How to find information about a director on Companies House

Before you sign a contract, take on a supplier or invest in a business, it is sensible to check who is behind it. Companies House makes basic information about every UK company director public and free to search.

Where to search

Use the Find and update company information service on GOV.UK. It is free and does not need an account. You can search by:

• company name or number, then open the "People" tab to see its officers and PSCs
• officer name, to see every company a person has been appointed to

Searching by officer is often more useful. It shows a person's current and past appointments, so you can see their wider business history.

What you can see about a director

For each director, the public register shows:

• full name
• month and year of birth
• nationality
• service address (also called a correspondence address), which is often the company's registered office or an agent's address
• the date they were appointed and, if relevant, when they resigned
• other appointments, current and resigned

You can also see the company's filing history, which includes accounts, confirmation statements and appointment forms.

What stays private

Some information is held on a private register and not shown publicly:

• Home address – a director's usual residential address is only shared with credit reference agencies and specified public authorities, such as the police.
• Full date of birth – only the month and year are public.

If a director used their home address on older public documents, they can apply to Companies House to have it removed or protected in some situations. Since July 2025, people can also apply to remove their day of birth, signature or occupation from older documents. A Director Service Address keeps your home address off future filings.

Check people with significant control

The "People" tab also shows people with significant control (PSCs) – usually anyone holding more than 25% of the shares or voting rights, or who otherwise controls the company. The director and the real owner are not always the same person, so check both.

Check whether a director is disqualified

Companies House also publishes a free disqualified directors search. A disqualified person cannot act as a director or be involved in running a company without court permission. The data is an extract that is updated regularly, so for important decisions check the latest version and look at the company's filings too.

Identity verification gives extra assurance

Since 18 November 2025, new directors and PSCs must verify their identity with Companies House. Existing ones verify when the company files its next confirmation statement during the transition period. Over time this means the names on the register are linked to real, verified people.

What the register does not tell you

The register is a record of what companies have filed. It does not:

• confirm a director is honest or financially sound
• show personal credit history
• prove the company can pay its debts

For larger deals, combine a Companies House check with credit reports, references, and professional advice. If you need formal proof of a company's officers for a bank or overseas authority, a Certificate of Incumbency or Certificate of Good Standing is the right document.

Quick checklist before you do business

1. Search the company and confirm it is "Active", not "Dissolved" or in liquidation.
2. Check its accounts and confirmation statement are up to date.
3. Look up each director's other appointments for patterns, such as many dissolved companies.
4. Check the disqualified directors search.
5. Look at the PSCs to see who owns the company.

How Form My Company can help

Need a wider check on a company or individual? Our Compliance and Due Diligence service does it for you. We can also order official certificates for your own company when a bank, client or overseas authority asks for proof of who runs it. And as a Companies House ACSP, we can verify your own directors' identity remotely.

Frequently asked questions