Changes to UK company statutory registers: what you need to know

The UK is undertaking a significant reform of company law under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (“ECCTA”). One of the major components of this reform is the overhaul of statutory register obligations for companies.

In addition to the new identity verification checks, from 18 November 2025, a number of registers that many companies currently maintain locally will be abolished, with equivalent obligations moving to the central register held at Companies House.

What exactly is changing?

Here are the key changes being brought into force:

Abolition of certain local statutory registers

Companies will no longer be required to hold local registers of:

• Directors
• Directors’ residential addresses
• Secretaries
• Persons with Significant Control (“PSCs”)

Although those local registers are being abolished, the information won’t disappear; for example, companies must still file the relevant information with Companies House and keep it updated.

Register of Members changes

Companies will still have to maintain a register of members for their shareholders under the Companies Act 2006, but companies will no longer have the option of using the “central register” at Companies House to hold that register. If your register of members has been held centrally at Companies House, you will need to make arrangements for this register to be held internally within the company. You will need to

1. create a register of members
2. hold the register of members at the company’s registered office address or SAIL address;
3. include a statement in the register of members that before this change, the information about the company’s members was held on the ‘central register’; and
4. make this register available for the public to view.

From 18 November 2025, the register of members must be held locally, i.e., at the company’s registered office or at a Single Alternative Inspection Location (“SAIL”) if applicable.

There are also requirements being considered for the information to be recorded in that register of members, for example, full forenames, surnames (not just initials), service addresses, etc.

Enhanced Filing & Verification Obligations

As local registers are removed, Companies House becomes the definitive place for many of these records. This increases the importance of timely, accurate filings.

Also, identity verification is becoming mandatory for directors and PSCs.

What Companies Need to Do to Prepare

Companies will need to take various steps to ensure compliance:

1. Review current statutory registers and ensure all information is up to date; particularly, directors, secretaries and PSC records should be verified.
2. If your register of members is held centrally at Companies House, plan to relocate it locally (registered office or SAIL).
3. Ensure identity verification systems are in place for directors, PSCs, and any persons whose information is required under ECCTA.
4. Update internal governance practices to reflect that companies can no longer rely on local registers of directors, etc., for rights of inspection, etc., and that Companies House will hold the authoritative data.
5. Stay alert for additional implementation rules. Some secondary regulations and detailed requirements (e.g., the full format of member register data, one‑off statements) are expected but may come later.

Possible Impacts & Issues

Some potential challenges and consequences include:

• Compliance risk: mistakes or late updates to Companies House filings could lead to penalties, as central registers now carry more weight.
• Administrative adjustments: changing from local registers to central ones (for certain registers), arranging for members’ register relocation, internal staff training, updating templates, etc.
• Privacy concerns: as some information becomes more centrally accessible, there may be increased concerns about residential address data or service address data, though suppression or protection measures are already part of the broader reform.

Conclusion

From 18 November 2025, UK companies will see one of the most significant changes to statutory registers in recent memory. Many locally held registers (directors, secretaries, PSCs and residential addresses) will be abolished, while filing and central disclosure obligations will increase.

The register of members is still required, but must be held locally, and the option of a central register is being removed. These reforms are intended to improve transparency, reduce misuse, and modernize corporate governance.

Companies should start preparing now by updating registers, implementing identity verification processes, and reviewing internal record‑keeping. The sooner firms adapt, the smoother the transition will be.

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact a member of the Corporate Team.