Companies House search: find a company by name, number or postcode
Search the Companies House register of 5.7 million UK companies by name, number or postcode. See directors, registered address, SIC codes and filing history. Free, no login.
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Around 3,000 UK companies are incorporated every working day. Browse them by sector and town, or save a search and get the new ones by email.
How to Search Companies House for Free
Enter a company name, company number (e.g. 12345678), or postcode to search the full UK Companies House register - the official public register of UK limited companies, LLPs, PLCs, and other registered entities. Our database covers over 5.7 million companies registered in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, including active, dormant, and dissolved companies.
What Company Data Can You Look Up?
Each company record includes everything filed at Companies House:
- Basic details - company name, registration number, type (Ltd, LLP, PLC), and status (active, dormant, or dissolved)
- Registered office address - the official address held at Companies House for legal correspondence
- SIC codes - Standard Industrial Classification codes describing what the company does
- Directors and officers - current and former directors, secretaries, appointment dates, and nationalities
- PSC (Persons with Significant Control) - who owns or controls the company and their percentage shareholding
- Filing history - annual accounts, confirmation statements, and other statutory filings
- Website - detected website URL and the platform it runs on (Shopify, WordPress, Wix, etc.)
- Charges - mortgages and charges registered against the company
Why Search Companies House?
- Due diligence - verify a company exists and is actively trading before doing business with them
- Credit checks - review filing history and charges as part of a credit or supplier assessment
- Background checks - verify a business partner or supplier's history, directors, and ownership before signing a contract
- Sales prospecting - find companies in your target industry and identify who to contact
- Competitor research - look up competitors' SIC codes, directors, and corporate structure
- KYC and AML compliance - verify company details and beneficial ownership as part of Know Your Customer or anti-money laundering checks. Companies House is a required source in many regulated onboarding workflows.
Search by Company Name, Number or Postcode
- Search by company registration number (e.g. "12345678") for the most precise results - useful when several businesses share a similar name
- Use partial postcodes (e.g. "SW1A" or "EC1") to find companies registered in a specific area
- Company names are matched partially - "Acme" will return "Acme Solutions Ltd", "Acme Trading Ltd", and all others containing that word
- To look up a dissolved company, simply search by name or number - dissolved companies remain on the register and are fully searchable
- For more granular filtering, use our Advanced Search which supports date ranges, company types, SIC categories, and website filters
Related Companies House Tools
- Company Director Search - Find directors and officers by name
- PSC Lookup - Look up who owns or controls any UK company
- VAT Number Checker - Verify UK VAT registrations against HMRC
- Company Name Checker - Check if a company name is available
- Newly Registered UK Companies - Browse new incorporations by industry and location
- How to Verify a UK Company - Guide to company verification using public records
- B2B Lead Generation with Company Data - How sales teams use Companies House data
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Companies House search free?
Yes. All basic company information on the UK register is public and free to access. This tool lets you search over 5.7 million UK companies at no cost and view registered addresses, directors, SIC codes, and filing history without paying or registering.
Can I look up a limited company for free?
Yes. Every UK limited company - private limited (Ltd), public limited (PLC), and limited liability partnership (LLP) - is on the public Companies House register. You can search and view their records for free. The register covers England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
Can I search by company number as well as name?
Yes. Enter the 8-digit company registration number to find a specific company instantly. Searching by number is the most precise method when several businesses share a similar name, and it returns the exact company record rather than a list of partial matches.
Can I search for UK companies by postcode?
Yes. Enter a full or partial postcode (for example 'SW1A' or 'EC1A 1BB') to find companies registered at addresses in that area. You can combine a postcode with a company name to narrow your results. For broader geographic filtering, the Advanced Search supports region-level queries.
What company information can I look up?
Each company record includes the company name and number, incorporation date, status (active, dormant, or dissolved), company type (Ltd, LLP, PLC), registered office address, SIC codes describing the business activity, current and former directors, filing history, and - where available - a website URL and the platform it runs on.
How do I find out who owns a UK company?
The PSC (Persons with Significant Control) register shows who owns or controls a UK company. Click through to a company's full record to see its PSC information - including names, nationalities, countries of residence, and the nature of each person's control (for example, owning more than 25% of shares).
Can I look up a dissolved company?
Yes. Dissolved and dormant companies remain searchable on the public register. Their historical records - directors, addresses, filing history, and SIC codes - are all visible, which is useful for due diligence, background checks, and research into former business activities.
What is the difference between active, dormant, and dissolved companies?
An active company is currently trading or capable of trading. A dormant company is registered but has had no significant accounting transactions - it exists but is not operating. A dissolved company has been formally removed from the register and no longer exists as a legal entity, though its records remain publicly accessible.
Can I search for companies by industry or SIC code?
Not directly from this search tool, but the Advanced Search at /search lets you filter companies by SIC category. The New Companies section at /new-companies lets you browse recently registered companies by industry - useful for finding new businesses in a specific sector.
Can I find a company's registered address using this search?
Yes. The registered office address appears in every company record. This is the official address held at Companies House for statutory notices and legal correspondence - it may differ from the company's trading address or head office.
How current is the company data?
Data is sourced directly from the Companies House public register and updated regularly. Most changes appear shortly after they are filed, though there can be a short lag between a company submitting an update and it appearing on the register. For the most time-sensitive queries, you can also check the Companies House website directly.
Is there a limit on how many companies I can look up?
No. This tool provides unlimited free lookups with no account or registration required. You can search and view as many company records as you need.