information" service lets you search the companies house register and review results including company status, filing history, officers, and people with significant control.
What you cannot find includes verified financial accuracy, credit ratings, or information on unincorporated businesses like sole traders. Disqualified directors are listed on a separate register, not on the main company overview.
Concrete date examples help anchor timelines: accounts for year ended 31 December 2025 are due by 30 September 2026, and confirmation statements must be filed within 14 days of each review period end (for example, by 15 February 2027).
Many UK businesses operate without incorporation and will not appear on the companies house register. Alternative verification methods, such as directories, websites, and official correspondence, are needed for those.
Important Dates and Reporting Timelines
Specific calendar dates matter when you check companies house because accounts deadlines, confirmation statements, and recent law changes all follow fixed schedules. Understanding these timelines helps you assess whether a company is meeting its obligations or falling behind.
Here are the key dates to keep in mind:
31 December 2025 is a common financial year end. If you are checking a company's accounts status in mid-2026, the accounts for year ended 31 December 2024 should already be on file. If they are not present, that is a red flag worth investigating.
30 September 2026 is the typical filing deadline for private companies with a 31 December 2025 year end (nine months after the accounting reference date). This date will appear in the filing history when the accounts are submitted, and any delay past it will show as overdue.
31 December 2024 serves as the prior year reference point. You can compare multiple years of accounts and filings in the register to identify trends in turnover, liabilities, or governance changes.
Confirmation statements must be filed at least once every 12 months. A company incorporated on 1 February 2025 must file its first confirmation statement by 15 February 2026, and annually thereafter, with 1 February 2027 and 15 February 2027 as relevant reference points.
If the correct financial year accounts are missing past their deadline, or confirmation statements are overdue, it signals potential governance or financial issues.
What Is Companies House and Why Run a Company Check?
Companies House is the UK government's statutory registrar of companies, covering England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. It holds the public record for over four million limited companies and limited liability partnerships.
The register is public and free to search, allowing anyone to find information on incorporated entities. A company check means using the companies house website to verify legal existence, status (active, dissolved, or in liquidation), and basic company information such as the incorporation date, registered office address, and officers.
Common reasons to check the register include:
Due diligence on potential suppliers, employers, or clients
Verifying a company name before incorporation or contracts
Confirming that directors are not disqualified
Reviewing filing history before entering a business relationship
Companies House holds statutory data filed by companies but does not guarantee commercial creditworthiness. It only lists companies that are legally registered, so it provides no endorsement of financial health.
You can find a comprehensive range of public data regarding a company's status and history, but for credit risk, you will need separate tools.
How to Use the Companies House Company Search
The companies house website hosts the "Find and update company information" service. Here is a step-by-step walkthrough of how to run a company search.
Step 1: Navigate to the UK government's "Find and update company information" page and select the company search option.
Step 2: Enter your query. You can search by company name, company number, or officer name to find official records. Companies House provides access to company registration details through any of these methods.
Step 3: Review results. The search results page shows a list of matching companies, each displaying the registered office address, incorporation date, and company status at a glance. Key company details include the registration number and date of incorporation.
Use the company number where available. A company number is a unique identifier assigned at incorporation, and it returns exactly one result, eliminating confusion between similar company names.
For example, entering number "01234567" brings up a single company. Clicking through to its overview page shows its legal form (for example, private limited company), status (active), incorporation date, and registered office. You can check a company's registration status online within seconds.
Understanding the Company Overview and Filing History
Once you select a company from the search results, the overview page provides the core company information you need to review.
Key fields on the overview page include:
Full registered name and company number
Legal form (for example, Ltd, plc, or LLP)
Incorporation date and registered office address
Company status - which can be active, dissolved, or in liquidation, as well as "proposal to strike off"
SIC codes indicating the sectors a business operates in
Nature of business description
The filing history tab is where the real detail lives. You can view a company's filing history on Companies House, and filing history includes the dates when documents were filed. Expect to see incorporation documents, annual accounts, confirmation statements, and changes to officers or addresses.
For example, you might see "Accounts for period ending 31 December 2024 - accepted 30 September 2025" followed by "Confirmation statement for review period ending 1 February 2026 - filed 13 February 2026."
Confirmation statement deadlines like 1 February 2026 and 15 February 2027 can be cross-referenced with filings to check whether a company is keeping up with statutory obligations.
Companies House makes basic checks to confirm that appropriate documents are fully completed and signed, but it does not verify the accuracy of submitted information, including financial statements or narrative content. That responsibility lies with the company's directors.
Officers, People with Significant Control, and Disqualified Directors
Companies House records company officers and people with significant control as part of transparency requirements. Here is what you can find:
Officers tab: Shows current and resigned officers, including directors and company secretaries. You can find details on current and resigned directors and shareholders, along with appointment history and correspondence addresses. Date of birth is displayed as month and year only.
You can access director appointment and resignation history, and you can search for directors by name or company number.
Director information includes links to other companies for risk assessment, which is useful when evaluating whether someone has a pattern of failed businesses. Director reports reveal risk patterns and financial performance across their involvement in multiple entities.
People with significant control: The PSC area lists individuals meeting criteria such as owning more than 25% of shares or voting rights, or having the right to appoint or remove a majority of directors. This section helps you identify who really holds influence over a company.
Disqualified directors: This is a separate search, distinct from the standard company search. The register of disqualified directors shows individuals banned from acting as a director, including the reason, start date, and duration. It is free to search and should be checked during any serious due diligence process.
If a person appears on the disqualified directors register but is still listed as an active officer of a company, that may indicate unlawful activity worth bringing to the company's attention or reporting.
Checking Company Name Availability Before Registration
Before incorporating a new company or rebranding, checking company name availability is essential. A name clash can delay your incorporation or create brand disputes.
The companies house website offers a name availability checker. Access it through the company search function and enter your proposed company name.
Search for your proposed name including variations, abbreviations, and common misspellings to find any existing conflicts on the register.
Basic legal rules apply: names must include "Ltd" or "Limited" (for private companies), cannot use restricted words like "Bank" or "Royal" without permission, and must not be too similar to an existing registered name.
For example, if you propose "Green Tech Solutions Ltd" but "GreenTech Solutions Limited" already exists, the application may be refused due to similarity. Minor wording changes like adding "UK" or a geographic qualifier can sometimes make a name acceptable and distinguishable.
Checking the company name early helps avoid rejection and reduces the risk of trademark disputes down the line.
What Information Can and Cannot Be Found on Companies House
While Companies House is comprehensive for incorporated entities, it does not cover every business type or every detail you might expect.
What you can find:
Legal status, incorporation date, and company number
SIC codes and nature of business
Officers, PSCs, and appointment history
Filing history including annual accounts and confirmation statements
Financial statements (statutory accounts as filed)
Registered charges (mortgages, security interests)
You can find a company's registered office address on Companies House
What you cannot find:
Full dates of birth or private residential addresses (redacted for data protection)
Verified financial accuracy - Companies House does not verify the accuracy of submitted information
Credit ratings or recommended credit limits - a company credit report includes risk scores and financial accounts, but these come from separate services. Credit reports help assess financial stability and payment risk, and they may include County Court Judgements (CCJs). Credit reports also provide insights on director and shareholder information.
Only incorporated companies can be checked on Companies House. Unincorporated businesses like sole traders do not appear in the database.
The companies house website may link to external resources but does not endorse or take responsibility for third-party websites or their content.
How to Find Information About Unincorporated Businesses
Many UK businesses operate as sole traders or traditional partnerships and therefore do not show up in a company search on Companies House. Here is how to verify them:
Google Business Profile: Search the business name in Google to see its address, opening hours, phone number, and customer reviews.
Online directories and review platforms: Sector-specific listing sites can provide contact details, trading names, and customer feedback.
Business website: Look for an "About us" page, contact details, trading addresses, privacy policy, and terms of business to help verify identity.
Email signatures and footers: These often contain legal information such as VAT numbers, trading names, and correspondence addresses.
Official letters and invoices: Documents received by post can show registration details and should be retained for due diligence records.
These alternative sources do not carry the statutory power of an official register, but they offer practical ways to verify a business you cannot find on Companies House.
Using Companies House Data for Due Diligence and Ongoing Monitoring
Checking Companies House is a core part of routine due diligence on new and existing business relationships. Here is how to make the most of it:
Review filing history for patterns of late accounts or overdue confirmation statements. Consistent lateness could sign governance or financial issues.
You can set up free email alerts for company updates by creating an account on the service. You can follow a company for updates on Companies House, so any change to officers, addresses, or status triggers a notice to your inbox.
Use alerts to monitor a competitor, major customers, or suppliers. Changes such as new charges, proposals to strike off, or new directors can carry significant risk implications.
Combine Companies House data with your internal credit limits and credit policies. A company credit report from a commercial provider, which includes risk scores, can confirm or challenge what you see in the statutory filings. Use recommended credit limits from credit providers alongside your own financial insights to set appropriate exposure levels.
Compare accounts across multiple years to identify trends. For example, revised accounts filed after the original submission may deserve closer attention.
Running basic checks on Companies House before every new contract is one of the simplest ways to reduce risk in your business.
Legal Notices, Data Protection, and Acceptable Use
Users should understand the legal framework governing how Companies House data is collected and used.
Companies House collects personal data on company directors because it has a statutory power and legal obligation to do so under the Companies Acts.
Data handling complies with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act. Some sensitive important information, such as full dates of birth and home addresses, is not displayed publicly.
The searchable databases are intended for individual company searches. Bulk data downloading or automated high-volume scraping is restricted and may require separate permission and licensing.
Excessive or abusive access patterns can lead to temporary or permanent restrictions to protect the services for all users.
Do not rely solely on Companies House data for major legal or financial decisions. For complex matters, always seek professional guidance and carry out additional due diligence using multiple sources.
Companies send their filings to Companies House, and those filings become part of the public record. But the register is a starting point, not a complete risk assessment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it free to check a company on Companies House?
Yes. Searching the companies house register and viewing basic company information, filing history, officers, PSCs, and most documents online is completely free of charge. There may be small fees for ordering certified copies, paper documents, or certain official certificates, but standard online searches cost nothing.
How often is Companies House information updated?
Companies House updates its register regularly for accuracy. New information appears whenever a company files a document. Digital filings can be processed and visible within hours, while paper filings may take several days. If you are checking near a time-critical date such as the 30 September 2026 accounts deadline, allow for processing time and recheck if in doubt.
Can Companies House tell me if a company is financially safe to trade with?
No. Companies House does not provide credit ratings, financial insights on creditworthiness, or trading recommendations. It simply publishes statutory filings and accounts as present in the register. To assess whether it is safe to grant credit or enter contracts, use Companies House data alongside independent credit reports (which include risk scores, financial accounts, and CCJs), bank references, and your own internal risk policies.
Does every UK business appear on Companies House?
Only incorporated entities such as limited companies, PLCs, and limited liability partnerships appear on the register. Sole traders, ordinary partnerships, and informal trading names will not appear. You must use alternative methods like directories, websites, and official correspondence to verify these businesses.
Can I remove my personal details from Companies House?
In limited circumstances, certain personal details can be suppressed. For example, where there is a serious risk of violence or intimidation, directors can apply to protect their home address or file a complaint requesting suppression. However, core officer information including name, service address, and month and year of birth must generally remain on the public record to comply with corporate transparency requirements.
