Your details on Companies House paper documents
Updated 4 March 2024
© Crown copyright 2024
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/company-details-on-documents/company-details-on-documents
1. Submitting paper documents
Write the full company name and name ending (for example Ltd, Limited, PLC) with the company number.
We will return your document if you do not include the right company number, or if you use a company name with an abbreviation that’s not allowed.
We’ll also return your document if the company name has spelling errors or variations.
We’ll accept documents missing the word “THE” from a company name, but only if it’s found at the beginning of the name.
2. Acceptable abbreviations
| For public companies | For LLPs | For private limited companies | For community interest companies (private limited) | For community interest companies (public limited) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Limited Company | Limited Liability Partnership | Limited | Community Interest Company | Community Interest Public Limited Company |
| PLC | LLP | Ltd | CIC | Community Interest PLC |
| P.L.C. | L.L.P. | Ltd. | C.I.C. | Community Interest P.L.C. |
| Cwmni Cyfyngedig Cyhoeddus | Partneriaeth Atebolrwydd Cyfyngedig | Cyfyngedig | Cwmni Buddiant Cymunedol | Cwmni Buddiant Cymunedol Cyhoeddus Cyfyngedig |
| CCC | PAC | CYF | CBC | Cwmni Buddiant Cymunedol CCC |
| C.C.C. | P.A.C. | CYF. | C.B.C. | Cwmni Buddiant Cymunedol C.C.C. |
3. Authentication
You must authorise the form. We’ll accept a signature or printed name of the person authenticating the form which is:
- digitally generated
- typed directly into the form
- scanned onto the form
- hand-written in black ink
3.1 Changes to signature authentication
In most circumstances, the Companies Act 2006 gives the Registrar of Companies the power to specify the means of authentication in respect of any authorised person filing forms on behalf of a company. This is done through the registrar’s rules.
Companies House is committed to reducing the amount of personal data on the public register, including signatures. For most paper forms received at Companies House, we’ll accept the printed name of the person authenticating the form on behalf of the company.
Any means of authentication entered on the form will appear on the public register.