Guidance

Registrar of Companies: rules and powers

What the registrar's powers are, and how and when they work.

Documents

Details

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 was given Royal Assent on 26 October 2023. This amended part 35 of the Companies Act 2006 (the act) and significantly enhanced the powers of the Registrar of Companies. 

This guidance tells you what the registrar’s powers are and gives you an idea of how and when we’ll use them. 

The powers apply to companies and LLPs. In this guidance, any references to ‘company’ or ‘directors’ will apply to ‘LLPs’ and their ‘members’, unless referenced otherwise.

If you are in any doubt about the application of these powers or have an enquiry about the application of these powers to other corporate entity types, contact Companies House.

Published 1 September 2014
Last updated 4 March 2024 + show all updates
  1. Updated for new measures under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act.

  2. Rules for delivery updated following Edinburgh office move. Guidance PDF booklet republished in HTML format.

  3. New version relating to changes brought in by the The Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act.

  4. Cymraeg GP6 updated to version 3.5

  5. English GP6 updated to version 3.5

  6. Welsh translation added.

  7. First published.