Form NM01 UK: Change a Company Name at Companies House

At a glance

• Legal basis: Companies Act 2006, s.77 (methods of changing a name) and s.78 (change by special resolution) — NM01 is the notice used for the special resolution route.
• Threshold: a special resolution needs at least 75% of votes cast in favour, passed at a general meeting or, for private companies, as a written resolution.
• Filing deadline: the resolution must be forwarded to the registrar within 15 days of being passed (Companies Act 2006, s.30).
• Current fees: £20 to file online, £85 for the online same-day service (this figure was corrected by Companies House on 16 February 2026), or £30 by paper form — always check the figure on GOV.UK before paying, as fees and same-day availability can change.
• When it takes effect: on the date Companies House issues the new certificate of incorporation on change of name, not the date the resolution was passed (Companies Act 2006, s.81).
• Name restrictions: the new name must not be the same as (s.66) or, in the Secretary of State's opinion, too like (s.67) an existing registered name, and must not use restricted "sensitive" words without approval (ss.53–57).
• Not the only form: NM01 is one of five related forms — NM02/NM03 (conditional resolution), NM04 (change under the articles) and NM05 (directors' resolution) cover the other routes under s.77.
• Wider context: the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 has given Companies House stronger powers to query, reject and direct changes to company names — including standalone powers to act on names containing computer code (s.76C) and to determine a replacement name itself (s.76D) — as part of a broader push on register accuracy.

What Form NM01 is and when to use it

Form NM01 is the Companies House filing used to notify the registrar that a private or public limited company has changed its name by passing a special resolution of the members. The authority for this sits in Part 5 of the Companies Act 2006, which sets out the different ways a company can change its name and what has to be lodged afterwards.

Section 77 lists the available methods: special resolution, a method set out in the company's own articles, a direction from the Secretary of State, a decision of a company names adjudicator, a court order, or restoration to the register. NM01 is specifically for the special resolution method under section 78, which is the most common route in practice — used whenever the members themselves decide to rename the company, rather than an external body ordering the change.

The form captures the existing registered name, the company number, and the new name the members have agreed to adopt. A copy of the special resolution itself has to accompany the filing, because the resolution is what the members used to authorise the change, and section 30 of the Companies Act 2006 requires it to reach the registrar within 15 days of being passed.

Other routes to changing a company name: NM02–NM05 compared

NM01 is the form most companies need, but it isn't the only one. Companies House maintains four related forms for the other methods listed in section 77, and filing the wrong one causes rejection just as surely as getting the name itself wrong.

| Form | Method used | Legal basis | When you'd use it | |---|---|---|---| | NM01 | Unconditional special resolution | s.78 | The standard route — members vote to approve the new name outright, with no condition attached | | NM02 | Conditional special resolution | s.78 (resolution conditional on an event) | Members approve the change now, but it only takes effect once a specified future event happens (for example, completion of a sale) | | NM03 | Confirmation that the condition has been satisfied | Follows on from NM02 | Filed once the event named in the NM02 conditional resolution has actually occurred, triggering registration of the new name | | NM04 | Change made under a power in the articles | s.79 | Used instead of a special resolution where the company's own articles already set out a specific mechanism for changing the name | | NM05 | Change of name by directors' resolution | s.77 (following a direction, adjudicator decision, or court order) | Used where directors change the name to comply with an external direction, rather than the members voting on it directly |

Most private companies incorporated with standard model articles do not have a name-change clause built in, which is why NM01 remains by far the most frequently filed of the five.

When the change actually takes effect

This is the point directors get wrong most often. The name change does not take effect on the date the resolution is passed, and it does not take effect the moment you submit the form.

Under section 80 of the Companies Act 2006, once the registrar is satisfied the new name may be registered, she enters it on the register in place of the old name and issues a new certificate of incorporation reflecting the change. Section 81 then fixes the effective date: the change has effect from the date the new certificate is issued. Until that certificate is issued, the company must continue to trade under its existing registered name on contracts, invoices and correspondence — using the proposed new name too early can itself cause confusion or disclosure problems.

Section 81 also confirms the change doesn't disturb anything that happened before it: existing rights, obligations and legal proceedings carry over unaffected, because the company's legal identity is tied to its registered number, not its name.

Section 80 was itself amended by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023: as well as registering names changed by companies themselves, the registrar can now also register a name she has determined for a company under sections 76C or 76D — the new standalone powers discussed further below.

Step by step: how to change your company's name

1. Check the proposed name is available and lawful. Search the Companies House register to make sure no one else is using the name or something the Secretary of State could treat as "too like" it (s.67), and confirm it isn't identical to a name already on the index (s.66). Separately, check the Intellectual Property Office's trademark register — a clean Companies House search does not mean the name is free of trademark risk. Certain words and expressions are "sensitive" and need prior approval from a specified body before you can use them (ss.53–57 and the associated regulations); GOV.UK publishes the current list.
2. Check whether your articles already provide a route. If your articles contain their own mechanism for changing the name (s.79), you may be able to use Form NM04 instead of a special resolution. Most companies don't have such a clause, so this step is usually quick to rule out.
3. Pass a special resolution of the members. If NM01 is the right route, a name change requires a special resolution — at least 75% of the votes cast in favour. This can be done at a general meeting or, for private companies, by written resolution. Keep a signed copy safely; you'll need to file it alongside NM01.
4. Complete Form NM01 accurately. Enter the company number, the current registered name, and the new name exactly as it will appear on the register, including any permitted punctuation or suffix such as "Limited" or "Ltd". Mistakes here cause rejection, so check the wording against the resolution before signing.
5. File within 15 days. You can file online through the Companies House name-change service — quicker, and the only route if you're changing the name purely by special resolution — or send the paper NM01 with the resolution by post. The special resolution must reach the registrar within 15 days of being passed (s.30). Pay the fee that applies to your chosen route; check the current amount on GOV.UK, as it is subject to change.
6. Wait for the certificate. Companies House will issue a certificate of incorporation on change of name once the filing is accepted — this is the document, and the date on it, that makes the change legally effective (s.81).
7. Update everything once the certificate arrives. From that date, update the company website, stationery, signage, bank, contracts, HMRC records, insurance policies, domain names, statutory registers and any regulatory registrations. The old name has no legal standing once the certificate is issued, though existing contracts and obligations under it remain valid.

Worked example: a straightforward rebrand

Fictional example. Aurora Consulting Ltd, a private company with three shareholder-directors, decides to rebrand as Meridian Advisory Ltd ahead of a wider marketing relaunch.

• The directors first check the model articles: there's no built-in name-change clause, so NM04 isn't available — NM01 is the right form.
• They search the Companies House register and the IPO trademark register for "Meridian Advisory" and find no conflicting registrations.
• At a general meeting on 3 March, the three shareholders unanimously pass a special resolution approving the new name — well above the 75% threshold.
• The company secretary files NM01 online on 5 March, attaching the signed resolution, and pays for the same-day service because a client contract signing is scheduled for the following week.
• Companies House issues a certificate of incorporation on change of name dated 5 March. From that date — not from 3 March, when the resolution was passed — the company is legally "Meridian Advisory Ltd", and it needs that exact certificate date on file if a counterparty later asks when the change took effect.
• The existing consultancy agreements signed under "Aurora Consulting Ltd" remain fully valid under section 81(2); the company simply notifies its clients of the new name for future correspondence and invoices.

Name restrictions you need to clear first

| Restriction | Where it comes from | What it means in practice | |---|---|---| | Same as an existing name | Companies Act 2006, s.66 | The registrar will not register a name that is identical (allowing for certain permitted variations) to a name already on the index of company names | | "Too like" an existing name | Companies Act 2006, s.67 | Even if not identical, the Secretary of State can direct a change if the new name is, in their opinion, too similar to an existing one and likely to cause confusion | | Sensitive or restricted words | Companies Act 2006, ss.53–57 and associated regulations | Words implying a government or public-authority connection, or words on the published "sensitive words" lists, need prior approval from a specified body before you can use them | | Names containing computer code | Companies Act 2006, s.76C (inserted by ECCTA 2023) | The registrar can act against a registered name that consists of or includes computer code, independent of the s.66/s.67 grounds | | Trading disclosure requirements | Company, Limited Liability Partnership and Business (Names and Trading Disclosures) Regulations 2015 | Once the new name is registered, it must be displayed correctly at the registered office and on business documents and premises where the company trades |

Running these checks before you file is far cheaper than a rejected form or a later direction from Companies House to change the name again.

Where the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 fits in

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 gave Companies House broader powers over the register generally, including stronger grounds to query, reject, or direct changes to company names — for example where a name appears to have been registered for a fraudulent or criminal purpose. This sits alongside, rather than replaces, the ordinary sections 66 and 67 grounds above.

Two specific new powers are worth knowing about if you're planning a name change:

• Section 76C lets the registrar act on her own initiative against a registered name that consists of or includes computer code — a ground that didn't previously exist.
• Section 76D goes further still: if a company fails to comply with a direction to change its name (issued under any of ss.64, 67, 75, 76, 76A or 76B), the registrar can determine a replacement name herself and register it, rather than simply refusing the company's own filing.

Section 80 — the provision governing registration of a new name — was amended to accommodate both routes, so a name on the register can now change either because the company filed NM01/NM02–05 itself, or because the registrar exercised one of these standalone powers.

This is separate from the Act's identity verification requirements for directors and people with significant control, which became a legal requirement from 18 November 2025 with a 12-month transition period running to 18 November 2026. Identity verification is not, on the current published guidance, a specific precondition for filing NM01 itself — but Companies House is checking the register, and who is filing against it, more actively than it once did, so getting the name and the paperwork right before you file matters more than ever. Check GOV.UK for your company's current verification position before relying on any filing going through without delay.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Assuming the resolution date is the effective date. It isn't — only the certificate date counts (s.81).
• Filing NM01 when NM04 was the right form. Check the articles first; using the wrong form causes rejection and wastes the fee.
• Skipping the sensitive-words check. Filing with an unapproved sensitive word causes rejection and wastes the fee.
• Filing outside the 15-day window. Late filing of the resolution is a compliance breach in its own right under s.30, separate from the name change itself.
• Forgetting the articles. Rare, but if your articles reference the company name directly, check whether they also need amending.
• Treating a clean Companies House search as a trademark clearance. It isn't — the two registers are checked on entirely different criteria.

This guide provides general information about changing a UK company's name using Form NM01 and the related NM02–NM05 forms. It is not legal advice and is not a substitute for advice tailored to your specific circumstances. The law described was accurate as at July 2026 and is subject to change — always check GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk, particularly for current filing fees, same-day service availability, and identity verification requirements, before you file.

Last reviewed: July 2026 by a non-practising solicitor · Next review due: July 2027 or on legislative change.