The company registration number (CRN) is issued by Companies House when a new company is officially incorporated (registered). All UK companies are given a unique CRN, sometimes known as a ‘company number’ or a ‘registration number’, for the purpose of identifying the business and confirming its status as a legally incorporated entity.
Company registration numbers are only issued to businesses that are registered at Companies House, such as limited companies and limited liability partnerships (LLPs).
Sole traders and traditional partnerships, on the other hand, do not have company registration numbers because they are registered with HMRC, not Companies House.
What does a company registration number look like?
A CRN will consist of eight numbers or a combination of eight alphanumeric characters, depending on where the company is incorporated. Limited companies registered in England and Wales are issued with CRNs made up of 8 numbers.
Companies incorporated in Scotland and Northern Ireland have CRNs that start with ‘SC’ or ‘NI’, respectively, followed by six numbers. Similarly, CRNs for LLPs begin with ‘NC’ and are followed by six numbers.
Where can I find my company registration number?
Your can find your company registration number on your certificate of incorporation, which will have been issued by Companies House as soon as your company was registered.
This certificate will have been sent to you by email and/or by post if you set up a company through an approved company formation agent.
If you incorporated directly with Companies House, your certificate will have been delivered by email or post, depending on what method of incorporation you used.
Your CRN can also be found on all official correspondence received from Companies House, and it is available to view online by accessing the public register via Companies House Service.
If you are a customer of Quality Company Formations, you can log in to your online client portal to find your registration number and all other company details, including PDF copies of your company formation documents, reporting and filing deadlines, and filing history.
When do I need to use my company registration number?
Company registration numbers are designed to identify individual companies and LLPs in many different circumstances, so you will have to provide your CRN when:
- Making changes to your company at Companies House, e.g., changing the registered office address or the name of the company
- Filing documents at Companies House, such as annual accounts and Confirmation Statements.
- Issuing (allotting) or transferring shares
- Registering the company at HMRC for Corporation Tax, PAYE, or VAT
- Sending Company Tax Returns, annual accounts, VAT returns, and PAYE reports to HMRC
- Opening a business bank account and applying for finance
Where should I display my company registration number?
Limited companies and LLPs in the UK must adhere to corporate compliance measures by making their registered details and certain other information available to the public.
Your company registration number, therefore, must be displayed on your website, official documents, and company stationery. This includes letterheads, compliment slips, emails, faxes, invoices, order forms, and receipts.
Legislation governing these requirements is included within The Company, Limited Liability Partnership and Business (Names and Trading Disclosures) Regulations 2015.
