The location and method for keeping registers are based on the rules outlined in the Companies Act.
Open Public Access to Registers
Open public access is available to four different statutory registers:
- Register of Directors
- Register of Members
- Register of Persons of Significant Control
- Register of Officers
Public inspections do not include the right to view the residential addresses in the register of persons of significant control and the register of directors.
STATUTORY Register Locations
- Available registers need to be located at the Companies Registered Office. Unless they have a single alternative inspection location (SAIL).
- Companies can only use a SAIL if they satisfy two statutory criteria: 1) The SAIL location must be in the same UK country as the registered company; 2) The company has contacted Companies House and let them know of their intentions to use a SAIL. The Company must also provide Companies House with details regarding the SAIL location and the records that are stored there.
- The company must keep all records together when they are the same type of records, such as registers, and store them at the same location. Records cannot be split up and stored at multiple locations, such as a SAIL and a registered office.
Accessibility Hours for Conducting Inspections OF STATUTORY
Private company registers need to be available for inspection for a minimum of two hours on business days from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
The Notice Timeframe of Inspection Requests
- Anyone who wants to conduct a company register inspection must submit their request at least ten days or more of the inspection date.
- The person can submit the request within two days under these special circumstances:
- They send the request within the general meeting notice period
- They send the request within the circulation period
Costs of an Inspection
- Members, independent examiners and auditors may conduct register inspections for free.
- Public members will be charged an inspection fee whenever they inspect the register of members. Of course, most companies do not feel obligated to impose this fee on the public.
A Business Contact’s request for Location Details
- Suppose the company associates with a particular person as part of their normal business operation, and the person writes a request for the company to disclose the address of their registered office. In that case, the company is obligated to give this person the requested information. This also applies to requests for the address information of other locations where the company stores its records, including SAIL addresses. The company must specify the types of records stored at these addresses.
- The company has to respond within five business days.
Additional requirements for Inspection of the Register of Members
- The person submitting the request must include their name and address information.
- The person must state why they are making the request and who they will share the information with, if anyone.
- The company must agree to the request within five days. Otherwise, a court application is required.
- When the company refuses the request, it must submit an application to the court to declare its refusal. From that point forward, it can officially refuse access requests. However, it is uncommon for companies to do this.
- The definition of a “proper purpose” is not found in the Companies Act of 2006. Commercial companies, charity subsidiaries, and charitable company Board members can seek guidance from the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators.