Company Registers Explained: What UK Companies Need to Keep and Why

For a UK limited company, company registers are part of the basic legal infrastructure of the business. They record important information about ownership, officers and corporate history, helping establish who owns and controls the company and how its structure has changed over time.

However, UK company law has changed significantly in recent years. Since 18 November 2025, companies no longer have to maintain separate statutory registers of directors, directors’ residential addresses, company secretaries or people with significant control (PSCs). Companies must still provide and maintain this information with Companies House. The register of members, commonly called the register of shareholders, remains a statutory company register and must still be maintained.

That distinction matters. A company cannot simply assume that everything previously kept in its statutory books has disappeared as a compliance responsibility. This guide explains what company registers are, which registers UK companies currently need to maintain, what changed under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, and how founders can keep their records in good order.

What Are Company Registers?

Company registers are formal records containing information that a company is legally required to keep or provide under UK company law. They are different from the information displayed on the Companies House public register. Companies House holds information about UK companies and makes much of it publicly searchable. At the same time, the company itself has obligations to maintain particular records and keep certain information up to date.

For example, a company's register of members records its shareholders and their shareholdings. This is an important distinction from the Companies House record, which may show information filed by the company but does not replace every internal company record.

Practical Rule for Founders: Do not treat Companies House as a substitute for maintaining the company's own corporate records.

Which Company Registers Does a UK Company Need?

The requirements changed in late 2025, so older articles and checklists can now be misleading.

Register of members

A UK company must maintain a register of members. This is the company's formal record of its shareholders or members. For a company with share capital, the register generally includes information such as:

• The names and addresses of members
• The date each person became a member
• The date someone ceased to be a member
• The shares held by each member
• Share class information where applicable
• Relevant information about amounts paid or treated as paid on shares

The Companies Act 2006 specifically requires every company to keep a register of members. This register becomes particularly important when shares are transferred, new shares are issued, shareholders change, or the company undergoes an investment round.

Register of directors

This is where the recent law changes can cause confusion. From 18 November 2025, companies no longer have to maintain their own register of directors. The information must instead be registered with Companies House and kept up to date there. That does not mean directors can be ignored in corporate compliance.

Companies still need to notify Companies House about relevant director appointments, resignations and changes, while directors themselves are increasingly subject to identity-verification requirements. Companies House began the transition towards compulsory identity verification for existing directors and PSCs in November 2025. The process is being incorporated into confirmation statement filings during the transition period.

Register of directors' residential addresses

Companies are also no longer required to maintain a separate internal register of directors' residential addresses from 18 November 2025. The information remains subject to Companies House requirements, but the company's old statutory register is no longer required in the same form. This is important for privacy. A director's residential address is not simply interchangeable with the company's registered office address.

Register of company secretaries

Where a company has a secretary, it must continue to provide the relevant information to Companies House, but from 18 November 2025 there is no longer a requirement to maintain a separate statutory register of company secretaries. Private companies are not generally required to appoint a company secretary, although they can choose to do so.

Register of people with significant control (PSC)

The PSC regime remains highly important. A PSC is generally an individual or legal entity that meets specified control conditions, such as holding more than 25% of a company's shares or voting rights, or otherwise exercising significant control or influence. Since 18 November 2025, companies no longer have to maintain a separate internal PSC register. They must still identify their PSCs and provide the required information to Companies House. So, the legal obligation has changed in form rather than disappeared.

What Changed Under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act?

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA) introduced some of the most significant changes to the UK company registration system in generations. One major change was the removal of requirements to maintain local registers for:

• Directors
• Directors' residential addresses
• Company secretaries
• PSCs

Companies must continue to register this information with Companies House and keep it accurate. There was also a change concerning the option for companies to use Companies House as a central register.

Companies could previously elect to hold certain statutory information centrally rather than maintaining it locally. Those options have now been removed in stages. The central-register option for directors, secretaries and PSC information ended on 18 November 2025, while the equivalent option for members ended on 26 January 2026.

For companies that previously relied on the central register for their shareholder information, this is particularly important: they need to create and maintain a full register of members and keep it at the registered office or a single alternative inspection location

What Is a Register of Members Used For?

The register of members is more than an administrative formality. Imagine a UK company called Northbridge Digital Ltd with three shareholders:

• A owns 60%
• B owns 25%
• C owns 15%

If C transfers half of their shares to A, the company's internal shareholder record needs to reflect the transaction appropriately. The register provides the formal history of membership and share ownership. This becomes particularly valuable when:

• Shares are transferred
• New shares are issued
• An investor joins the company
• A shareholder exits
• Different share classes are created
• Ownership percentages change
• The company is sold
• A dispute arises over ownership

A mismatch between the company's records and its filings can create unnecessary problems during due diligence.

Where Should Company Registers Be Kept?

A company's register of members must generally be kept at its registered office or at a single alternative inspection location The company must also make the register available for public inspection in accordance with the applicable legal requirements.

This makes the choice of registered office address more than a postal matter. For international founders operating a UK company remotely, the distinction is particularly useful. A founder living outside the UK may have no physical UK office, but the company still needs a compliant UK registered office arrangement and an appropriate place for statutory records.

This is one area where a UK company formation and management platform such as IncorpUK can be relevant editorially: international founders often need to understand the relationship between their registered office, company records, Companies House filings and ongoing compliance rather than viewing incorporation as a one-off event.

Company Registers vs Companies House: What's the Difference?

The two are closely related but should not be confused.

Companies House provides public access to company information through its online search service. The practical takeaway is that filing something at Companies House does not automatically eliminate every record-keeping obligation within the company.

What Other Corporate Records Should a Company Keep?

Although not all of these are technically "company registers", a properly managed corporate record system normally includes more than the statutory register of members. Depending on the company, records can include:

• Articles of association
• Share certificates
• Share allotment records
• Share transfer documentation
• Board meeting minutes
• Written resolutions
• Shareholder resolutions
• Dividend documentation
• Records supporting significant company decisions
• Accounting records
• Confirmation statement information
• Annual accounts and supporting financial records
• Documents relating to loans or major transactions

For example, if a company issues new shares to an investor, updating the Companies House record is only one part of the process. The company should also ensure its internal ownership records and relevant corporate documentation accurately reflect what happened.

Why Accurate Registers Matter for Founders

For a small company, corporate records can feel like paperwork with little immediate commercial value. That changes quickly when the company grows. Suppose a founder owns 100% of a company and later sells 20% to an investor. Three years later, the company is raising another £500,000. If the company's records disagree about who owns what, investors and professional advisers may need to stop and reconstruct the ownership history. That can delay:

• Investment
• Company sales
• Banking arrangements
• Due diligence
• Share transfers
• Restructuring
• Tax and accounting work

Good records are therefore not just about avoiding penalties. They create a reliable corporate history.

A Practical Company Register Compliance Checklist

A useful annual review should ask:

1. Is the shareholder register accurate? Check every shareholder, share class and relevant ownership detail.
2. Have shares changed hands? Review transfers, allotments, buybacks and other transactions since the last review.
3. Does Companies House match your records? Compare the company's filed information with your corporate documents and investigate discrepancies.
4. Are directors and PSC information up to date? Although separate internal registers are no longer required for these categories, the information registered with Companies House must remain accurate.
5. Has the company changed its registered office or SAIL arrangements? Make sure records are stored at the correct location and that any required Companies House notifications have been made.
6. Are corporate decisions documented? Major decisions should not exist only in emails or informal conversations. Use appropriate board minutes or written resolutions.
7. Are identity-verification obligations being monitored? The Companies House identity-verification regime is being phased in. Directors and PSCs should understand when verification applies to them.

What Happens If Company Records Are Wrong?

The consequences depend on the nature of the error. A minor administrative discrepancy may be straightforward to correct. A serious or persistent failure can create more substantial legal, regulatory or commercial problems. Incorrect information can also undermine confidence in the company.

Companies House has expanded its powers and responsibilities under the ECCTA reforms, with greater emphasis on improving the accuracy and reliability of the register. In 2026, Companies House reported that it was removing misleading information from the register at scale and using enhanced measures to address misuse. The safest approach is to correct errors rather than allow them to accumulate.

How Often Should You Review Company Registers?

There is no sensible reason to wait until the annual confirmation statement. A better approach is to update records whenever a relevant corporate event occurs. For example:

Share transfer → update corporate records → complete required Companies House filing → retain supporting documentation.

Likewise:

New director → verify identity requirements → notify Companies House → retain relevant appointment documentation.

This "event-driven" approach is much safer than trying to reconstruct an entire year's corporate history immediately before filing deadlines.

FAQs About UK Company Registers

Does every UK company need a register of members?

Yes. Every company must keep a register of members. For companies with share capital, it records relevant shareholder and shareholding information.

Do companies still need a register of directors?

No. From 18 November 2025, companies no longer have to maintain a separate statutory register of directors. They must still register director information with Companies House and keep it up to date.

Do I still need a PSC register?

A company no longer needs to maintain a separate internal PSC register from 18 November 2025. However, it must still identify PSCs and provide the required information to Companies House.

Can I keep my register of members at Companies House?

The central-register option for members was removed on 26 January 2026. Companies must maintain their register of members at their registered office or a single alternative inspection location.

Are company registers publicly available?

Some company information is publicly available through Companies House. However, the rules differ depending on the type of information and record. A company's register of members is subject to statutory inspection rules, while sensitive information such as directors' residential addresses receives specific protections.

What happens if my company register and Companies House information disagree?

You should investigate and correct the discrepancy as soon as possible. The appropriate correction depends on what information is wrong and how the error occurred.

Do overseas founders need to maintain UK company registers?

Yes. A founder's residence outside the UK does not remove the UK company's corporate compliance obligations. A UK-incorporated company must follow applicable UK company law requirements regardless of where its owners live.

Does a confirmation statement replace company registers?

No. A confirmation statement is a Companies House filing used to confirm or update company information. It does not replace the company's obligation to maintain records that it is legally required to keep.

Conclusion: Company Registers Are Part of Good Corporate Governance

Company registers are easy to overlook when running a small business, but they form an important part of a company's legal and ownership history. The rules have changed significantly. Since November 2025, companies no longer need separate statutory registers for directors, directors' residential addresses, secretaries or PSCs, but those details still have to be registered with Companies House and kept accurate. The register of members remains a key statutory record, and the removal of the central-register option means companies must ensure their shareholder records are properly maintained in the right place.

For founders, the best approach is straightforward: keep ownership records accurate, update Companies House promptly, document important corporate decisions, monitor regulatory changes and review your records regularly.

Good company records rarely attract attention when everything is correct. Their real value becomes obvious when an investor, buyer, bank, accountant or solicitor needs to rely on them. For a growing UK company, that reliability is part of being properly organised, credible and compliant.