Companies Act 1985

351 Particulars in correspondence, etc. E+W+S

(1) Every company shall have the following particulars mentioned in legible characters in all business letters and order forms of the company [F1 , and on all the company's websites,] , that is to say—

(a) the company’s place of registration and the number with which it is registered,

(b) the address of its registered office,

(c) in the case of an investment company (as defined in section 266), the fact that it is such a company, and

(d) in the case of a limited company exempt from the obligation to use the word “limited” as part of its name [F2 under section 30 or a community interest company which is not a public company] , the fact that it is a limited company.

[F3 (2) If in the case of a company having a share capital there is a reference to the amount of share capital—

(a) on the stationery used for any such letters,

(b) on the company's order forms, or

(c) on any of the company's websites,

the reference must be to paid-up share capital.]

F4 (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F4 (4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(5) As to contraventions of this section, the following applies—

(a) if a company fails to comply with subsection (1) or (2), it is liable to a fine,

(b) if an officer of a company or a person on its behalf issues or authorises the issue of any business letter or order form not complying with those subsections, he is liable to a fine, F5 . . .

[F6 (ba) if an officer of a company or a person on its behalf causes or authorises the appearance of a website not complying with those subsections, he is liable to a fine.]

F5 (c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[F7 (6) References in this section to a document of any type are to a document of that type in hard copy, electronic or any other form.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 351(1) inserted (1.1.2007) by The Companies (Registrar, Languages and Trading Disclosures) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/3429), reg. 6, Sch. 1 para. 2(2)

F2 Words in s. 351(1)(d) inserted (1.7.2005) by Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) Act 2004 (c. 27), ss. 33, 65, Sch. 6 para. 8; S.I. 2004/3322, art. 2(3), Sch. 3 (subject to arts. 3-13)

F3 S. 351(2) substituted (1.1.2007) by The Companies (Registrar, Languages and Trading Disclosures) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/3429), reg. 6, Sch. 1 para. 2(3)

F4 S. 351(3)(4) repealed (1.2.1994) by 1993 c. 38, s. 31, Sch. 2; S.I. 1994/115, art. 2(2)

F5 S. 351(5)(c) and the word “and” immediately preceding it repealed (1.2.1994) by 1993 c. 38, ss. 35(1), Sch.2

F6 S. 351(5)(ba) inserted (1.1.2007) by The Companies (Registrar, Languages and Trading Disclosures) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/3429), reg. 6, Sch. 1 para. 2(4)

F7 S. 351(6) inserted (1.1.2007) by The Companies (Registrar, Languages and Trading Disclosures) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/3429), reg. 6, Sch. 1 para. 2(5)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 351 applied (with modifications) (6.4.2001) by S.I. 2001/1090, reg. 4, Sch. 2 Pt. I

C2 S. 351(1)(2)(5)(a) applied with modifications by S.I. 1985/680, regs. 4–6, Sch.