DS02 Form UK: Withdraw Striking Off Application

At a glance

• What DS02 does: withdraws a striking-off application previously filed on form DS01. Legal basis: section 1010 of the Companies Act 2006 — an application is withdrawn by giving the registrar notice.
• The window it works in: only while the company is still on the Companies Register. Once the registrar publishes the final Gazette notice and the company is dissolved, DS02 no longer helps.
• How to file: online, through the Companies House online service (GOV.UK's recommended, faster route), or by post using form DS02.
• Who must sign: GOV.UK's current guidance says only one director needs to sign the withdrawal — a lighter requirement than the DS01 application itself, which needs all directors (if 1 or 2) or a majority (if more than 2).
• When it's compulsory, not optional: section 1009 of the Companies Act 2006 imposes a legal duty on directors to withdraw "forthwith" if the company starts trading, becomes insolvent, or certain other listed events occur. Failing to do so is a criminal offence.
• If you're too late: a dissolved company can only come back via administrative restoration (form RT01, £341 fee, directors/shareholders only, within 6 years, company must have been trading when dissolved) or a court order (form N208, £318 court fee, open to a wider group including creditors and employees).
• Fees: check GOV.UK for the current fee position before filing — Companies House fees have changed at various points, including from 1 February 2026.

What the DS02 does

The DS02 is the Companies House form used to withdraw a striking-off application that was previously submitted on form DS01. When a company files a DS01, the registrar publishes a first notice in the Gazette, starting a period in which creditors and other interested parties can object before the company is struck off. Under section 1003 of the Companies Act 2006, the registrar may not strike the company off until three months have passed from that first notice, and the company is dissolved only once the registrar publishes the further notice confirming the strike-off has gone ahead.

If, during that window, the directors decide the company should not be dissolved after all, they can file a DS02. The legal mechanism is short: section 1010 says an application made under section 1003 "is withdrawn by notice to the registrar" — the DS02 is that notice, in standardised form.

Common reasons for withdrawing include the company resuming trade, an asset sale falling through, a change of plan between directors or shareholders, discovery of outstanding liabilities, a creditor's objection, or a mistake on the original DS01 such as wrong names or missing signatures. Filing the DS02 halts the process: the registrar stops the strike-off action and the company remains on the register.

How to withdraw a striking-off application, step by step

1. Check whether you still need to act. Look up the company on the Companies House register (or the strike off and dissolution guidance if you need a refresher on the wider process) to confirm the dissolution is still pending and the company has not yet been struck off. Act promptly — once dissolution is final, restoration is a different and more involved process.
2. Confirm who needs to sign. GOV.UK's current guidance states that only one director needs to sign the withdrawal form. That is more relaxed than the signing rule for the original DS01, so don't assume the same people who signed the DS01 all need to sign the DS02 too — but do check GOV.UK for the latest position before you rely on this, as filing rules are reviewed from time to time.
3. Choose how to file. GOV.UK recommends using the Companies House online service to withdraw the application, since it's processed faster than post. If you prefer, or the online route isn't available to you, complete the paper DS02 and post it to the address shown on the form.
4. Complete the form accurately. Whichever route you use, enter the company name and registration number exactly as they appear on the register. Double-check spelling and numbers — errors on the original DS01 are a common reason people end up filing a DS02 in the first place, and you don't want to add a second error on top.
5. Check the fee position before you file. Filing fees for Companies House forms are reviewed periodically. Confirm the current position on GOV.UK before submitting, whichever channel you use, so you know whether any payment needs to accompany your filing.
6. Keep evidence of submission. If filing online, keep the confirmation from the Companies House service. If posting, use a trackable service and keep a dated copy of the form plus proof of postage — this is your evidence the withdrawal was sent in time if any question arises later.
7. Confirm the withdrawal has been processed. Monitor the company record on the Companies House register afterwards. You should see the strike-off action discontinued. If the record still shows pending dissolution after a reasonable period, contact Companies House to check the form was received and actioned.

When withdrawal is compulsory, not optional

Most directors think of the DS02 as something they choose to file if they change their mind. In some situations it isn't a choice at all. Section 1009 of the Companies Act 2006 sets out a list of events that, if any occur after the DS01 was filed and before it is finally dealt with or withdrawn, trigger a legal duty on every director in office at the end of that day to "secure that the company's application is withdrawn forthwith". Those events include:

• the company trading or otherwise carrying on business (beyond what's necessary to wind down or comply with a statutory requirement)
• the company changing its name
• the company disposing of property or rights it didn't need to hold for the purposes of the striking-off application
• a voluntary arrangement being proposed, or an application made to the court to sanction a compromise or arrangement
• an application for an administration order being made, or an administrator being appointed
• circumstances arising in which the company may be voluntarily wound up, or a winding-up petition being presented
• a receiver or manager of the company's property, or a judicial factor, being appointed

Failing to withdraw in these circumstances is a criminal offence under section 1009(5), punishable by a fine on conviction. It is a defence to show that, at the time, you weren't aware the company had made a DS01 application, or that you took all reasonable steps to secure the withdrawal. This is one reason to keep a close eye on the company's position throughout the strike-off window — not just when you actively decide the application should be pulled back.

What happens after you file

Once Companies House processes the DS02, the strike-off action is discontinued and the Gazette record is updated to reflect that. The company remains on the register in its normal status, subject to its usual ongoing filing obligations — confirmation statements, accounts, and any other outstanding requirements don't disappear because a strike-off application was made and withdrawn.

Separately, section 1006 of the Companies Act 2006 required that within 7 days of the original DS01 being made, a copy was given to every member, creditor, employee, non-signing director, and any pension fund trustee or manager — failing to do so is itself a criminal offence carrying a heavy penalty. There is no equivalent statutory duty to circulate a copy of the DS02, but telling those same people the strike-off has been stopped is good practice and avoids confusion about the company's status.

If the company has already been struck off

Once the registrar publishes the final notice and the company is dissolved, a DS02 cannot help — the company no longer exists as a legal entity, so there is nothing left to "withdraw" a pending application against. At that point there are two possible routes back onto the register, and they aren't interchangeable:

• Administrative restoration — available only if you apply within 6 years of dissolution, you were a director or shareholder of the company, and the company was trading at the time it was struck off. You apply using form RT01 and, per GOV.UK, pay a £341 fee to Companies House, along with any outstanding filings (accounts, confirmation statements) and penalty payments. If the company held assets, you'll also usually need a waiver letter from the Treasury Solicitor (Bona Vacantia).
• A court order — the route if you don't meet the administrative restoration criteria, for example you were a creditor, an employee, a pension fund trustee, or you have a competing interest in land the company held. You apply using form N208, pay a £318 court fee, and support the application with a witness statement, sent to the appropriate county court (or, in Scotland or Northern Ireland, following the separate procedure GOV.UK sets out for those jurisdictions).

Both fees and the eligibility detail are reviewed from time to time — verify the current figures and criteria on GOV.UK before applying either way.

Practical checklist

1. Check the register first. Confirm whether the strike-off is still pending or the company has already been dissolved — this decides whether you need a DS02 or a restoration application.
2. File the DS02 online if you can. GOV.UK's own guidance says this is processed faster than post.
3. Confirm the current signing and fee rules on GOV.UK before you file — both have been updated over time and this guide's summary can date.
4. Watch for the section 1009 triggers. If the company starts trading, faces insolvency proceedings, or any of the other listed events happen, withdrawal stops being optional.
5. Tell interested parties the strike-off has been stopped, even though the law doesn't specifically require a fresh notice for the withdrawal itself.
6. If you're already too late, work out which restoration route applies to you — administrative restoration if you were a director or shareholder and act within 6 years, or a court order otherwise.
7. Take advice early if the position is contested — disputes between directors or shareholders about the original DS01, or objections from creditors, are exactly the situations where getting it wrong is costly.

This guide provides general information about withdrawing a Companies House striking-off application in England and Wales. It is not legal advice and is not a substitute for advice tailored to your specific circumstances. The law and guidance described were accurate as at July 2026 and are subject to change — always check GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk for the current position before you act.