How to check a UK company for free
Every UK company’s core information is public. Here’s exactly what you can find out about any company — its directors, owners, address, accounts and status — how to read it, and the warning signs to look for. All from official Companies House data, free.
What you can check about any UK company
By law, every company registered in the UK must file information at Companies House, the official public register. That means for any of the UK’s 5.7 million companies you can see, for free:
- Status — whether it is active, dissolved, in liquidation or being struck off.
- Directors & officers — who runs the company, their roles and appointment dates.
- Owners (PSC) — the “persons with significant control” who really own or control it.
- Registered office — the official address, and other companies registered there.
- Accounts — filed financial statements and multi-year history.
- Charges — mortgages and secured debt registered against the company.
- Filing history — a full timeline of everything it has filed.
The quickest way: just ask
You can read the raw register at Companies House, but it’s spread across many pages. Verivello pulls it together — ask a plain-English question like “Who owns and runs [company]?” or “Is [company] financially healthy?” and it reads the official record and answers, with sources. Start on the free search, or open any company’s profile page (for example from the directory) to see everything at a glance.
How to tell if a company is legitimate
Whether you’re about to pay a supplier, take on a client or start a job, a few checks tell you a lot:
- Is it actually active? A status of “dissolved” or “proposal to strike off” is a serious flag.
- Are there real people behind it? Genuine directors and a named owner (PSC) — not a blank ownership record.
- Does it file on time? Persistently late accounts or confirmation statements suggest a business that isn’t being run properly.
- Any red flags? Insolvency history, a disqualified director, or dozens of companies at the same address can all be worth a closer look.
Frequently asked questions
Is it free to check a UK company?
Yes. Every UK company must file information at Companies House, the official public register, and that core information — directors, registered office, ownership (PSC), accounts and filing history — is free to view. Verivello lets you search it in plain English at no cost, and Companies House itself is also free.
How do I find out who owns a company?
Look at its "persons with significant control" (PSC) — the people who ultimately own or control more than 25% of the shares or voting rights. Directors run a company day to day, but the PSC register shows the real owners. On Verivello you can just ask "Who owns [company]?" and it reads the official record for you.
How do I check if a company is legitimate?
Confirm it is actively registered (status "Active"), check that it has real directors and a registered office, look at whether it files its accounts and confirmation statements on time, and check for insolvency or disqualified directors. A company that is dissolved, persistently late filing, or has no verifiable people behind it is a red flag.
Can I see a company's accounts?
Yes — most UK companies must file annual accounts, and they are public. You can see the latest figures and multi-year financial history (turnover where disclosed, net assets, cash, and trends). Very small companies file abbreviated accounts, so detail varies.
What is a company number?
A unique 8-character identifier Companies House gives every registered company (for example 12345678, or a prefix like SC/NI for Scotland and Northern Ireland). It never changes, even if the company changes its name, so it is the most reliable way to look a company up.