How to check if someone is a disqualified director

Q: How might a check work in practice?

Illustration only. A small accountancy practice is asked to act for a newly formed company with one director, Daniel. The practice searches the disqualified directors register for his full name and finds two entries for people with the same name. One has a date of birth 20 years different from Daniel's passport; the other has no date of birth and an address in a different region. The practice then searches the Individual Insolvency Register, which shows Daniel was made bankrupt four years ago and was discharged. Finally, it looks up Daniel's officer appointments on Companies House and sees two earlier companies that were dissolved. The practice concludes that neither disqualification entry matches, that the bankruptcy is discharged so section 11 no longer bars him, and records its searches on file. It asks Daniel about the earlier companies as part of its risk assessment.

Q: What other sources might you need?

Northern Ireland. For people disqualified in Northern Ireland, GOV.UK says to contact the Insolvency Service in Northern Ireland. Competition disqualification orders. These can be searched through the Competition and Markets Authority case finder. Sanctions. For people disqualified under the Sanctions and Anti Money Laundering Act 2018 or the Counter Terrorism (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, GOV.UK says to search the UK sanctions list. Our page on director disqualification explains the grounds on which a ban is imposed. Company directors can protect the business against the cost of an HMRC check with tax investigation insurance, which pays up to £100,000 of accountant's fees with Solar Protect. Read how our cover works or get a quote.

Search the disqualified directors register on the Companies House Find and update company information service, which is free and shows bans made by the courts, the Insolvency Service, the Competition and Markets Authority and sanctions authorities. Then check the Individual Insolvency Register, because undischarged bankrupts and people under bankruptcy or debt relief restrictions are barred from acting without being disqualified directors. A clear search is good evidence but not a guarantee, because the registers only show current entries and do not cover every reason someone may be barred.

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Where is the disqualified directors register?

The register is part of the Companies House Find and update company information service. You can search disqualifications by officer name or view the complete register, without registering or paying. GOV.UK says the Companies House disqualified directors register includes disqualifications given by:

the courts;
the Insolvency Service;
the Competition and Markets Authority;
the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; and
HM Treasury through the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation.

The legal basis is section 18 of the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986, which requires the Secretary of State to maintain a register of disqualification orders, and to include disqualification undertakings, cases where the court has given permission to act, and people subject to director disqualification sanctions.

What will a search show?

For each entry, GOV.UK says the register contains:

the person’s name;
why they were disqualified;
when the disqualification began;
how many disqualifications they have had;
whether they have permission to continue to act as a director; and
other details such as address and date of birth, if available.

The entry will also show the period of the ban. Disqualification can last up to 15 years, according to GOV.UK’s guidance on director disqualification.

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What will a search not show?

A search has real limits, and these are where checks most often go wrong:

Expired bans. Under section 18(3), when an order or undertaking ceases to be in force the entry is deleted. GOV.UK says details are removed automatically when the disqualification ends. A clear result tells you about now, not about someone’s history.
Bankruptcy and debt relief restrictions. Section 11 of the 1986 Act makes it an offence to act as a director, or take part in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the court’s permission while an undischarged bankrupt, while a bankruptcy restrictions order or undertaking or debt relief restrictions order or undertaking is in force, or during a debt relief order moratorium. These people are barred without being on the disqualified directors register, so you also need the insolvency registers.
The detailed reasons. The register gives a reason but not the full findings. For bans under the 1986 Act in England, Scotland or Wales in the last three months, GOV.UK points to the Insolvency Service’s online service; otherwise you contact the Insolvency Service.
Other kinds of ban. Some roles have their own disqualification rules. GOV.UK notes that a disqualified director may also be unable, for example, to be a charity trustee, a pension trustee or a solicitor, barrister or accountant, and those regulators keep their own records.

How do you search the insolvency registers?

For England and Wales, the Individual Insolvency Register on GOV.UK shows bankruptcies, including the date of discharge, Debt Relief Orders and Individual Voluntary Arrangements. It can be searched by name or by trading name for sole traders. Records are usually removed within three months of an insolvency case ending.

A separate list shows people given bankruptcy restrictions orders or undertakings, or debt relief restrictions orders or undertakings, but only for the last three months; after that the Individual Insolvency Register may still have information but it does not include the penalties. For Scotland you search the Register of Insolvencies, and for Northern Ireland there are separate registers.

Our page on acting as a director while bankrupt explains when a bankrupt may apply for permission.

How do you make sure you have the right person?

Names are not unique, and a common surname will return many results. Match on as many details as you can:

Search the disqualified register with full forenames and surname, then try variations such as a missing middle name or a different spelling.
Compare the month and year of birth with what the person has given you. Companies House shows the date of birth on disqualification entries where it is available.
Compare addresses. The register shows an address where available, though it may be old.
Look the person up as an officer on the Companies House register to see their other appointments, and check whether any of those companies went into insolvent liquidation or were struck off. A pattern of failed companies is a reason for further questions even if there is no ban today.
Keep a dated record of the searches, including screen captures of the results.

Remember that Companies House does not check the accuracy of information filed on its register. Our page on what Companies House shows about you covers what officer records contain.

Why are these checks worth doing?

A disqualified person who acts as a director commits an offence, and GOV.UK says breaking a disqualification can lead to a fine or up to two years in prison. GOV.UK also warns that anyone who carries out company business on the instructions of someone who is disqualified can be prosecuted and become personally liable for the company’s debts. That makes checks sensible for:

a board appointing a new director or company secretary;
an accountancy practice taking on a new company client, as part of client due diligence;
a lender or investor dealing with the people behind a business;
anyone entering a joint venture or giving credit to a new company.

For what the person themselves can and cannot do, see acting while disqualified and permission to act while disqualified.

How might a check work in practice?

Illustration only. A small accountancy practice is asked to act for a newly formed company with one director, Daniel. The practice searches the disqualified directors register for his full name and finds two entries for people with the same name. One has a date of birth 20 years different from Daniel’s passport; the other has no date of birth and an address in a different region. The practice then searches the Individual Insolvency Register, which shows Daniel was made bankrupt four years ago and was discharged. Finally, it looks up Daniel’s officer appointments on Companies House and sees two earlier companies that were dissolved.

The practice concludes that neither disqualification entry matches, that the bankruptcy is discharged so section 11 no longer bars him, and records its searches on file. It asks Daniel about the earlier companies as part of its risk assessment.

What other sources might you need?

Northern Ireland. For people disqualified in Northern Ireland, GOV.UK says to contact the Insolvency Service in Northern Ireland.
Competition disqualification orders. These can be searched through the Competition and Markets Authority case finder.
Sanctions. For people disqualified under the Sanctions and Anti Money Laundering Act 2018 or the Counter Terrorism (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, GOV.UK says to search the UK sanctions list.

Our page on director disqualification explains the grounds on which a ban is imposed.

Company directors can protect the business against the cost of an HMRC check with tax investigation insurance, which pays up to £100,000 of accountant’s fees with Solar Protect. Read how our cover works or get a quote.

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Sources

Reviewed by Christine Anderson, Broker, Solar Protect. Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Part of Accountapedia, the Solar Protect guide to UK tax and accounting. This page is general information, not personalised advice.