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How do I check who owns a UK company?

Search the company on Companies House, which is free, and open its People tab: it lists the officers and the persons with significant control (PSCs), meaning anyone who holds more than 25% of the shares or voting rights, can appoint or remove a majority of the directors, or otherwise has significant influence or control. The company itself files its PSC information, so treat it as a declaration to corroborate, not a verified fact.

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How to check it manually

  1. Open Find and update company information on Companies House and search by company name or company number.
  2. On the overview, check the status (for example active, dissolved or in liquidation), company type, incorporation date, registered office address and nature of business (SIC codes).
  3. Open the People tab. Officers lists directors and secretaries with their appointment dates; Persons with significant control lists each PSC, the nature of their control and the date they were notified.
  4. Read the share and voting bands: Companies House records them as over 25% up to 50%, more than 50% and less than 75%, or 75% or more.
  5. If a PSC is a company (a “relevant legal entity”), open that company’s record and follow the chain until you reach individuals.
  6. Check the Filing history for the latest confirmation statement and accounts, and the Charges and Insolvency tabs. The Gazette publishes official insolvency notices.
  7. Search the register of disqualified company directors for each director.
  8. For many companies, use the free Companies House API instead of the website.

What it tells you

  • Whether the company exists and its current status, from the official register.
  • Current and past officers, and the declared PSCs with the nature and band of their control.
  • Whether the company has filed accounts and confirmation statements on time, and any registered charges.

What it doesn’t tell you

  • Exact shareholdings: PSC data uses bands, and shareholders at or below 25% are not PSCs.
  • Owners of listed companies: companies whose voting shares are admitted to trading on a UK or EEA regulated market, or on certain specified markets, are exempt from the PSC rules because they disclose major shareholdings under other rules.
  • Undisclosed nominee arrangements, or PSC details that a person has had protected from publication.
  • That the filed information is true: Companies House is introducing identity verification for directors and PSCs, but the company is responsible for what it files.

How SONAR automates it

When you screen a company registered in this country, SONAR looks it up in Companies House and puts the record (legal name, number, status, legal form, registered address and officers) in the report with a link or ID for the source and the date it was retrieved.

For UK companies the report also includes the PSC snapshot (under 14 days old at screening time), The Gazette insolvency notices, the FCA Register and the disqualified directors register.

The same run screens the company and every director and owner it finds against 8 sanctions lists, the OpenSanctions PEP dataset, the ICIJ Offshore Leaks Database and adverse media, and returns PASS, REVIEW, FLAG or NOT RUN for each check. A source that could not be reached is shown as NOT RUN, never as clear.

SONAR is a due-diligence tool for checking vendors, partners, resellers and suppliers. It compiles public-record data. It is not a regulated AML / KYC provider, does not verify identity documents, and is not legal advice.

You can try it on 2 companies a month for free, no card needed; every report includes a receipt for each source it used.

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Frequently asked questions

Is Companies House free to search?

Yes. Searching companies and viewing their filed documents on Find and update company information is free, and so is the Companies House API (it needs a free key).

What is a “relevant legal entity” on the PSC register?

A company that would be a PSC if it were an individual and that is itself subject to its own disclosure requirements, such as another UK company with its own PSC register. You follow it to find the individuals behind it.

Why does a UK company show no PSC?

The company must file a statement explaining why, for example that it has no registrable person or has not yet confirmed the details. A listed company may be exempt. A missing or unexplained PSC entry is a reason to ask.

Does Companies House verify PSCs?

Under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, directors and PSCs must verify their identity with Companies House; GOV.UK guidance sets out the timing, with different dates for people registered before 18 November 2025. Verification confirms who the person is; the company remains responsible for whether its ownership filings are accurate.

Official sources

Run these checks on a company you’re about to sign

Registry record, owners, sanctions, PEP, ICIJ Offshore Leaks and adverse media in one report, with a receipt for every source. 2 free reports a month, no card.

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