# What is the definition of an active company? On the UK Companies House register, 'active' is a company status meaning the company exists on the register and has not been dissolved, closed or removed. Companies House material shows it as one of several statuses, alongside dissolved, but no full statutory definition is set out, so treat it as a register status label rather than a legal test. When a UK company check returns the word 'active', it is describing the company's status on the Companies House register. The register holds public information about all companies incorporated in the UK, along with other business types such as limited liability partnerships and community interest companies. Status is one of the key details recorded for each of them, and the advanced search function lets you filter results by it. References: [https://companieshouse.blog.gov.uk/2023/04/26/using-the-companies-house-advanced-search-function/](https://companieshouse.blog.gov.uk/2023/04/26/using-the-companies-house-advanced-search-function/). ## What Companies House material establishes, and what it does not Here is the honest limit. The available material shows that Companies House records companies as either active or dissolved as register statuses, and that other recorded statuses exist beyond those two. It does not spell out a complete statutory definition of 'active' or list every condition a company must meet to carry that label. So the safe reading is this: active means the company is present on the register and has not been dissolved or struck off. Anything further, such as whether the company is actually trading, employing people or filing on time, is a separate question the status word alone does not answer. References: [https://companieshouse.blog.gov.uk/2023/04/26/using-the-companies-house-advanced-search-function/](https://companieshouse.blog.gov.uk/2023/04/26/using-the-companies-house-advanced-search-function/), [https://companybeacon.com/](https://companybeacon.com/). That distinction matters for due diligence. A company could plausibly be active on the register while dormant in practice, or active but late with its filings, though the register status alone will not tell you which. A dissolved company, by contrast, is recorded as closed on the register. Status is a starting signal, not a full health check. References: [https://companieshouse.blog.gov.uk/2023/04/26/using-the-companies-house-advanced-search-function/](https://companieshouse.blog.gov.uk/2023/04/26/using-the-companies-house-advanced-search-function/), [https://companybeacon.com/](https://companybeacon.com/). ## A worked example from the register Consider a company listed on the Find and update company information service as ACTIVE LIMITED, company number 08343902. Its filing history shows a steady annual rhythm: micro company accounts filed for periods ending 31 March in successive years, and confirmation statements filed each January, most with no updates. There is also an older resolution from February 2020 changing the company name. This is what an active company's record typically looks like in evidence terms: a company number, a status, and a filing history you can read document by document. References: [https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/08343902/filing-history](https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/08343902/filing-history). One caution from the service itself: Companies House does not check the accuracy of the information filed. The filing history tells you what was submitted and when, not whether the contents are correct. For diligence purposes, note the dates you observe and keep them attached to your findings, because a status or filing record is only as current as the day you checked it. References: [https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/08343902/filing-history](https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/08343902/filing-history). ## How to check a status yourself - Search the Find and update company information service by company name or registration number. - Open the company overview to read its current status, then the filing history for accounts and confirmation statements. - Use the advanced search function if you want to filter by status, such as active or dissolved, or by filing type. - Create an account and select the follow button to receive email notifications when the company files accounts, submits a confirmation statement or changes its directors. References: [https://companieshouse.blog.gov.uk/2023/04/26/using-the-companies-house-advanced-search-function/](https://companieshouse.blog.gov.uk/2023/04/26/using-the-companies-house-advanced-search-function/). A practical comparison: two companies can both show as active, yet one files accounts every year on a predictable schedule while the other has gaps in its record. Reading the filing history, not just the status word, is what separates a quick check from a useful one. On CompanyBeacon, company status is resolved through a live Companies House proxy, with source and observation dates kept visible, and snapshot counts are explicitly not live status totals. References: [https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/08343902/filing-history](https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/08343902/filing-history), [https://companybeacon.com/](https://companybeacon.com/). Next step: take the company name or number you are checking, run it against the official register, and record the status, the date you saw it and the most recent filing. If the exact legal meaning of a status matters to your decision, confirm it against current Companies House guidance on GOV.UK before relying on it. References: [https://companieshouse.blog.gov.uk/2023/04/26/using-the-companies-house-advanced-search-function/](https://companieshouse.blog.gov.uk/2023/04/26/using-the-companies-house-advanced-search-function/). ## Sources - [https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/08343902/filing-history](https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/08343902/filing-history) — accessed 2026-10-18 - [https://companieshouse.blog.gov.uk/2023/04/26/using-the-companies-house-advanced-search-function/](https://companieshouse.blog.gov.uk/2023/04/26/using-the-companies-house-advanced-search-function/) — accessed 2026-10-18 - [https://companybeacon.com/](https://companybeacon.com/) — accessed 2026-10-18 Published 2026-10-18. CompanyBeacon editorial; AI-assisted preparation. ## Next step - [Start a search on companybeacon.com](https://companybeacon.com/) - [Company search](https://companybeacon.com/search/) - [Guides](https://companybeacon.com/guides/) - [Monitoring & KYB](https://companybeacon.com/monitoring/)