Is Companies House free?

    Is Companies House free to search?

    Free, official, source-cited — updated 2026-06.

    Search Company Records in United Kingdom

    3 free lookups per day. No sign-up required.

    Reviewed by LemReveal Research TeamLast verified June 2026Primary source: Companies House

    How do I use Companies House for free in United Kingdom?

    Companies House basic search — name-to-number lookup, legal status, registered address, and current officers — is free at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/companies-house. Certified extracts, historical filings, and bulk data downloads sometimes carry small statutory fees.

    Step-by-step

    1. 1

      Open Companies House

      Go to https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/companies-house. No account is required for public search.

      https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/companies-house
    2. 2

      Free: name and number search

      Any user can search by company name or registration number and see the legal name, status, address, and registration number at no cost.

    3. 3

      Free: current officers

      Current directors and legal representatives are shown on the entity profile for free in most jurisdictions.

    4. 4

      Paid (sometimes): certified extracts

      Downloadable certified extracts, historical filings, and full accounts filings can carry a small government fee. The register itself is not commercial — fees cover statutory production costs.

    Open Companies HouseAll United Kingdom records

    Frequently asked questions

    Do I need to pay to search Companies House?

    No. Basic name and number search on Companies House is free and does not require an account.

    What does Companies House charge for?

    Only for certified/certified-copy extracts, historical filings, and bulk data feeds — and only in some jurisdictions. Everyday due-diligence lookups are free.

    Is there a free API for Companies House?

    Some registers publish an open-data feed for free. Where they don't, LemReveal indexes the public data and exposes it through our free /tools endpoints.

    People also ask about use Companies House for free in United Kingdom

    The exact questions searchers type into Google — answered from the primary source.

    Is the United Kingdom company register free to search?

    Yes. Basic company lookups on the Companies House are free — you can search by company name or registration number, view legal status, registered address and (usually) directors at no cost. Some jurisdictions charge a small fee only for downloading full filed documents.

    What is the official United Kingdom business registry?

    The Companies House is the official public register of companies incorporated in United Kingdom. It is operated by the government and is the primary source cited on this page — https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/companies-house.

    What does the United Kingdom business registry cost?

    Searching the Companies House by company name, number or status is free. Fees usually apply only for downloading full-text filed documents (annual accounts, articles of association) or requesting certified copies.

    Do I need to sign up to search the United Kingdom register?

    No sign-up is required for public lookups on the Companies House. Registration is only needed if you want to save searches, download bulk data, or file documents as a company representative.

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