United Kingdom (GB)
Overview of UK company data coverage, registers, and legal forms
Overview
The United Kingdom's company register is maintained by Companies House, one of the most comprehensive and accessible company registries in the world. It covers companies registered in England & Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
Register
Companies House — the UK's registrar of companies, maintaining the register of all UK companies and LLPs and providing one of the most comprehensive public company data APIs in the world.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Companies House |
| Managing authority | Department for Business and Trade |
Companies House API access requires an API key from your customer portal.
Identifiers
UK companies are identified by their Companies House company number:
| Field | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
gb_company_number | 8-character company number | 01234567 |
Prefixes indicate jurisdiction: SC (Scotland), NI (Northern Ireland), OC (LLP).
Legal Forms
Private Companies
| Legal Form | Full Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ltd | Private company limited by shares | Most common company type |
| Limited by Guarantee | Company limited by guarantee | No share capital, often non-profits |
| Unlimited | Private unlimited company | Members have unlimited liability |
Public Companies
| Legal Form | Full Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| PLC | Public limited company | Can offer shares to the public |
Partnerships
| Legal Form | Full Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| LLP | Limited liability partnership | Partners have limited liability |
| LP | Limited partnership | General and limited partners |
| SLP | Scottish limited partnership | Scottish variant of LP |
Other
| Legal Form | Full Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| CIC | Community interest company | Social enterprises |
| SE | Societas Europaea | European company |
| Overseas | Overseas company | UK branch of foreign company |
Other data sources
Company data in every jurisdiction is also spread across sources outside the commercial register — the central bank, the official gazette, the financial supervisor's authorisation registers, the statistical office and the tax authority among them. Kausate draws only on the sources described on this page; when you need something the API does not carry, those are where to look.
Coverage
- England & Wales
- Scotland
- Northern Ireland
- All company types registered with Companies House
- Extensive filing history available
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