Applying to register as a Companies House authorised agent

To verify the identity of clients for Companies House, agents must register as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP). This is also known as an authorised agent.

The agent must already be registered with an Anti-Money Laundering (AML) supervisory body. Not all businesses are eligible for money laundering supervision. For more information, read the guidance on anti-money laundering registration.

1. Check you can apply

If you are a sole trader, you can register yourself as an authorised agent.

To register a business as a Companies House authorised agent, you must have a senior role. You must be one of the following:

• director
• general partner
• partner
• member

You’ll be able to add other people who work for the business to the agent account once it’s registered.

If you’re registering a corporate body

If the body is managed by its members, you must be a member of the body. Otherwise, you must be the equivalent of a director.

If you’re registering an unincorporated entity

If the body is managed by its members, you must be a member of the body. Otherwise, you must be a member of the governing body.

2. Verify your identity

You’ll need to verify your identity for Companies House before you can use the online service to register an authorised agent.

If you have not verified before you start your application, we’ll ask you to do it when you start.

3. Tell us about the business

The details you need to give will depend on the type of business you’re registering.

Limited companies and limited liability partnerships (LLPs)

You’ll need to tell us the:

• company number
• company authentication code
• correspondence address
• email address for correspondence

We’ll also ask which business sector you work in. This is optional.

We’ll check your AML supervisory body holds the company name that’s shown on the Companies House register. If the AML registration is in a different name, you’ll need to update this before you apply.

Sole traders

This could mean you are self-employed and registered with HMRC for Self Assessment.

You’ll need to tell us:

• your name
• your business name, if you have one
• your date of birth
• your nationality
• the country you live in (if you live in the UK, you’ll need to tell us which part)
• your correspondence address
• your email address for correspondence
• if your supervisory body holds your name, your business name, or both

We’ll also ask which business sector you work in. This is optional.

Other types of business

If you’re registering:

• a limited partnership (LP)
• a partnership
• a corporate body (not including limited companies or limited liability partnerships)
• an unincorporated entity (not including sole traders)

You’ll need to tell us the:

• business name
• business address (this must be in the UK)
• correspondence address
• email address for correspondence

If you are registered with the AML supervisory body with your own name, you’ll need to give your name. Otherwise, we’ll check the AML supervisory body holds the business name.

We’ll also ask which business sector you work in. This is optional.

4. Tell us the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) registration details

The business must be registered with a UK AML supervisory body.

You’ll need to tell us the:

• names of the supervisory bodies the business is registered with
• AML membership numbers or IDs

We’ll confirm the supervisory body has the same name and membership number for your business. If the details do not match, we’ll reject your application.

It may take us longer to confirm these details if you have only recently registered with the AML supervisory body.

How to find your membership number

Depending on your supervisory body, you may be able to find this on:

• your practising certificate
• communications from the supervisory body
• the supervisory body’s online register

Your AML supervisory body may have a different name for it, such as:

• a firm ID or number
• a regulation ID
• an AML ID

You should contact the AML supervisory body if you need to check your details.

5. Confirm your legal responsibilities

You’ll need to confirm you accept your legal responsibilities as an authorised agent.

Once registered, authorised agents must:

• always be registered with at least one UK AML supervisory body
• tell us about any changes to the authorised agent’s details
• keep records and provide more information about filings with Companies House if requested

For more information about the authorised agent’s responsibilities and how to comply, read the guidance for authorised agents.

6. After you’ve registered

If your application is accepted, we’ll register your business as an authorised agent.

We’ll create an authorised agent account for the business. You’ll be able to access this and services for authorised agents when you sign in to your Companies House account.

Read the guidance for authorised agents to find out how to manage your agent account, including how to add other users.

What information we’ll publish online

We will not publish information to show that a business has registered as an authorised agent.

However, if we need to suspend a business from acting as an authorised agent, or if a business stops being an authorised agent, we’ll publish the:

• name of the business or sole trader
• status - to show if it has been suspended, or if it has stopped being an authorised agent
• date the status changed

If a person uses an authorised agent to verify their identity, we’ll show some information about the agent that has verified them.

When the person connects their verified identity to our records, we’ll show the:

• name of the authorised agent
• names of the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) supervisory bodies the agent is registered with