What You Need Before You Register a Limited Company: The 10 Minute Checklist
Get your directors, personal codes, registered office, email, shares, PSC details and SIC code ready before registering a UK limited company.
Before you open the registration form, put the decisions and information in one place. This checklist helps you spot what is missing before you stop halfway to chase an address, personal code or ownership detail.
Use ten minutes to mark each item ready or still to resolve. Do not rush an important decision to fit the clock. This is a general preparation guide, not legal or tax advice. If the structure is still open, start with the sole trader and limited-company comparison.
1. Confirm the company type
This checklist focuses on a private company limited by shares. If you need a company limited by guarantee, prepare guarantor information instead of share ownership. Make the structure decision before starting the application, rather than choosing whichever option appears first.
2. Choose the exact company name
Write down the spelling you intend to register. A company-name check, domain check and trade-mark search answer different questions. An initial exact-match screen is not registration approval or legal clearance. Keep a second naming option while you investigate the wider rules.
Official registration checklist and name-check links on GOV.UK.
3. Gather the directors' information
A private limited company needs a director. Agree who will take that responsibility and collect the information the filing service requests securely. Do not assume that the person paying the registration fee is automatically the director or owner. A private company does not have to appoint a company secretary.
4. Have each director's personal code ready
Identity verification is now a legal requirement. For a new incorporation, provide the Companies House personal code for each director in the registration filing. A Companies House authorised agent can verify clients' identities. An agent offering this verification must be registered as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP); do not assume every business offering filing help has that status.
5. Arrange an appropriate registered office
Use an appropriate physical UK address in the country where the company is registered. Someone must be made aware of delivered company post, and delivery must be capable of acknowledgement. A PO Box is not sufficient. The address becomes public, so consider that before using your home. Get permission before using an accountant's or another provider's address.
6. Choose a monitored registered email
Provide an email address that someone will read and maintain. Companies House does not publish this registered email address on the public register. Decide who is responsible for monitoring it, including when the usual contact is away.
7. Agree the shares and shareholders
A company limited by shares needs at least one shareholder, who can also be a director. Prepare the share numbers, value, classes, rights and ownership information for the statement of capital. Different share classes can carry different rights. Agree the arrangement with your co-founders; seek professional advice where ownership or investment terms are not straightforward.
8. Identify people with significant control
Identify the people with significant control (PSCs), not just the directors. More than 25% of shares or voting rights is one example of control. A PSC added now can provide their personal code when first added to the register or within 14 days afterwards. Director and PSC verification details must be supplied separately for each role; do not assume one submission covers both.
9. Select the appropriate SIC code
A Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code describes the company's business activity. Use the Companies House condensed list, rather than inventing a code or copying one from an unrelated business. Read the descriptions against what the company will actually do.
10. Prepare the documents and payment
Prepare the memorandum and articles of association, with the statement of capital for a company limited by shares. Check whether model articles suit the intended ownership and decision-making arrangements. The direct online Companies House registration service costs £100, payable by debit or credit card, and says registration is usually completed within 24 hours. Agent services can have separate charges; the timing is not a guarantee.
The price and processing estimate above come from the official Companies House online registration service. Do not share identity documents, personal codes or payment information in a public naming brief.
A simple way to check you are ready
Make a private three-column list: item, person responsible, ready or unresolved. The checklist above is the item column. A link to the relevant official service is enough for sensitive information; do not turn a shared planning document into a store of identity documents or codes. Resolve ownership and address questions before paying.
Get the naming decision ready first
If you still need a shortlist, use the business name generator with a specific brief. If you already have a favourite, read what an initial company-name check can and cannot tell you. NameGenie shows current domain evidence, not a reservation. Verify the final domain status, registration price and renewal price with the registrar before buying. Trade marks need a separate search.
Questions before you apply
- Can I register a limited company in ten minutes?
- The ten-minute checklist is a preparation exercise, not a promise about identity verification, the application or approval. Unresolved ownership, address or naming decisions can take longer.
- Can I use my home as the registered office?
- It must meet the registered office requirements, and the address becomes public. Arrange a suitable alternative before registration if you do not want to publish your home address.
- I am both a director and a PSC. Does one personal-code submission cover both?
- No. Companies House requires the code separately for each role. For a newly added PSC, provide it when added or within 14 days afterwards. Check the official guidance for your exact circumstances.
- How much does online company registration cost?
- The direct Companies House online registration service costs £100 as checked on 19 September 2026. Optional agent, address, domain and website services are separate. Check the final provider price before paying.
Take the next step when the checklist is ready
Read the limited-company registration guide for the next stage, or return to the UK business launch journey to connect naming, domain and company decisions. These are separate decisions, not a requirement to buy a bundle.
Facts reviewed 19 September 2026. Official sources are linked alongside the relevant sections.