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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallYou can check a UK company’s public record for free using Companies House’ “Find and update company information” service. A five-minute check is a useful target for a first look, not an official time estimate or a guarantee that you have completed due diligence. This is a review of public company filings—not a credit, criminal-record, identity or comprehensive risk check.
How to run a free Companies House check
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Open the Companies House search service. Search by the company’s exact name or company number. Before reviewing anything, confirm that the result is the entity you mean; similar names can refer to different companies.
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Check the company name, type, current status, registered office and stated nature of business (its SIC activity). If you are checking a supplier or customer, compare those details with the company’s website, contract or invoice.
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Look at the dates of the latest accounts and confirmation statement, their next due dates, and the filing history. Open relevant document images rather than relying only on the summary: Companies House makes filing-history documents available to download free.
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Review the officers, including current and resigned officers, and check for disqualified-director information, previous company names, mortgage charges and insolvency information where available.
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For ongoing updates, select the free “Follow” function on the company record. Companies House says it emails alerts when it accepts a company transaction and includes a link to the filing history.
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The search service does not require registration to view company information. Its listed record categories include status, company type, registered address, SIC activity, filing dates and history, document images, officer details, disqualified directors, previous names, charges and insolvency information. See the Companies House register guidance and GOV.UK’s company information page.
What the register can—and cannot—tell you
The register shows information filed with Companies House. Its live service gives an important warning: “Companies House does not check the accuracy of the information filed”. That means a record is not a Companies House certification of a business or its claims. The live register provides the notice, while Companies House’ public-register guidance explains that the register is publicly available online worldwide and companies are responsible for supplying information about their activities, accounts and control.
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- Oxford University Press, USA Company Law.
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Use the record to establish what is on file and identify questions worth investigating. It does not, by itself, prove that a company is trustworthy, solvent, operating as described, or free of undisclosed problems. It is also not an identity check on the people named in the record.
How to read common warning signs
Status: live or dissolved
Note the status shown, then confirm that the record belongs to the company you are dealing with. A matching name alone is not enough to establish that you have found the right entity.
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Late or missing filings
Treat an overdue or absent filing as a reason to inspect the history and ask the company for an explanation—not as proof of fraud. Companies must deliver annual accounts, including dormant companies, and failure to comply can lead to strike-off action. The current Companies House accounts guidance explains the filing obligation.
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These entries show the people and control recorded on the register; they are not an independent check of identity or suitability. Relevant directors and people with significant control (PSCs) are subject to identity-verification requirements. The rules and deadlines depend on role and timing; consult the current Companies House identity-verification guidance for the applicable requirements.
Charges and insolvency information
Read the available entries and their source documents and dates. A listed charge or insolvency entry merits attention, but the presence or absence of an entry is not a complete assessment of financial risk.
Previous names
Earlier names can help you follow the same entity’s record over time. A company changing its name is not, by itself, evidence that a different legal entity was created; check the filing history and company number.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When a first-pass check is not enough
Use Companies House as a starting point when you need to confirm the public record or decide what to ask next. If the decision involves substantial money, a long-term contract or significant exposure, the public filings alone may not answer the commercial-risk questions that matter to you. Decide what additional evidence is needed for that decision rather than treating a quick register search as a complete background check.
Five minutes is a practical target for a straightforward first pass, not a completion-time claim from Companies House. A complicated record, relevant filings to inspect or a higher-stakes decision may take longer. The guidance describes the service and its available records but does not promise that five minutes is sufficient for every company or purpose.
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