Guidance Note: Register of Members

Companies are required to maintain a register of members under the Companies Act 2006.

The register of members is the definitive record of share ownership in a private limited company. This guidance note focuses on this statutory register and aims to provide customers with an in depth understanding of the requirements of this register for a private limited company.

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2006 (ECCTA) has introduced important changes to the register of members. This guidance has been updated to reflect these changes. The most significant change is that from 18th November 2025, private companies will no longer be able to keep their register of members at Companies House. They must maintain their own register of members at their registered office or a SAIL. At the same time, all other statutory registers are being abolished.

This guidance note covers the following:

• responsibility for maintaining the register;
• how to keep the register;
• where to keep the register;
• changes introduced by the ECCTA;
• the contents of the register;
• indexing the register;
• single member companies;
• who should be listed as a member;
• data protection;
• updating the register;
• removing entries;
• access to the register and protecting member information; and
• rectifying the register.

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