Formation
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It costs £100 to register a limited company online with Companies House. See the other costs you may need to budget for when starting a UK company.
Statutory Registers: What You Must Keep and Update
Learn which statutory registers your limited company must keep, what changed in 2025 and 2026, and how to maintain shareholder and decision records.
By Callum Sommerton6 October 20263 min read
When you incorporate a limited company, most of the attention goes on choosing a name, appointing directors and issuing shares. Your company records matter too, even if you’re the only director and shareholder. They provide evidence of ownership and the decisions you make.
The rules changed in 2025 and 2026, so older checklists may tell you to maintain registers that are no longer required.
What changed?
From 18 November 2025, companies no longer need to keep their own statutory registers of:
Directors.
Directors’ residential addresses.
Company secretaries.
People with significant control (PSCs).
You must still provide this information to Companies House and keep it accurate.
From 26 January 2026, the option to keep your register of members centrally at Companies House also ended. Your company must maintain its own register of members.
What belongs in your register of members?
For a company limited by shares, this is the formal record of its shareholders. Record:
Each shareholder’s name and address.
The date they were registered as a member.
The date they ceased to be a member, where applicable.
The number and class of shares held, with share numbers where relevant.
The amount paid, or agreed to be treated as paid, on those shares.
That last point concerns payment on the shares, not necessarily the price someone paid another shareholder to buy them.
Update the register when shares are issued or transferred, or a shareholder’s details change. Retain the ownership history rather than simply deleting former shareholders. For the basics, read shareholders and share structure explained.
What other company records should you keep?
Keep minutes of directors’ meetings and records of shareholder resolutions, meetings and relevant sole-shareholder decisions for at least 10 years.
Retain supporting documents such as share certificates, transfer forms and share allotment paperwork. Other recordkeeping duties apply where relevant, including records relating to secured borrowing.
Even a solo founder should document decisions properly. Our dividend board resolutions guide provides a practical example.
Where should you keep the register?
Keep your register of members at your registered office or a notified single alternative inspection location (SAIL).
It can be electronic, provided it can be reproduced in a readable form and made available for inspection. Keep backups and ensure someone can retrieve it when needed.
Our registered office guide explains the address requirements.
Who can inspect it?
Members can inspect the register of members free of charge. Other people can request access for a prescribed fee and must provide information including their purpose.
For a valid request, the company must normally comply or apply to court within five working days. If you believe the request has an improper purpose, get advice promptly rather than ignoring it.
What still needs updating at Companies House?
Continue reporting changes to directors, secretaries and PSCs within the applicable deadlines. Updating your own records doesn’t replace a required filing.
Likewise, shareholder information filed at Companies House doesn’t replace your register of members.
Getting support
An accountant or company secretarial adviser can help maintain your records and manage filings. Agree who handles updates whenever ownership or company details change.
FOUNDRS members can access a free initial consultation with BK Plus Barnet, the accounting firm we use ourselves, through the platform.
