Is shareholder information made publicly available?

When you own shares in a UK limited company, a certain amount of your information becomes part of the public record. That can sound unsettling at first, especially if you work from home, but it’s an important part of how limited companies operate.

In exchange for limited liability, UK companies must be transparent about who owns and controls them. That means providing shareholder information to Companies House and keeping an internal record in what’s known as the register of members.

Anyone can look up some of those details through the Companies House search service. In this guide, we’ll explain exactly what is and isn’t made public, how to find the information online, and the steps you can take to protect your privacy.

Are shareholder details publicly available in the UK?

Yes, certain shareholder details are visible on Companies House, the UK’s official register of companies. This openness is designed to promote corporate transparency and trust, allowing investors, lenders, and customers to see who owns and controls a business.

• Companies House privacy update for 2025 explained
• What is a service address in a limited company?
• Registered office, service address, and business address – what’s the difference?

When a person takes shares in a company, either during formation or after it, the company must send their details to Companies House in one of two ways:

• At incorporation – if they become a shareholder during the company formation process.
• Through the annual confirmation statement (form CS01) – if they become a shareholder after incorporation or if their recorded details change.

What information must be supplied

For every person who holds shares, the company must provide:

• Full name
• Service address – required if the person becomes a shareholder of a private company during incorporation, or if they hold shares in a public company
• Shareholding details – the class, quantity, currency, and nominal value of shares taken, and the amount paid (or agreed to be paid) for those shares

This information appears on the Companies House register and can be viewed online for free. However, a person who becomes a shareholder of a private company after incorporation does not have to submit a service address unless they also qualify as a Person with Significant Control (PSC), which we’ll cover shortly.

What is the register of members, and how is it used?

Alongside the Companies House record, every company must maintain its own internal register of members, a statutory document that lists everyone who owns shares and the shares they hold.

The register of members must contain:

• Each shareholder’s full name
• Their service address (regardless of when they became a shareholder)
• Details of shareholdings – class, quantity, currency, and nominal value
• The date they became a member
• The date they ceased to be a member (if applicable)

By law, this register must be kept accurate and up to date at all times. Any changes (such as new share issues, transfers, or name updates) must be recorded immediately and then reported to Companies House in the next confirmation statement.

Where the register is kept and who can see it

The register of members should be available for inspection at the company’s registered office or its single alternative inspection location (SAIL).

Members of the public can request to inspect it, but their request must state their name, address, and purpose. Under s.116 of the Companies Act 2006, a company may refuse access if the purpose is not considered ‘proper’ – for example, if it appears to be for marketing or commercial gain.

A company may also charge a small fee for inspection or for providing a copy. Shareholders themselves have the right to inspect the register at any time, free of charge.

What if a shareholder is also a Person with Significant Control (PSC)?

Often, shareholders also qualify as people with significant control. A PSC is anyone who meets one or more of the following conditions:

• Holds more than 25% of the shares in the company
• Holds more than 25% of the voting rights
• Has the right to appoint or remove a majority of directors
• Otherwise exercises significant influence or control over the company

What information must be provided for PSCs

Each PSC must supply to Companies House:

• Full name
• Date of birth
• Nationality and country of residence
• Service address (regardless of when they take shares in the company)
• Home address (not made public)
• Date they became a PSC
• Nature of their control (e.g. ‘owns more than 25 per cent of shares’)

Most of this appears on the public register, except for the home address and the day element of the birth date, which remain private.

How and when to file PSC information

Depending on when a person becomes a PSC, their details must be filed:

• During company formation (as part of the incorporation application), or
• On form PSC01 – Notice of individual person with significant control (PSC) – if they become a PSC after incorporation.

The company must also keep a PSC register internally, available for inspection at the registered office or SAIL address. If there’s any change to a PSC’s details, the register should be updated immediately, and Companies House must be notified within 14 days.

How to find shareholder and PSC information online

You can search the Companies House register at no cost to see basic shareholder and PSC information for any UK company.

Here’s how:

1. Go to www.gov.uk/get-information-about-a-company.
2. Enter the company name, number, or shareholder name.
3. Select the relevant company from the search results.
4. Click the Filing history tab.
5. Filter by category and tick ‘Confirmation statement / Annual returns’.
6. Choose View PDF next to the most recent confirmation statement ‘with updates’.
7. If the statement doesn’t list shareholders, check earlier confirmation statements or scroll to the bottom for the Incorporation filing.
8. Open the document and look for the section titled Initial Shareholdings. This section shows the shareholder names and their share allocations.
9. To see PSC details, select the People tab and click ‘People with significant control’.

The register is updated when companies file their annual confirmation statement or submit changes to their PSC records. While the information is usually accurate, bear in mind that companies only need to report shareholder changes once a year, so there may be a short delay between a transaction and its appearance online.

Why is shareholder information made public?

Corporate transparency is central to how UK limited companies operate. It allows investors, regulators, and members of the public to confirm that a company exists, who runs it, and how it’s owned.

This openness strengthens the Companies House register, helping to deter financial crime, fraud, and money laundering. It also gives confidence to customers and trading partners who rely on public data to make informed decisions.

Protecting your home address

As a shareholder, PSC, director, or company secretary, the service address you provide will appear on the public register – even if you later change it or leave the company.

To protect your privacy, it’s best to use a professional address service. If you also run your company from home, you can use a registered office address service to prevent your residential address from appearing on the public record.

It’s also possible to ask Companies House to remove home addresses from historical filings where they were previously shown as a service address. And under recent reforms, individuals will be able to suppress old residential addresses that were once used as registered offices.

How can you protect your personal details as a company shareholder or PSC?

In exceptional circumstances, you can apply to Companies House to protect your information if your company’s activities put you, or anyone living with you, at serious risk of violence or intimidation.

There are two levels of protection:

1. Protecting your home address from being shared with credit reference agencies (for PSCs or directors).
2. Protecting all personal information from appearing publicly (for PSCs).

If you are a person with significant control, you can apply for both types of protection at once. In that case, none of your personal data will appear on the public register or be shared with credit reference agencies.

For most business owners, though, using a non-residential registered office and service address provides enough privacy while keeping your company fully compliant.

Staying informed as your business grows

Transparency is the price of limited liability, and it’s what helps the UK maintain one of the most trusted company registers in the world.

If you own or manage a company, understanding what information is public is part of running it responsibly. Some details must always be visible, but you have clear rights and options to protect what matters most.

Using professional addresses, keeping your filings accurate, and reviewing your public profile regularly are simple ways to stay secure while upholding your company’s credibility.

And if you’re getting ready to form a company or take on shares in an existing business, we can help you set the right foundations from day one. At Quality Company Formations, we provide trusted company services, with registered office options – helping you stay compliant, credible, and confident as your business grows.