What is PSC Data?
1. What PSC stands for and why it was introduced
PSC stands for Person with Significant Control. The PSC register was introduced on 6 April 2016 under the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015, which amended the Companies Act 2006. Before this, it was relatively straightforward for individuals to conceal their ownership of UK companies through layers of holding companies, nominee arrangements, or offshore structures. The PSC register was designed to change that by requiring every UK limited company to publicly identify the individuals or entities that ultimately own or control it.
The register applies to UK private limited companies, public limited companies, limited liability partnerships (LLPs), and Societas Europaeae (SEs). Sole traders and general partnerships are not required to maintain a PSC register. The requirement covers all active companies - there is no minimum size threshold and no exemption for small or micro-entity companies.
PSC data is published by Companies House as part of the public company register. The UK is one of the few countries globally to maintain a fully open beneficial ownership register with no access restrictions, no login requirement, and no restriction to regulated entities. This distinguishes the UK register from several EU jurisdictions that have restricted public access following a 2022 Court of Justice ruling.
2. When someone qualifies as a PSC
A person or entity is registrable as a PSC if they meet one or more of five conditions set out in the Companies Act 2006. These conditions are known as the "nature of control" and determine both who must be registered and what kind of control they exercise.
| Condition | Description |
|---|---|
| Condition 1 | Holds more than 25% of shares in the company |
| Condition 2 | Holds more than 25% of voting rights in the company |
| Condition 3 | Has the right to appoint or remove a majority of the board of directors |
| Condition 4 | Has the right to exercise, or actually exercises, significant influence or control over the company |
| Condition 5 | Has the right to exercise, or actually exercises, significant influence or control over the activities of a trust or firm that itself meets conditions 1 to 4 |
Conditions 1 and 2 are based on precise numerical thresholds. Conditions 3, 4, and 5 are more qualitative and require judgement. A person can be a PSC without holding any shares at all, if they exercise significant influence or control through other means - for example through a shareholder agreement, a golden share, veto rights, or influence over a trust that itself controls the company.
Ownership bands are registered in ranges rather than exact percentages: over 25% up to 50%, over 50% up to 75%, and over 75%. The exact shareholding percentage is not required to be disclosed in the PSC record, only the band within which it falls.
3. What a PSC record contains
PSC records are publicly accessible for all UK companies. Each record contains the following fields where the PSC is an individual person:
| Field | Publicly available? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes | Full legal name |
| Nationality | Yes | Self-reported at filing |
| Country of residence | Yes | Self-reported at filing |
| Month and year of birth | Yes | Month and year published; day of birth not collected |
| Ownership band | Yes | 25-50%, 50-75%, or 75%+ range |
| Nature of control | Yes | Which of the five conditions applies |
| Appointment date | Yes | Date the PSC was registered |
| Individual or corporate | Yes | Whether the PSC is a person or a legal entity |
| Service address | Yes | Business or correspondence address; publicly visible |
| Residential address | No | Held by Companies House; withheld from public record |
| Day of birth | No | Not collected - month and year only |
PSC records include a service address, which is a business or correspondence address - this does not have to be a residential address and is typically a company office or accountant's address. The service address is publicly visible. Residential address is a separate field held by Companies House but not published. In exceptional circumstances - for example where disclosure would put a PSC at risk of violence - a PSC can apply for a protection order to suppress even their service address from public view.
4. Individual PSCs and corporate PSCs
A PSC can be either an individual person or a corporate entity. Understanding the difference is essential for ownership research, because the two types of PSC record point in very different directions.
Individual PSC
An individual PSC is a named person who directly owns or controls the company. Their record shows their name, nationality, country of residence, month and year of birth, and ownership band. An individual PSC is typically the founder, owner, or investor who controls the business personally. When a company has an individual PSC, the ownership chain ends there for practical purposes - you have identified the beneficial owner.
Corporate PSC (Relevant Legal Entity)
A corporate PSC - technically called a Relevant Legal Entity (RLE) in Companies House terminology - is a company or other legal entity that owns or controls the company. The RLE record shows the owning entity's name and Companies House registration number. An RLE appearing in a PSC record is a signal that the company is part of a corporate group and that the ownership chain continues upward through the RLE's own record. To identify the ultimate individual owner, you must look up the RLE's own PSC register and follow the chain upward until you reach an individual PSC.
5. How to access PSC data
PSC data is freely accessible through several routes depending on whether you need individual company lookups or bulk access across the register.
Individual company lookup
The Companies House search at find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk shows the PSC register for any UK company. Search by company name or number, then navigate to the People tab. No account is required. The PSC entries show all registered PSCs including their nature of control and ownership band.
REST API
The Companies House REST API returns PSC records for individual companies in JSON format. A free API key is required. The API returns each PSC's name, nationality, country of residence, month and year of birth, ownership band, and nature of control. Rate limited to 600 requests per five minutes on a standard free key.
PSC bulk data snapshot
A full JSON snapshot of all PSC records across the register is available as a free download at download.companieshouse.gov.uk. Updated daily. Published under the Open Government Licence, which permits commercial use. This is the source used by structured data providers to build queryable ownership datasets. It requires processing and normalisation before it is usable for analysis.
Structured data providers
For filtering PSC data at scale - by owner age, nationality, individual versus corporate ownership, or ownership band - structured data providers process the bulk snapshot into queryable datasets and APIs. DataLedger provides PSC records combined with financial data and ownership chain traversal via API, with filters for owner age range, individual versus corporate flag, and nature of control. See the full Companies House data guide for a comparison of access methods.
6. ECCTA 2025: what changed
The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 introduced the most significant changes to the PSC register since it was created in 2016. Two changes came into effect on 18 November 2025 that directly affect how PSC data is maintained and accessed.
Mandatory identity verification
From 18 November 2025, all new PSC appointments require mandatory identity verification before the PSC can be added to the Companies House register. New PSCs must verify their identity within 14 days of appointment, either directly with Companies House via GOV.UK One Login or through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP). Companies House will reject PSC filings that do not include a verified identity code. Existing PSCs as of 18 November 2025 have a transition period running until 17 November 2026 to complete verification - confirmation of identity verification must be included in their company's next confirmation statement filing. This is the most significant improvement to PSC data reliability since the register was introduced, though pre-2025 records remain unverified.
Abolition of company-maintained PSC registers
From 18 November 2025, companies are no longer required to maintain their own internal PSC register. Previously, companies kept a PSC register at their registered office and filed updates to Companies House separately. Under ECCTA, Companies House now acts as the sole register for PSC information. Companies must ensure their PSC information is accurate at Companies House directly rather than maintaining a separate internal register. Companies still must maintain their own register of members (shareholders), but not PSC, director, or secretary registers.
7. How PSC data is used
PSC data supports a wide range of research, compliance, and commercial use cases. Because it identifies the individuals who ultimately own and control UK companies, it is relevant wherever understanding beneficial ownership matters.
KYC and AML compliance
Financial institutions and regulated businesses are required under anti-money laundering regulations to identify the ultimate beneficial owners of their corporate customers. The PSC register is the primary public source for UK beneficial ownership data and is a standard first step in any Know Your Customer or Know Your Business workflow. The PSC record shows who controls a company and provides the starting point for further verification. Note that AML regulations require identification of the ultimate beneficial owner, which may require following the chain through multiple corporate PSC records beyond the immediate filing.
M&A deal sourcing and acquisition targeting
PSC data is used to identify founder-owned and owner-managed businesses that may be acquisition targets. Filtering companies by individual ownership, owner age range, and ownership band makes it possible to build a target list of businesses where a founder approaching retirement age owns a controlling stake - a common profile for succession-led acquisitions. DataLedger supports filtering by individual versus corporate ownership and PSC owner age range via the company search API endpoint.
Sales and business development
In owner-managed businesses, the PSC is typically the individual with the most direct commercial decision-making authority. PSC records surface the name of that individual, making outreach more targeted than relying on director records alone. Combined with financial data showing company size and growth trajectory, PSC data supports financially-qualified prospecting.
Due diligence and counterparty research
Understanding who owns and controls a counterparty - supplier, customer, or investee - is a standard element of commercial due diligence. PSC records provide a starting point for ownership research that can be supplemented with director records, charges data, and filed accounts.
Investigative research and journalism
The open nature of the UK PSC register makes it valuable for investigative work. Journalists, civil society organisations, and researchers use PSC data to map beneficial ownership networks, identify conflicts of interest, and trace ownership through corporate structures. The bulk PSC snapshot enables analysis across the full register rather than one company at a time.
8. Limitations of PSC data
PSC data is the best publicly available source of beneficial ownership information for UK companies, but it has well-documented limitations that matter for any serious ownership or compliance research.
9. Frequently asked questions
Is PSC data public?
Yes. PSC information is published by Companies House as part of the public company register and is freely accessible at find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk with no login required. A full bulk JSON snapshot is also available as a free download. Unlike some EU jurisdictions, the UK has not restricted public access to beneficial ownership data.
Can a company have multiple PSCs?
Yes. Where multiple individuals or entities each independently meet one or more of the five control conditions, all must be registered. A company with three shareholders each holding 30 percent would typically have three individual PSCs. There is no maximum number of PSCs a company can have.
Can a PSC be another company rather than a person?
Yes. Where a company is owned or controlled by another company, the owning entity is registered as a corporate PSC - technically called a Relevant Legal Entity (RLE). The RLE record shows the owning company's name and registration number. An RLE in a PSC record signals that the company is part of a corporate group and that further ownership research requires looking up the RLE's own PSC register.
What is the difference between a PSC and a shareholder?
A shareholder is anyone who owns shares in a company, regardless of how many. A PSC is specifically someone who meets one or more of the five control conditions, which typically requires holding more than 25 percent. A company can have shareholders who are not PSCs - for example where each shareholder holds less than 25 percent. Shareholder information is contained in confirmation statement documents rather than the PSC register and includes exact percentage holdings. PSC records use ownership bands rather than exact figures.
What is the difference between a PSC and a director?
A director is an officer of the company responsible for its management with legal duties under the Companies Act. A PSC is an individual or entity with significant ownership or control - meeting one or more of the five conditions. A person can be both a director and a PSC simultaneously, but they are separate registers with separate legal requirements. The PSC register records ownership and control; the directors register records management appointments.
Does PSC data show the exact percentage of shares owned?
No. PSC records show ownership in bands: over 25% up to 50%, over 50% up to 75%, and over 75%. Exact share percentages are not required in PSC filings. To find precise shareholding data, the company's most recent confirmation statement document must be downloaded from the Companies House filing history. Confirmation statement documents list all shareholders with exact percentage holdings but are not returned by the API.
How do I find all UK companies where a specific person is a PSC?
The Companies House officer name search at find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk returns director appointments across all companies for a given name, but does not currently search PSC records by individual name across the full register. Searching PSC records by individual name at scale requires querying the Companies House PSC bulk data snapshot or using a structured data provider.
Can PSC data be combined with company financial data?
Not natively through Companies House, which stores financial filings and PSC records separately. Structured data providers combine both in a single record. DataLedger returns PSC ownership records alongside balance sheet data, financial ratios, and growth indicators in a single API response or dataset export, and supports filtering by owner age range, individual versus corporate ownership, and nature of control.
Need structured UK company ownership and financial data?
DataLedger provides PSC beneficial ownership records combined with financial data for almost 3 million UK companies. Filter by owner age, individual versus corporate ownership, and nature of control. API with 25 free credits, datasets from £195.