Statutory Registers

Statutory registers are official records that every company is required by law to keep. Together, they form what are often called the company’s “statutory books”. These registers provide a formal record of key information about the company, such as its directors, shareholders and persons with significant control. They must be maintained accurately and kept up to date, as they serve as proof of a company’s structure and ownership at any given time.

The core registers include the register of directors, the register of members (which records the company’s shareholders), and the register of people with significant control (the PSC register). Companies incorporated before April 2013 may also need to maintain a register of charges. With the exception of the directors’ residential address register, most of these are open to public inspection on payment of a fee.

Statutory registers can be held in either paper or electronic format. While Companies House holds some information about companies, this does not replace the legal duty to maintain statutory registers. They remain the primary internal record of the company’s key details and are essential for demonstrating compliance with the Companies Act 2006.

A company must keep its statutory registers either at its registered office or at a designated alternative inspection location (commonly known as a SAIL address). The location chosen must be clear and accessible, as shareholders and certain members of the public have a legal right to inspect most of the registers. The company must notify Companies House if the registers are kept at an address other than the registered office, to ensure the public knows where they can be viewed.

At present, a company can elect to keep certain information—such as details of its directors, secretaries, and persons with significant control—on the central register at Companies House instead of in its own statutory books. However, this option will be withdrawn from 18 November 2025 under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, at which point this information must be maintained solely on the central public register.

For convenience, many companies choose to store their statutory registers electronically. This is permitted, provided they remain accessible and capable of being printed if required. Regardless of format, the registers must be kept up to date and available for inspection during normal business hours.

It is important to note that while most registers — such as the register of members or the PSC register — must be open to inspection, the register of directors’ residential addresses is confidential and may only be accessed by limited authorities such as HMRC or law enforcement.

Maintaining statutory registers at the right location, and in the right way, is a basic legal obligation. Failure to do so can put a company and its officers at risk of penalties or regulatory scrutiny.

Statutory registers must be updated as soon as there is a relevant change. Unlike an annual return or filing requirement with a set deadline, the obligation to maintain registers is continuous. For example, if a new director is appointed, if a shareholder transfers their shares, or if an individual gains or loses significant control of the company, the register must be amended without delay.

Keeping registers current is not just a formality. They serve as the definitive legal record of the company’s governance and ownership. If discrepancies arise between the registers and the information filed at Companies House, the statutory registers take priority. This means that late or inaccurate updates could cause confusion, disputes, or even regulatory action.

For practical purposes, many companies review their registers whenever statutory filings are made, such as submitting a confirmation statement to Companies House. However, waiting for annual events alone is risky. Best practice is to treat updates as part of routine company administration, ensuring changes are recorded immediately.

By maintaining accurate and up-to-date statutory registers, companies not only comply with the law but also build confidence with shareholders, investors, and regulators.

The responsibility for keeping statutory registers rests with the company itself. In practice, this duty usually falls to the company secretary, where one is appointed, or to the directors in companies that do not have a secretary. The directors are ultimately responsible for ensuring registers are prepared, accurate, and maintained in line with the Companies Act 2006.

Some companies choose to delegate this work to professional advisers, such as solicitors, accountants, or company secretarial service providers. Others manage the registers in-house, often using template documents to make the task more straightforward. Regardless of who maintains them day to day, the legal duty remains with the company and its directors.

Failure to maintain statutory registers properly can have serious consequences. Companies may face fines, and directors can be held personally liable. In addition, incomplete registers can cause problems during due diligence, such as when seeking investment or preparing for a sale, as buyers and investors will expect to see accurate statutory books.

Ensuring statutory registers are kept correctly is therefore not only about legal compliance but also about safeguarding the company’s reputation and making future transactions smoother.

Yes. The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (“ECCTA”) introduced important reforms that change how statutory registers must be maintained by UK companies.

What’s changing—and when?

• from 18 November 2025, companies will no longer be required to hold certain statutory registers on-site—namely the register of directors, register of directors’ residential addresses, register of secretaries, and the PSC (persons with significant control) register. Instead, this information must be kept up to date via Companies House’s central register
• in addition, companies can no longer elect to hold information on Company House’s central register; they must keep their own register of members (shareholders) at either their registered office or SAIL and make it available for public inspection

Company law obliges a company to prepare and maintain several statutory registers, including:

• register of directors and secretary, along with a separate register of directors’ residential addresses
• register of members
• register of charges (for charges created prior to 6 April 2013)
• register of people with significant control (the PSC Register)

These registers, also known as the company’s statutory books, must be kept either at the company’s registered office or another specified address.  Except for the register of directors’ residential addresses, these registers are available for public inspection on payment of a fee.  The registers can be maintained in electronic form.

A PSC Register is a register of people with significant control (hence “PSC”) in relation to the company.  It identifies (or enables the identification of) each individual who ultimately owns or controls more than 25% of the company’s shares or voting rights or who otherwise exercises significant influence or control over the company.   

A company is required to make enquiries as to who needs to be included on its PSC Register.  Alternatively, a individual person or entity who should be included, or who is already included but whose relevant details have changed or who is no longer required to be included, may voluntarily inform the company of the relevant change.