Ownership guideLast updated 1 January 1970

How to check UK company ownership — PSC and beyond

TL;DR

UK ownership is public but layered. Start with the PSC register (25%+ owners), escalate to the shareholders list on the CS01 for smaller cap tables, follow up holding chains via Relevant Legal Entities, and consult the Register of Overseas Entities for foreign owners of UK property.

The four layers

Layer 1

PSC register

25%+ owners, controllers, veto-right holders. Free on Companies House.

Layer 2

Confirmation statement

Full shareholder list when ≤ 50 holders.

Layer 3

RLE chain

Holding companies as PSCs — trace up to the natural person.

Layer 4

Overseas Entities

Register of Overseas Entities for non-UK holders of UK property.

Run a free PSC lookup

Layer 1 — The PSC register

Companies Act 2006 (Part 21A) requires every UK company to disclose Persons with Significant Control. The threshold is 25% of shares OR 25% of voting rights OR the right to appoint or remove a majority of directors OR "significant influence and control" — a catch-all for veto rights, side agreements, and shadow direction.

The PSC record shows: name, month/year of birth, nationality, country of residence, service address, and one of three shareholding bands.

Layer 2 — Shareholders on the CS01

If the company has 50 or fewer shareholders, the annual confirmation statement includes a full shareholders list. Larger cap tables aren't public — you get PSCs only.

Layer 3 — Relevant Legal Entities (RLEs)

When a PSC is a company rather than an individual — a common holding-company structure — it's called a Relevant Legal Entity. The RLE has its own PSC record you can chase up. Keep tracing until you land on natural persons.

Use the officer network explorer to follow the chain, and the PSC tool for each entity.

Layer 4 — Overseas Entities

Since August 2022 any non-UK entity holding UK property must register on the Register of Overseas Entities and disclose its beneficial owners. Search at find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk under the ROE section.

Reading nominee arrangements

UK law allows nominee directors and shareholders — a real person or trust holds shares on behalf of the beneficial owner. Nominees are legal, but on the PSC register the ultimate beneficial owner should still be disclosed. Signs of a nominee arrangement:

Single-appointment director with a service address in a formation-agent postcode.
Shareholder is a "secretarial services" company.
PSC is listed as a trustee with disclosure of the underlying trust.

If you're being told the beneficial owner is different from the registered PSC, ask for the trust deed or declaration of trust in writing.

Reading "no PSC identified"

This appears in three scenarios:

Ownership genuinely diffuse — no one over 25%. Rare in SMEs, common in widely-held companies.
Company has not completed reasonable steps — a temporary state; should resolve within months.
Deliberately hidden — the entity is being used to obscure ownership. Often paired with other shell-company signals.

When ownership matters most

Buyers, secured lenders, and journalists most need this data. Sellers should proactively clean up their PSC register before going to market — buyers who spot discrepancies in diligence usually treat them as material. See our seller journey and buyer journey for how we handle ownership verification on Sell Ltd.

Frequently asked questions

What is a PSC?

Person with Significant Control — anyone who owns more than 25% of shares or voting rights, or otherwise controls the company. Since 2016 every UK company must disclose its PSCs to Companies House.

How do I check a company's PSCs?

On find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk, open the company page and click 'People'. PSCs appear alongside directors. Or use our free PSC lookup tool.

What ownership bands does the PSC register show?

Three: over 25% up to 50%, over 50% up to 75%, and over 75%. Exact percentages aren't public — the bands are.

What if the PSC is a company (RLE)?

That's called a Relevant Legal Entity. The register then requires you to trace up through the holding company to the ultimate PSC — the natural person(s) at the top.

Can a company have no PSC?

Rarely. If ownership is spread with nobody over 25% and no significant influence, the company files 'no individual PSC has been identified'. On a trading business that's more than 12 months old, this is a strong red flag.

How do I check historical ownership?

Filing history contains PSC01, PSC02, PSC03… forms for appointment, change and termination. Read them in order to reconstruct the ownership history.

What if the PSC uses a service address?

Legitimate — since 2018 PSCs can suppress their residential address using a Section 790ZG application. What can't be hidden is the identity and nationality.

Are shareholders and PSCs the same?

Not necessarily. PSC includes voting rights and control, not just shares. A minority shareholder with veto rights over major decisions can be a PSC. And large shareholders with pure economic interest but no voting rights may not be.

How do I find every shareholder?

The confirmation statement (CS01) includes a shareholders list when there are 50 or fewer shareholders. For larger cap tables, only PSCs are public.

Can I check overseas ownership?

If a UK company is owned by an overseas entity, the overseas entity must be registered on the Register of Overseas Entities (ROE) if it holds UK property. Otherwise trace jurisdictions manually.

What is the Register of Overseas Entities?

Since 2022, any non-UK entity holding UK property must register at Companies House with beneficial ownership disclosure. Useful for property-heavy diligence.

How do I check nominee arrangements?

You can't easily. Nominee shareholders and directors are legal in the UK. If ownership on the register looks unusual (single-appointment director, service address, one-person PSC), assume nominee and request the trust deed.

Keep exploring

Every UK company research tool we've built, plus honest reviews of the paid alternatives.