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UK company checker. Check before you pay.
Type a company name or number. You get its status, age, directors, owners and filing record from Companies House, with any warning signs pulled out.
Why check a company first
Before you pay a deposit, give a customer credit, sign with a supplier or hire a builder trading as a limited company, a two-minute check on the register can save you a lot of trouble. It tells you whether the company is still live, how long it has existed, who runs it, who owns it, and whether it is keeping up with the legal filings every company must make.
What to look for
- Status. "Active" means it is on the register and trading as a company. Dissolved, in liquidation or in administration are serious warnings.
- Age. A brand-new company is not a bad sign, but it has no track record yet.
- Accounts and confirmation statement. Every company must file both on time. Overdue filings often come before a company is struck off.
- Directors. Check the names match the people you are dealing with, and look out for a lot of recent changes.
- People with significant control. These are the owners, usually anyone with more than 25% of the shares or votes.
- Previous names. A company that has changed its name several times is worth a closer look.
- Nature of business (SIC codes). Does what it says it does match what it is selling you?
What this check cannot tell you
The register shows what a company has filed, not whether it pays its bills. For a large order or credit account, also ask for trade references, check reviews, and consider a paid credit report. To confirm a VAT number, use HMRC's free VAT number checker on GOV.UK.
Your own company
Customers check you too. If your company is limited, your website should show your full company name, number and registered office address. If it does not, that is an easy fix, and we can check the rest of your site for free with our website grader.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Industry descriptions adapted from ONS SIC 2007 data under the same licence.
Questions
Where does the information come from?
Straight from the Companies House register, through its official free API. It shows what the company has filed: status, dates, address, directors, owners and filing deadlines. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Is the company checker free?
Yes, with no sign-up. Results are kept for up to 12 hours to keep the service fast, so a filing made this morning may take a little while to show here. The link to Companies House on each result always shows the latest.
What do the warnings mean?
They are quick pointers, not a credit check. Overdue accounts, insolvency history, a very new company or lots of recent director changes are reasons to look closer before you pay a deposit or give credit. A company with none of them can still be a poor payer.
Why are dates of birth and home addresses not shown?
Companies House shows a director's month and year of birth and a correspondence address. We leave them out because you do not need them to check a business, and they are personal details.
Can I check sole traders or partnerships?
No. Only limited companies, LLPs and other bodies on the Companies House register are listed. Sole traders and ordinary partnerships are not registered there.
How do I check a company's VAT number?
Use HMRC's free "Check a UK VAT number" service on GOV.UK. It confirms whether a VAT number is valid and the business name it belongs to.
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