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Section 64: Power to direct change of name in case of company ceasing to be entitled to exemption

Companies Act 2006 · 2006 c. 46View on legislation.gov.uk

Part 5: A company's name — Chapter 2: Indications of company type or legal form

If it appears to the Secretary of State that a company whose name does not include "limited" or any of the permitted alternatives—

has ceased to be entitled to exemption under section 60(1)(a) or (b), or
in the case of a company within section 61 or 62 (which impose conditions as to the objects and articles of the company)—
has carried on any business other than the promotion of any of the objects mentioned in subsection (3) of section 61 or, as the case may be, subsection (2) of section 62, or
has acted inconsistently with the provision required by subsection (4)(a) or (b) of section 61 or, as the case may be, subsection (3)(a) or (b) of section 62,

the Secretary of State may direct the company to change its name so that it ends with "limited" or one of the permitted alternatives.

The direction must be in writing and must specify the period within which the company is to change its name.

The period must be a period of at least 28 days beginning with the date of the direction.

If the company fails to comply with a direction under this section an offence is committed by—

the company, and
every officer of the company who is in default.

A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale and, for continued contravention, a daily default fine not exceeding one-tenth of level 5 on the standard scaleone-tenth of the greater of £5,000 or level 4 on the standard scale.

Where a direction is given under subsection (1), the registrar may omit from the material on the register that is available for public inspection any mention of the name to which the direction relates.

About this text

This legislation text comes from legislation.gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. These source and reuse terms cover the legislation text, not Remedy's commentary.

Reuse reviewed 21 August 2026 under Open Government Licence v3.0.