Registering a Company Name FAQs

A company must display its name:

• at its registered office and at the place where it keeps its company records for inspection. From 1 October 2008 this requirement will not apply to a dormant company if it has at all times since its incorporation been dormant i.e. it has "no significant accounting transactions" during a financial year or entries in the company's accounting records. Please refer to our Dormant Companies' guidance at www.companieshouse.gov.uk;
• at any other place at which it carries on business. From 1 October 2008 this requirement will not apply if the location is used primarily for living accommodation, for example, if it is the director's home;
• on all its business correspondence and documentation (in hard copy, electronic or any other form), including:
  • - the company's business letters and order forms;
  • - bills of exchange, promissory notes, endorsements, cheques and orders for money or goods purporting to be signed by, or on behalf of, the company;
  • - bills of parcels, invoices, receipts and letters of credit; and
  • - its websites.

Please refer to The Companies (Trading Disclosure) Regulations 2008 (Statutory Instrument 2008/495).

The name must be in characters that can be read with the naked eye and be displayed continuously. From 1 October 2008, where the office, place or location is shared by six or more companies, each company is only required to display its registered name for at least fifteen continuous seconds at least once in every three minutes (this is to allow electrical displays with alternating names).

Yes. On all company's business letters, order forms (in hard copy, electronic or any other form) and its websites, the company must show in legible lettering:

(a) the part of the United Kingdom in which the company is registered which is: For Companies registered in England and Wales either:

• Registered in England and Wales; or
• Registered in England; or
• Registered in Wales; or
• Registered in London; or
• Registered in Cardiff.

For Companies registered in Scotland either:

• Registered in Scotland; or
• Registered in Edinburgh.

(b) the company's registered number;

(c) the address of the company's registered office.

If a business letter, order form or any of the company's websites includes mentions more than one address, you should state which address is the registered office.

Certain categories of company must state the following additional information on their business letters, order forms, (whether in hard copy, electronic or any other form) and websites:

(a) in the case of a limited company exempt from using the word 'limited', the fact that it is a limited company;

(b) in the case of a community interest company which is not a public company, the fact that it is a limited company;

(c) if it is an investment company as defined by section 833 of the Companies Act 2006, the fact that it is this type of company;

(d) for a company with share capital, it is not necessary to state the share capital on stationery but, if the company chooses to do so, it must state its paid-up capital.

A company does not have to state the directors' names on its business letters, however, if it chooses to do so, it must state the names of all its directors. In other words, a company cannot be selective about which directors' names it shows - it must show all of them or none of them.

Section 68 of the Charities Act 1993 provides that a charitable company whose name does not include the word 'charity' or 'charitable' must state that it is a charity on company documents, including business letters, notices, invoices, bills of exchange, promissory notes and on any conveyances it executes. The relevant legislation in Scotland is the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005.

A company formed outside Great Britain which opens a branch or place of business in Great Britain must register with Companies House and must publicly display similar details to those set out in this chapter. Our 'Oversea Companies' guidance gives full details at www.companieshouse.gov.uk.

If the company is being wound up or is in administration or receivership or a moratorium is in force in respect of its debts, every invoice, order for goods, business letter or order form (in hard copy, electronic or any other form) must contain a statement that the company is being wound up.

Minor variations in the form of a name will be permitted including the case of the letters, the use of punctuation, accents, etc and formatting. However, the differences must not result in there being a risk of confusion.

From 1 October 2008 any person dealing with the company may make a written request for the company to disclose the address of its registered office, the inspection place (any other place where it keeps its company records) and the type of company records which are kept at that office or place. The company must send a written response to that person within five working days of the receipt of that request.

The company and every one of its officers in default will be committing an offence and they may be liable to a fine. However, from 1 October 2008 the personal civil liability of officers under the Companies Act 1985 will be removed. This means, for example, that if the officer signs a cheque on behalf of a company in breach of the disclosure requirements, he is no longer personally liable to the holder of the cheque for any money.