Companies House company status meanings, explained

Every company on the Companies House register has a status. It is the quickest single clue to whether a customer or supplier is in trouble. This guide explains each status Companies House uses, in plain English, and what it means if that company owes you money.

The status names below are the ones in Companies House's own published list of statuses (the api-enumerations list on its public GitHub). The explanations of the processes come from GOV.UK and the legislation, as linked in our other guides.

Active

The company is on the register and has not been dissolved or entered a formal insolvency process that changes its status.

"Active" does not mean the company is trading, profitable or paying its bills. A dormant company with no business is still "Active". Look at the other signs too: overdue accounts, a late confirmation statement, or new charges.

Active - Proposal to Strike Off

The company is still on the register, but a notice has been published in The Gazette saying it will be struck off and dissolved. This is often called the First Gazette notice. Under sections 1000 and 1003 of the Companies Act 2006, the registrar must wait at least two months from the notice before striking the company off.

It can happen for two reasons:

• Compulsory strike-off. Companies House believes the company is no longer carrying on business, for example because its accounts are missing and it hasn't answered letters.
• Voluntary strike-off. The directors have applied to close the company.

If it owes you money, act now. A creditor can object to the strike-off. Our strike-off guide explains how.

Dissolved

The company no longer exists. It has been struck off or has come to the end of a liquidation. You can't sue a dissolved company, and any property it still owned generally passes to the Crown as bona vacantia (section 1012 of the Companies Act 2006).

A dissolved company can sometimes be restored to the register. Creditors can apply to the court, generally within six years. It is slow and costly, so it is a last resort. See the strike-off guide for details.

Liquidation

The company is being wound up: its assets are sold and the money is shared among its creditors. There are three kinds:

• Compulsory liquidation, ordered by a court, usually after a creditor's winding-up petition.
• Creditors' voluntary liquidation (CVL), where the directors and shareholders decide to close an insolvent company.
• Members' voluntary liquidation (MVL), which is used to close a solvent company. Its creditors should be paid in full.

The status alone doesn't tell you which kind it is. Check the company's Insolvency tab and filing history on the register. For an insolvent liquidation, you will normally be an unsecured creditor and will need to prove your debt. See administration vs liquidation.

In Administration

An administrator, a licensed insolvency practitioner, has taken control of the company. Their aim is to rescue it, or to get a better result for creditors than an immediate liquidation would. While it is in administration, creditors generally can't take legal action against it without the administrator's consent or the court's permission. See administration vs liquidation.

Voluntary Arrangement

The company has a company voluntary arrangement (CVA). This is a deal with its creditors to pay all or part of its debts over time while it keeps trading. If you are owed money, you may be bound by the CVA even if you voted against it. See administration vs liquidation for how CVAs are approved.

Receiver Action

A receiver has been appointed over some or all of the company's assets. This is usually done by a lender that holds a charge (security) over them. The receiver acts mainly for that lender, not for ordinary suppliers. It's a serious warning sign: check the company's charges and Insolvency tab.

Insolvency Proceedings

A general status for companies with insolvency proceedings recorded that don't show one of the more specific statuses above. When we checked a sample of these on 1 October 2026, they included past administrations and receiverships. Look at the company's Insolvency tab to see what actually happened and whether it has ended.

Converted / Closed

The company has been converted into another type of entity, or its register entry has been closed. It isn't an ordinary active company any more. Check the register entry for what replaced it before you do business under that number.

Open, Closed, Registered and Removed

These statuses are for other kinds of entries on the register, not ordinary UK companies:

• Open and Closed apply to UK establishments (branches) of overseas companies. Their numbers usually start with BR.
• Registered and Removed apply to overseas entities on the Register of Overseas Entities. Their numbers start with OE.

If you trade with one of these, the legal entity you are dealing with is usually the overseas company, so do your checks on that company too.

Watch the status instead of checking it

A status can change on any day, and there's no notice from Companies House unless you ask for one. FilingPing watches the companies you choose and emails you when a status changes (for example from Active to Liquidation) or a strike-off notice appears in the company's filing history. It also alerts you to insolvency filings and overdue accounts. You can check any company free, check up to 20 at once, and watch up to 5 companies free.

Sources

• Companies House, api-enumerations constants (company_status and company_status_detail), github.com/companieshouse, read 1 October 2026.
• Companies Act 2006, sections 1000, 1003 and 1012 (legislation.gov.uk).
• Companies House register data, checked 1 October 2026 (examples of each status).
• Our guides to strike-off, winding-up petitions, and administration vs liquidation, which list their GOV.UK sources.

Updated 1 October 2026 · All guides