Changing your limited company name costs £20 if you file online with Companies House, or £30 by post, and the usual route is form NM01 — the form for a change by special resolution. There are two legal ways to do it: the shareholders pass a special resolution, or you use a means your articles of association already permit, which is filed on form NM04 (gov.uk). The online service handles the special resolution route only, so an articles-based change goes on paper. Either way, the date that counts is not the date of your resolution — your company name does not officially change until Companies House registers it, and the change takes effect on registration. A same-day service is available at a higher fee; check the current rate on gov.uk before you file. Everything after that — bank mandates, contracts, HMRC records, invoices — is your job, not Companies House's.
The rules and fees here are set by Companies House and sourced to gov.uk. This is general guidance for directors, not legal or tax advice.
The two ways to change a company name, and which one applies to you
Companies House recognises two routes, and the one you use decides which form you file. You can change the name by special resolution of the shareholders, or by a means permitted by the company's articles of association (gov.uk). Most companies use the first, because most sets of articles say nothing about renaming.
The special resolution route is filed on form NM01, and it is the only route the online service supports. The articles route is filed on form NM04, and it applies where your articles set out their own method — giving the directors the power to rename without a shareholder vote, for instance. On paper, you attach a copy of the resolution to the form (gov.uk).
So read your own articles before you pick a route. A single-shareholder company on the model articles is almost always on the special resolution path and can file online for £20; tailored articles may say otherwise.
If you're not sure what your articles say about renaming, our free guide covers the constitutional basics before you file anything.
The filing is short; the order is what keeps it clean, because the resolution has to exist before the form that reports it.
Check the name is available and permitted. Search the register for anything the same as, or close to, your proposed name, and test it against the naming rules below.
Pass the special resolution — or use the articles route. The shareholders resolve to change the name; if your articles permit another method, follow that and file NM04.
File it. A change by special resolution can go through the online service. Otherwise post form NM01 (or NM04) with a copy of the resolution attached (gov.uk).
Pay the fee. £20 online, £30 by post, or the higher same-day fee if it's urgent.
Wait for registration. Companies House checks the name against the rules and registers it. Until it does, your company legally still has its old name (gov.uk).
Update everything else. Bank, HMRC, contracts, invoices, website — the longest step, and entirely on you.
The risk isn't the form, it's steps 1 and 6. A rejected name costs you another filing, and a name that changes on the register but not on your invoices leaves a paper trail that no longer matches your legal identity.
What does it cost to change your company name?
The fee depends on how you file, not on the company (gov.uk):
How you file
Fee
Online (change by special resolution only)
£20
By post, on form NM01 or NM04
£30
Same-day service
Higher fee — check the current rate on gov.uk
The same-day fee is published inconsistently across gov.uk pages, so confirm the rate on the page you file from rather than budgeting from a figure you read elsewhere.
Names you're not allowed to use
A name change is only complete when Companies House registers it, and it can decline. Your new name must not be the "same as" an existing name on the register, and it can be rejected as "too like" another registered name — near-misses on spelling, punctuation or a single generic word are the common trap. Names containing sensitive or offensive words need approval before they can be used, and a private limited company's name must end in "Limited" or "Ltd" (the Welsh equivalents are permitted) (gov.uk).
The practical test before you spend £20: search the register for your name, then search it again without the distinguishing word. If the only difference between yours and a live company is "UK", "Group", punctuation or a plural, treat that as a real risk of a "too like" rejection. Trade marks and domains are separate systems, so clearing one doesn't clear the others.
Some directors don't need a rename at all — they need a trading name used alongside the registered one, with the registered name still disclosed where the law requires it. That choice is worth making before you file, and we can talk you through it and match you with a partner accountant where it carries tax or filing consequences.
This is where most renames go wrong. Your company number stays exactly the same. The company remains the same legal person — same incorporation date, same filing history, same obligations. A change of name is a change of label, not a new company; you are not starting again.
Companies House issues a change of name certificate, which sits alongside your original certificate of incorporation rather than replacing it. Keep both: the original records when the company came into existence, the new one evidences the name from the date it was registered.
Everything else is a separate job, and each one is yours to do:
What stays the same
What you have to update yourself
Your company number
Business bank account and bank mandates
The legal entity, its history and its filings
VAT and PAYE records with HMRC
Your certificate of incorporation (not replaced)
Contracts, terms and conditions, invoices, letterheads
Existing contracts — still valid
Website and domain, signage, insurance, public profiles
Existing contracts remain valid, because the party to them hasn't changed — but counterparties still need telling, and some agreements require notice of a change of registered particulars. Suppliers, landlords, lenders and insurers should hear it from you, not from a differently-named invoice.
Statutory disclosure is the duty directors most often miss: the new name has to appear on your business documents and wherever the law requires the company to be identified, from the date it is registered. Our guide to registered office vs business address covers what has to be shown where. For VAT and PAYE records under the new name, a partner accountant is the sensible person to hand it to — see our accountancy overview.
Renaming a ready-made company you've just bought
If you buy an off-the-shelf company, renaming it is normally the first thing you do — and it's the same NM01 route described above. A ready-made company has already been incorporated and left dormant, so a buyer can take it over and start trading without waiting for a fresh registration; our explainer on what an off-the-shelf company is sets out how they work.
Because the shelf company was registered under a holding name, the buyer passes a special resolution to change it to their own trading name and files it as usual. The company number, incorporation date and existing history carry across unchanged — which is the point of buying one rather than forming from scratch. The steps are in our guide to buying an off-the-shelf company, and our off-the-shelf companies page shows what we have available.
One thing to plan for: check your intended name against the register before you buy, not after. Nothing stalls a fast start like finding the name you had in mind is too like a company already registered.
Whether it's a company you've run for years or one you bought last week, the filing is the small part and the follow-up is the real work — our free guide covers the rest of a director's filing duties.
How much does it cost to change a company name?
£20 online with Companies House, or £30 by post. The online service handles a change by special resolution only. A same-day service is also available at a higher fee — check the current rate on gov.uk before you file, as it is published inconsistently across pages.
What form do I need to change my company name?
Form NM01 for a change made by special resolution, or NM04 where the change is made by a means permitted by your articles. Filing on paper, you attach a copy of the resolution to the form.
When does the new company name take effect?
On registration. Your name does not officially change until Companies House registers it, so the effective date is the date of registration, not the date of the resolution.
Does changing my company name change my company number?
No. The number stays exactly the same, and so does the company — same legal entity, same incorporation date, same filing history. Companies House issues a change of name certificate, which sits alongside your original certificate of incorporation rather than replacing it.
What do I have to update after a company name change?
Everything outside Companies House: bank account and mandates, VAT and PAYE records with HMRC, contracts and terms, invoices and letterheads, website and domain, signage, insurance and public profiles. Existing contracts stay valid, but counterparties need telling, and showing the new name on business documents is the director's duty.
Changing your limited company name costs £20 if you file online with Companies House, or £30 by post, and the usual route is form NM01 — the form for a change by special resolution. There are two legal ways to do it: the shareholders pass a special resolution, or you use a means your articles of association already permit, which is filed on form NM04 (gov.uk). The online service handles the special resolution route only, so an articles-based change goes on paper. Either way, the date that counts is not the date of your resolution — your company name does not officially change until Companies House registers it, and the change takes effect on registration. A same-day service is available at a higher fee; check the current rate on gov.uk before you file. Everything after that — bank mandates, contracts, HMRC records, invoices — is your job, not Companies House's.
The rules and fees here are set by Companies House and sourced to gov.uk. This is general guidance for directors, not legal or tax advice.
The two ways to change a company name, and which one applies to you
Companies House recognises two routes, and the one you use decides which form you file. You can change the name by special resolution of the shareholders, or by a means permitted by the company's articles of association (gov.uk). Most companies use the first, because most sets of articles say nothing about renaming.
The special resolution route is filed on form NM01, and it is the only route the online service supports. The articles route is filed on form NM04, and it applies where your articles set out their own method — giving the directors the power to rename without a shareholder vote, for instance. On paper, you attach a copy of the resolution to the form (gov.uk).
So read your own articles before you pick a route. A single-shareholder company on the model articles is almost always on the special resolution path and can file online for £20; tailored articles may say otherwise.
If you're not sure what your articles say about renaming, our free guide covers the constitutional basics before you file anything.
The filing is short; the order is what keeps it clean, because the resolution has to exist before the form that reports it.
Check the name is available and permitted. Search the register for anything the same as, or close to, your proposed name, and test it against the naming rules below.
Pass the special resolution — or use the articles route. The shareholders resolve to change the name; if your articles permit another method, follow that and file NM04.
File it. A change by special resolution can go through the online service. Otherwise post form NM01 (or NM04) with a copy of the resolution attached (gov.uk).
Pay the fee. £20 online, £30 by post, or the higher same-day fee if it's urgent.
Wait for registration. Companies House checks the name against the rules and registers it. Until it does, your company legally still has its old name (gov.uk).
Update everything else. Bank, HMRC, contracts, invoices, website — the longest step, and entirely on you.
The risk isn't the form, it's steps 1 and 6. A rejected name costs you another filing, and a name that changes on the register but not on your invoices leaves a paper trail that no longer matches your legal identity.
What does it cost to change your company name?
The fee depends on how you file, not on the company (gov.uk):
How you file
Fee
Online (change by special resolution only)
£20
By post, on form NM01 or NM04
£30
Same-day service
Higher fee — check the current rate on gov.uk
The same-day fee is published inconsistently across gov.uk pages, so confirm the rate on the page you file from rather than budgeting from a figure you read elsewhere.
Names you're not allowed to use
A name change is only complete when Companies House registers it, and it can decline. Your new name must not be the "same as" an existing name on the register, and it can be rejected as "too like" another registered name — near-misses on spelling, punctuation or a single generic word are the common trap. Names containing sensitive or offensive words need approval before they can be used, and a private limited company's name must end in "Limited" or "Ltd" (the Welsh equivalents are permitted) (gov.uk).
The practical test before you spend £20: search the register for your name, then search it again without the distinguishing word. If the only difference between yours and a live company is "UK", "Group", punctuation or a plural, treat that as a real risk of a "too like" rejection. Trade marks and domains are separate systems, so clearing one doesn't clear the others.
Some directors don't need a rename at all — they need a trading name used alongside the registered one, with the registered name still disclosed where the law requires it. That choice is worth making before you file, and we can talk you through it and match you with a partner accountant where it carries tax or filing consequences.
This is where most renames go wrong. Your company number stays exactly the same. The company remains the same legal person — same incorporation date, same filing history, same obligations. A change of name is a change of label, not a new company; you are not starting again.
Companies House issues a change of name certificate, which sits alongside your original certificate of incorporation rather than replacing it. Keep both: the original records when the company came into existence, the new one evidences the name from the date it was registered.
Everything else is a separate job, and each one is yours to do:
What stays the same
What you have to update yourself
Your company number
Business bank account and bank mandates
The legal entity, its history and its filings
VAT and PAYE records with HMRC
Your certificate of incorporation (not replaced)
Contracts, terms and conditions, invoices, letterheads
Existing contracts — still valid
Website and domain, signage, insurance, public profiles
Existing contracts remain valid, because the party to them hasn't changed — but counterparties still need telling, and some agreements require notice of a change of registered particulars. Suppliers, landlords, lenders and insurers should hear it from you, not from a differently-named invoice.
Statutory disclosure is the duty directors most often miss: the new name has to appear on your business documents and wherever the law requires the company to be identified, from the date it is registered. Our guide to registered office vs business address covers what has to be shown where. For VAT and PAYE records under the new name, a partner accountant is the sensible person to hand it to — see our accountancy overview.
Renaming a ready-made company you've just bought
If you buy an off-the-shelf company, renaming it is normally the first thing you do — and it's the same NM01 route described above. A ready-made company has already been incorporated and left dormant, so a buyer can take it over and start trading without waiting for a fresh registration; our explainer on what an off-the-shelf company is sets out how they work.
Because the shelf company was registered under a holding name, the buyer passes a special resolution to change it to their own trading name and files it as usual. The company number, incorporation date and existing history carry across unchanged — which is the point of buying one rather than forming from scratch. The steps are in our guide to buying an off-the-shelf company, and our off-the-shelf companies page shows what we have available.
One thing to plan for: check your intended name against the register before you buy, not after. Nothing stalls a fast start like finding the name you had in mind is too like a company already registered.
Whether it's a company you've run for years or one you bought last week, the filing is the small part and the follow-up is the real work — our free guide covers the rest of a director's filing duties.
How much does it cost to change a company name?
£20 online with Companies House, or £30 by post. The online service handles a change by special resolution only. A same-day service is also available at a higher fee — check the current rate on gov.uk before you file, as it is published inconsistently across pages.
What form do I need to change my company name?
Form NM01 for a change made by special resolution, or NM04 where the change is made by a means permitted by your articles. Filing on paper, you attach a copy of the resolution to the form.
When does the new company name take effect?
On registration. Your name does not officially change until Companies House registers it, so the effective date is the date of registration, not the date of the resolution.
Does changing my company name change my company number?
No. The number stays exactly the same, and so does the company — same legal entity, same incorporation date, same filing history. Companies House issues a change of name certificate, which sits alongside your original certificate of incorporation rather than replacing it.
What do I have to update after a company name change?
Everything outside Companies House: bank account and mandates, VAT and PAYE records with HMRC, contracts and terms, invoices and letterheads, website and domain, signage, insurance and public profiles. Existing contracts stay valid, but counterparties need telling, and showing the new name on business documents is the director's duty.
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