Form EW03 UK: Withdraw Secretaries Register Election

What this document is

Form EW03 is a Companies House form used to withdraw a company's election to hold its register of secretaries on the central register. The background is this: under provisions introduced by the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015, private companies can choose to keep certain statutory registers (including the register of secretaries) on the public register at Companies House instead of maintaining a separate internal register.

That choice is known as an election. EW03 is the form that ends that arrangement. Once processed, the company becomes responsible once more for keeping its own register of secretaries, recording the information required by the Companies Act 2006, and making it available for inspection in the usual way.

The form is short and straightforward, but it must be signed by a director or the company secretary, and the effect of filing it is that the secretary information on the central register stops being treated as the company's statutory register from the date Companies House registers the withdrawal.

How to use this document

1. Confirm the election is actually in force. Before filing EW03, check that the company has previously filed an EW02 (the form used to elect to keep secretary information on the central register). If no election was ever made, there is nothing to withdraw and this form is not the right one. You can verify the company's filing history through the Companies House public record. 2. Gather the company details you need. You'll need the registered company number and full registered name exactly as it appears on the Companies House register. Double-check the name for punctuation and spacing, because mismatches can cause the form to be rejected. Make sure whoever signs the form has authority to do so as a director or the company secretary. 3. Complete the form accurately. Fill in each field following the instructions provided by Companies House. The form itself is not long, but accuracy matters. Providing false information on a Companies House filing is a criminal offence under the Companies Act 2006, so treat it with the same care as any other statutory filing even though the form is short. 4. Submit the form to Companies House. You can file EW03 on paper by post, or in some cases through the online filing service. Check the current fee on gov.uk before submitting, and include payment if a fee applies. Keep a copy of what you submit for the company's records, along with proof of posting if you file by post. 5. Set up your internal register again. Once Companies House has processed the withdrawal, the secretary information held centrally is no longer treated as the company's statutory register. You'll need to create or reinstate an internal register of secretaries that meets the requirements of the Companies Act 2006, and make sure it's available for inspection at the registered office or SAIL address.

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