Companies House Reforms: What Do the New Register Changes Mean for Companies?

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCTA) continues to reshape the UK corporate landscape.  One of the most significant changes, which has received relatively little attention, is the removal of the requirement for companies to maintain several statutory registers locally.  Instead, Companies House has become the primary source of this information.

Which Registers Have Been Removed?

From 18 November 2025, companies are no longer required to maintain local registers of:

• Directors
• Directors' residential addresses
• Secretaries
• People with Significant Control (PSCs)

While the obligation to keep these registers internally has been removed, companies must still ensure that the relevant information is filed with Companies House and kept up to date. The Companies House register is now the authoritative record for this information.

What Has Not Changed?

The register of members (shareholders) remains a legal requirement and must still be maintained by the company.  Companies must keep this register at their registered office or SAIL address and make it available for inspection where required.

Companies that previously elected to keep their register of members on the central register at Companies House must now create and maintain their own register of members locally.

Why Does This Matter?

These changes are designed to improve the accuracy and reliability of information held at Companies House.  However, they also place greater emphasis on timely filings.  Any changes relating to directors, secretaries or PSCs must be notified to Companies House promptly, as the public record is now the definitive source of information.

For many businesses, particularly those that have historically relied on updating internal statutory books, this represents a shift in focus from maintaining local records to ensuring Companies House filings are accurate and up to date.

Key Action Points for Companies

Companies should:

• Review their statutory records and ensure Companies House information is accurate.
• Continue maintaining an up-to-date register of members.
• Implement procedures to notify Companies House promptly of changes to directors, secretaries and PSCs.
• Ensure directors and PSCs comply with the new identity verification requirements introduced under ECCTA.

Although the removal of several statutory registers may reduce the administrative burden on companies, it does not reduce their compliance obligations. In fact, these reforms reinforce the importance of maintaining accurate records and ensuring timely filings with Companies House. Companies should review their record-keeping processes now to ensure they remain compliant under the new regime and avoid potential issues arising from inaccurate public records.

If you require company secretarial support, please feel free to get in touch. We have extensive experience managing the compliance requirements of over 100 companies and would be delighted to assist.