To change your name as a company director, you update your details on the public register at Companies House – and it’s free. You can do it online through the Companies House WebFiling service, or by posting the paper form CH01 (‘Change of director’s details’). The change must be filed within 14 days, and once processed your new name appears on the public register in place of the old one.
The one thing to sort out first is the underlying legal name change itself. Companies House updates the register to match your new legal name, but it’s the deed poll that actually changes your name. Once you have that, the Companies House filing is quick, free and mostly a formality. Below we cover directors, company secretaries and people with significant control (PSCs), then the different route for sole traders who have nothing to file at Companies House at all.
Does a director’s name update automatically?
No. Companies House holds your name because you or your accountant told them – nothing on the register updates itself. Under the Companies Act 2006, the company has a legal duty to notify the registrar within 14 days of any change to a director’s registered particulars, and that includes your name. If you don’t file the change, the public register simply keeps showing your old name.
You’ll normally want the change on record because your name at Companies House should match your other official documents – your passport, bank mandates and any contracts signed in your capacity as a director. A mismatch here is the sort of thing that causes friction with banks, lenders and due-diligence checks later on.
How to change your name as a company director, step by step
There are two routes and both are free:
- Online (recommended and fastest): Sign in to the Companies House WebFiling service using the company’s registered email, password and its authentication code. Choose the option to change a director’s details, select your name from the officers listed, enter your new name and the date it took effect, then submit. Online filings are usually processed within about 24 hours.
- By post: Download and complete form CH01 from GOV.UK, giving the company name and number, your current details as held, and your new name. Sign and post it to the relevant Companies House office (Cardiff, Edinburgh or Belfast, depending on where the company is registered). Paper forms take longer to process than online filings.
Either way, there is no filing fee to change a director’s name. You do not need to send your deed poll to Companies House – they don’t ask for evidence of the name change with the filing – but you should keep the deed poll safe, because your bank, HMRC and others will want to see it.
What about company secretaries and PSCs?
The register lists other roles too, and each has its own free form:
- Company secretary: use form CH03 (‘Change of secretary’s details’), online or by post, with no fee.
- Person with significant control (PSC): to change a PSC’s name, use form PS04, again free and available online or by post.
If one person is, say, both a director and a PSC (common in small companies), remember that these are separate entries on the register – you may need to update both so your name is consistent everywhere. Your register of directors, register of secretaries and PSC register kept at your registered office should also be updated to match.
Timing, fees and proof they’ll ask for
To summarise the essentials:
- Fee: free, whether you file online or on paper.
- Deadline: notify Companies House within 14 days of the change.
- Proof: Companies House doesn’t require your deed poll to be submitted with the filing. But the deed poll is what everyone else – banks, HMRC, clients – will accept as evidence, so make sure you have it.
- Public record: your new name appears on the free, publicly searchable register. Your old name will still be visible in the filing history, which is normal.
Sole traders: nothing to file at Companies House
If you’re a sole trader rather than a limited company, you have no Companies House record to change – sole traders aren’t registered there. Instead, the important updates are with HMRC and your business banking and branding:
- HMRC / Self Assessment: tell HMRC about your new name, usually through your online tax account or by contacting the Self Assessment team. Report changes to your business details within the timeframe HMRC sets (generally around 30 days).
- VAT: if you’re VAT registered, update your details with HMRC (historically via form VAT484 or your VAT online account) so invoices and your VAT certificate show the correct name.
- PAYE: if you employ staff and run payroll, make sure your PAYE records reflect the change too.
- Business bank account & branding: update your business bank account, invoices, website, contracts and any trading name so everything is consistent. Your bank will typically ask to see your deed poll.
For a fuller run-through of who to tell across government and banking, our update-your-ID checklist and our guide to updating tax, payroll and contracts walk through the order that works best.
Common pitfalls to avoid
- Assuming the accountant has done it. Many directors think a name change flows through automatically at the next confirmation statement – it doesn’t. Someone has to file CH01.
- Updating only one role. If you’re a director and a PSC, changing one entry doesn’t change the other.
- Forgetting HMRC. Companies House and HMRC are separate. Updating the register doesn’t tell HMRC about your Self Assessment, Corporation Tax, VAT or PAYE records.
- Signing new documents in the old name. Once your name is changed, sign contracts and banking mandates in the new name so your paperwork stays consistent.
- Losing the deed poll. You don’t send it to Companies House, but you’ll need it repeatedly for banks and other institutions, so keep the original safe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it free to change a director’s name at Companies House?
Yes. Filing form CH01 to change a director’s details – including their name – is free, whether you do it online through WebFiling or by paper form. There is no fee for a company secretary (CH03) or PSC (PS04) name change either.
Do I need a deed poll to change my name as a company director?
You need a valid legal name change, and for most people that’s an unenrolled deed poll. Companies House won’t ask to see it when you file, but your bank, HMRC and clients will, so it’s worth having the document before you start updating records.
How long does it take to appear on the public register?
Online filings through WebFiling are typically processed within about a day. Paper CH01 forms take longer because they’re processed by post. The company must notify Companies House within 14 days of the change taking effect.
Will my old name still be visible?
Your current record will show your new name, but your previous name remains visible in the company’s filing history. That’s normal and applies to the public register generally – historical filings aren’t erased.
I’m a sole trader – do I file anything at Companies House?
No. Sole traders aren’t registered at Companies House, so there’s nothing to file there. Instead, tell HMRC (Self Assessment, and VAT/PAYE if they apply) and update your business bank account and branding.
Does changing my name at Companies House update HMRC too?
No. They’re separate bodies. You’ll need to tell HMRC about your name change for Self Assessment, Corporation Tax, VAT and PAYE as relevant, in addition to the Companies House filing.
Ready to Change Your Name?
Before you can update Companies House, you need the legal name change itself – and that’s where we come in. Our professionally printed unenrolled adult deed poll starts from £14.49, with same-day dispatch before 3pm and free Royal Mail Tracked delivery. The online order takes around 4 minutes, and we’ve helped 160,000+ UK customers change their name with confidence. Once your deed poll arrives, updating your director’s details at Companies House is free and takes minutes.