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Companies Act 2006

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  • Act amendment to earlier affecting provision S.I. 2008/373 reg. 11(1) by S.I. 2013/1971 reg. 9(a) (This amendment not applied to legislation.gov.uk. Amending Regulations revoked (1.10.2013) without ever being in force by S.I. 2013/2224, reg. 2)
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  • s. 156A-156C inserted by 2015 c. 26 s. 87(4)
  • s. 479A(2)(c)(zi) inserted by S.I. 2019/177 reg. 4(b)(i) (This amendment not applied to legislation.gov.uk. Reg. 4 substituted by regs. 4, 4A immediately before IP completion day by S.I. 2019/1392, regs. 1(2), 4)
  • s. 1110E-110G applied by S.I. 2009/1804, reg. 60 (as amended) by S.I. 2024/234 reg. 26
  • s. 11989A applied (with modifications) by S.I. 2009/1804, reg. 79A (as inserted) by S.I. 2024/234 reg. 46
  • Sch. 10 para. 6(2D) inserted by S.I. 2019/177 reg. 28(e) (This amendment not applied to legislation.gov.uk. Reg. 28(e) omitted immediately before IP completion day by virtue of S.I. 2020/523, regs. 1(2), 14(e)(iv))
  • Sch. 10 para. 7(2A) inserted by S.I. 2019/177 reg. 29(b) (This amendment not applied to legislation.gov.uk. Reg. 29 substituted immediately before IP completion day by S.I. 2020/523, regs. 1(2), 14(f))

[F1Register of directors, etc]U.K.

Textual Amendments

F1S. 161A cross-heading omitted (26.10.2023 but only so far as it confers a power to make regulations or relates to the exercise of the power, otherwise prosp.) by virtue of Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (c. 56), s. 219(1)(2)(b), Sch. 2 para. 2(b)

[F2[F3161AAlternative method of record-keepingU.K.

Sections 162 to 167 must be read with sections 167A to 167E (which allow for an alternative method of record-keeping in the case of private companies).]]

Textual Amendments

F2Ss. 161A-167F omitted (26.10.2023 but only so far as it confers a power to make regulations or relates to the exercise of the power, otherwise prosp.) by virtue of Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (c. 56), s. 219(1)(2)(b), Sch. 2 para. 2(a)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1Pts. 1-39 modified (31.12.2020) by Regulation (EC) No. 2157/2001, Art. AAA1(3) (as inserted by The European Public Limited-Liability Company (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/1298), regs. 1, 97 (with regs. 140-145) (as amended by S.I. 2020/523, regs. 1(2), 5(a)-(f)); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1))

[F2162Register of directorsU.K.

(1)Every company must keep a register of its directors.

(2)The register must contain the required particulars (see sections 163, 164 and 166) of each person who is a director of the company.

(3)The register must be kept available for inspection—

(a)at the company's registered office, or

(b)at a place specified in regulations under section 1136.

(4)The company must give notice to the registrar—

(a)of the place at which the register is kept available for inspection, and

(b)of any change in that place,

unless it has at all times been kept at the company's registered office.

(5)The register must be open to the inspection—

(a)of any member of the company without charge, and

(b)of any other person on payment of such fee as may be prescribed.

(6)If default is made in complying with subsection (1), (2) or (3) or if default is made for 14 days in complying with subsection (4), or if an inspection required under subsection (5) is refused, an offence is committed by—

(a)the company, and

(b)every officer of the company who is in default.

For this purpose a shadow director is treated as an officer of the company.

(7)A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale and, for continued contravention, a daily default fine not exceeding [F4one-tenth of level 5 on the standard scale][F4one-tenth of the greater of £5,000 or level 4 on the standard scale].

(8)In the case of a refusal of inspection of the register, the court may by order compel an immediate inspection of it.]

Textual Amendments

F2Ss. 161A-167F omitted (26.10.2023 but only so far as it confers a power to make regulations or relates to the exercise of the power, otherwise prosp.) by virtue of Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (c. 56), s. 219(1)(2)(b), Sch. 2 para. 2(a)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C2S. 162: power to modify conferred (temp.) (26.6.2020) by Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 (c. 12), ss. 39(1), 40(e), 49(1) (with ss. 2(2), 5(2), 39(8)(9))

C3S. 162 modified (22.2.2008) by The Northern Rock plc Transfer Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/432), art. 17(1), Sch. para. 2(b)

C4S. 162 modified (8.00 a.m. on 29.9.2008) by the The Bradford & Bingley plc Transfer of Securities and Property etc. Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/2546), art. 13(1)(3), Sch. 1 para. 2(b)

C5S. 162 modified (9.30 a.m. on 7.10.2008) by The Heritable Bank plc Transfer of Certain Rights and Liabilities Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/2644), art. 26, Sch. 2 para. 2(b)

C6S. 162 modified (retrospective to 30.3.2009 at 8.00 a.m.) by The Amendments to Law (Resolution of Dunfermline Building Society) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/814), arts. 1(2), 7, Sch. para. 2(b)

C7Ss. 162-167 applied (with modifications) (1.10.2009) by The Unregistered Companies Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/2436), regs. 3-5, Sch. 1 para. 6 (with transitional provisions and savings in regs. 7, 9, Sch. 2)

Commencement Information

I1S. 162 wholly in force at 1.10.2009; s. 162 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 1300; s. 162 in force for specified purposes at 20.1.2007 by S.I. 2006/3428, art. 3(3) (subject to art. 5, Sch. 1 and with arts. 6, 8, Sch. 5); s. 162 otherwise in force at 1.10.2009 by S.I. 2008/2860, art. 3(i) (with arts. 5, 7, 8, Sch. 2) (as amended by S.I. 2009/1802, art. 18)

[F2163Particulars of directors to be registered: individualsU.K.

(1)A company's register of directors must contain the following particulars in the case of an individual—

(a)name and any former name;

(b)a service address;

(c)the country or state (or part of the United Kingdom) in which he is usually resident;

(d)nationality;

(e)business occupation (if any);

(f)date of birth.

F5(2)For the purposes of this section “name” means a person's Christian name (or other forename) and surname, except that in the case of—

(a)a peer, or

(b)an individual usually known by a title,

the title may be stated instead of his Christian name (or other forename) and surname or in addition to either or both of them.

(3)For the purposes of this section a “former name” means a name by which the individual was formerly known for business purposes.

Where a person is or was formerly known by more than one such name, each of them must be stated.

(4)It is not necessary for the register to contain particulars of a former name in the following cases—

(a)in the case of a peer or an individual normally known by a British title, where the name is one by which the person was known previous to the adoption of or succession to the title;

(b)in the case of any person, where the former name—

(i)was changed or disused before the person attained the age of 16 years, or

(ii)has been changed or disused for 20 years or more.

(5)A person's service address may be stated to be “The company's registered office”.]

Textual Amendments

F2Ss. 161A-167F omitted (26.10.2023 but only so far as it confers a power to make regulations or relates to the exercise of the power, otherwise prosp.) by virtue of Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (c. 56), s. 219(1)(2)(b), Sch. 2 para. 2(a)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C13Ss. 162-167 applied (with modifications) (1.10.2009) by The Unregistered Companies Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/2436), regs. 3-5, Sch. 1 para. 6 (with transitional provisions and savings in regs. 7, 9, Sch. 2)

[F2164Particulars of directors to be registered: corporate directors and firmsU.K.

A company's register of directors must contain the following particulars in the case of a body corporate, or a firm that is a legal person under the law by which it is governed—

(a)corporate or firm name;

(b)registered or principal office;

[F6(c)in the case of a limited company that is a UK-registered company, the registered number;]

(d)in any other case, particulars of—

(i)the legal form of the company or firm and the law by which it is governed, and

(ii)if applicable, the register in which it is entered (including details of the state) and its registration number in that register.]

Textual Amendments

F2Ss. 161A-167F omitted (26.10.2023 but only so far as it confers a power to make regulations or relates to the exercise of the power, otherwise prosp.) by virtue of Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (c. 56), s. 219(1)(2)(b), Sch. 2 para. 2(a)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C17Ss. 162-167 applied (with modifications) (1.10.2009) by The Unregistered Companies Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/2436), regs. 3-5, Sch. 1 para. 6 (with transitional provisions and savings in regs. 7, 9, Sch. 2)

[F2165Register of directors' residential addressesU.K.

(1)Every company must keep a register of directors' residential addresses.

(2)The register must state the usual residential address of each of the company's directors.

(3)If a director's usual residential address is the same as his service address (as stated in the company's register of directors), the register of directors' residential addresses need only contain an entry to that effect.

This does not apply if his service address is stated to be “The company's registered office”.

(4)If default is made in complying with this section, an offence is committed by—

(a)the company, and

(b)every officer of the company who is in default.

For this purpose a shadow director is treated as an officer of the company.

(5)A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale and, for continued contravention, a daily default fine not exceeding [F7one-tenth of level 5 on the standard scale][F7one-tenth of the greater of £5,000 or level 4 on the standard scale].

(6)This section applies only to directors who are individuals, not where the director is a body corporate or a firm that is a legal person under the law by which it is governed.]

Textual Amendments

F2Ss. 161A-167F omitted (26.10.2023 but only so far as it confers a power to make regulations or relates to the exercise of the power, otherwise prosp.) by virtue of Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (c. 56), s. 219(1)(2)(b), Sch. 2 para. 2(a)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C19S. 165 modified (22.2.2008) by The Northern Rock plc Transfer Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/432), art. 17(1), Sch. para. 2(c)

C20S. 165 modified (8.00 a.m. on 29.9.2008) by the The Bradford & Bingley plc Transfer of Securities and Property etc. Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/2546), art. 13(1)(3), Sch. 1 para. 2(c)

C21S. 165 modified (9.30 a.m. on 7.10.2008) by The Heritable Bank plc Transfer of Certain Rights and Liabilities Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/2644), art. 26, Sch. 2 para. 2(c)

C22S. 165 modified (retrospective to 30.3.2009 at 8.00 a.m.) by The Amendments to Law (Resolution of Dunfermline Building Society) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/814), arts. 1(2), 7, Sch. para. 2(c)

C24Ss. 162-167 applied (with modifications) (1.10.2009) by The Unregistered Companies Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/2436), regs. 3-5, Sch. 1 para. 6 (with transitional provisions and savings in regs. 7, 9, Sch. 2)

[F2166Particulars of directors to be registered: power to make regulationsU.K.

(1)The Secretary of State may make provision by regulations amending—

  • section 163 (particulars of directors to be registered: individuals),

  • section 164 (particulars of directors to be registered: corporate directors and firms), or

  • section 165 (register of directors' residential addresses),

so as to add to or remove items from the particulars required to be contained in a company's register of directors or register of directors' residential addresses.

(2)Regulations under this section are subject to affirmative resolution procedure.]

Textual Amendments

F2Ss. 161A-167F omitted (26.10.2023 but only so far as it confers a power to make regulations or relates to the exercise of the power, otherwise prosp.) by virtue of Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (c. 56), s. 219(1)(2)(b), Sch. 2 para. 2(a)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C26Ss. 162-167 applied (with modifications) (1.10.2009) by The Unregistered Companies Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/2436), regs. 3-5, Sch. 1 para. 6 (with transitional provisions and savings in regs. 7, 9, Sch. 2)

Commencement Information

I2S. 166 wholly in force at 1.10.2009; s. 166 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 1300; s. 166 in force for specified purposes at 20.1.2007 by S.I. 2006/3428, art. 3(3) (subject to art. 5, Sch. 1 and with arts. 6, 8, Sch. 5); s. 166 otherwise in force at 1.10.2009 by S.I. 2008/2860, art. 3(i) (with arts. 5, 7, 8, Sch. 2) (as amended by S.I. 2009/1802, art. 18)

[F2167Duty to notify registrar of changesU.K.

(1)A company must, within the period of 14 days from—

(a)a person becoming or ceasing to be a director, or

(b)the occurrence of any change in the particulars contained in its register of directors or its register of directors' residential addresses,

give notice to the registrar of the change and of the date on which it occurred.

(2)Notice of a person having become a director of the company must—

(a)contain a statement of the particulars of the new director that are required to be included in the company's register of directors and its register of directors' residential addresses, and

[F8(b)be accompanied by a statement by the company that the person has consented to act in that capacity.]

(3)Where—

(a)a company gives notice of a change of a director's service address as stated in the company's register of directors, and

(b)the notice is not accompanied by notice of any resulting change in the particulars contained in the company's register of directors' residential addresses,

the notice must be accompanied by a statement that no such change is required.

(4)If default is made in complying with this section, an offence is committed by—

(a)the company, and

(b)every officer of the company who is in default.

For this purpose a shadow director is treated as an officer of the company.

(5)A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale and, for continued contravention, a daily default fine not exceeding [F9one-tenth of level 5 on the standard scale][F9one-tenth of the greater of £5,000 or level 4 on the standard scale].]

Textual Amendments

F2Ss. 161A-167F omitted (26.10.2023 but only so far as it confers a power to make regulations or relates to the exercise of the power, otherwise prosp.) by virtue of Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (c. 56), s. 219(1)(2)(b), Sch. 2 para. 2(a)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C27S. 167: power to modify conferred (temp.) (26.6.2020) by Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 (c. 12), ss. 39(1), 40(e), 49(1) (with ss. 2(2), 5(2), 39(8)(9))

C28S. 167 modified (22.2.2008) by The Northern Rock plc Transfer Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/432), art. 17(1), Sch. para. 2(d)

C29S. 167 modified (8.00 a.m. on 29.9.2008) by the The Bradford & Bingley plc Transfer of Securities and Property etc. Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/2546), art. 13(1)(3), Sch. 1 para. 2(d)

C30S. 167 modified (9.30 a.m. on 7.10.2008) by The Heritable Bank plc Transfer of Certain Rights and Liabilities Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/2644), art. 26, Sch. 2 para. 2(d)

C31S. 167 modified (retrospective to 30.3.2009 at 8.00 a.m.) by The Amendments to Law (Resolution of Dunfermline Building Society) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/814), arts. 1(2), 7, Sch. para. 2(d)

C32Ss. 162-167 applied (with modifications) (1.10.2009) by The Unregistered Companies Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/2436), regs. 3-5, Sch. 1 para. 6 (with transitional provisions and savings in regs. 7, 9, Sch. 2)

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