Last Updated on November 3, 2026
Most people check a business by reading its reviews. Reviews tell you whether customers were happy. They do not tell you whether the firm is who it says it is, or whether it holds the registration the job legally needs.
Those answers sit on public registers. Most are free and take two minutes. This page tells you which register to use for which trade, and links to our step-by-step guide for each.
The five-minute check for any UK business
- Get the firm’s full name and any numbers it quotes. Look in the website footer, the contact page, the terms or the written quote. A limited company must show its registered name and company number on its website.
- If it is a limited company, look it up on Companies House. Use the free Find and update company information service. Check the company is active, the name matches, and the address makes sense.
- If the job needs a licence or registration, check the right register. Use the table below. A logo on a van or website is not proof. The register is.
- Match the details. The name, number and address on the register should match what the firm told you. If the firm gave you a registration number, search by that number, not by name.
- If you cannot confirm something, ask. Sole traders are not on Companies House, and a name can be registered slightly differently. A failed search is a reason to ask a question, not proof that anything is wrong.
Which register for which trade
| If you are hiring | Check | Our guide |
|---|---|---|
| Any limited company | Companies House | What a Companies House check tells you |
| Gas engineer or plumber doing gas work | Gas Safe Register | Check the Gas Safe number |
| Electrician | NICEIC or NAPIT | Check NICEIC or NAPIT |
| Roofer | No licence exists. Check Companies House and any scheme the roofer claims | What to check instead |
| Asbestos removal | HSE licensed contractor list | Check the HSE licence |
| Skip hire or waste removal | Environment Agency waste carrier register | Check the waste carrier |
| Drainage company | Companies House and the firm’s own claims | Before the van arrives |
| Landscaper | Companies House and the firm’s own claims | Before work starts |
| Removal company | Companies House and any trade body the firm claims | Before you pay a deposit |
| Security company or door staff | SIA licence register | Check the SIA licence |
| Home care agency | CQC register (England) | Check the CQC register |
| Nursery | Ofsted (England) | Check Ofsted and read the report |
| Dentist | GDC register | Check the GDC register |
| Optician | GOC register | Check the GOC register |
| Physiotherapist | HCPC register | Check the HCPC register |
| Pharmacy | GPhC register | Check the GPhC register |
| Solicitor | SRA register | What the SRA register shows |
| Will writer | Whether they are a solicitor or a member of a trade body | Before you pay |
| Immigration adviser | IAA register | Check registration in two minutes |
| Mortgage adviser | FCA register (the firm’s FRN) | Check the FRN |
| Insurance broker | FCA register | Check the FCA register |
| Travel agent | ATOL and ABTA | Check ATOL, ABTA and the certificate |
| Training provider | APAR, Ofqual and Ofsted | Check in ten minutes |
Why this matters
When we checked UK trade and dental websites run by limited companies in October 2026, 67 of 113 showed a company number. The rest made you search for it. Our company numbers study has the method and limits.
AI assistants now recommend businesses too, and they do not always point you to the register. Our Whito Truth Index tracks how often what you are told matches what the official record says.
Whito has tested this in practice: what happened when we checked 100 Cylex listings against Companies House, and how many firms have verified their directors.
Before you get to the register, the website itself can tell you a lot: seven things to check on a business website before you pay.
Run one of these businesses?
Make the check easy. Put your registered name, company number and any registration numbers in your website footer, with a link to the register. Our free Website Legal Details Checker looks at the details a company website should show.
The takeaway: reviews tell you how a firm treated people. The register tells you whether it is allowed to do the job. Check both.
