Almost all private limited companies in the UK are required to include the word ‘Limited’ (or ‘Ltd’) at the end of their name when they are incorporated at Companies House. Welsh companies (i.e. those with a registered office situated in Wales) can use ‘Cyfyngedig’ (or ‘Cyf’) instead. However, some companies are exempt if they can satisfy specific criteria. Below, we explain the criteria and process required for ‘limited’ word exemption.
To qualify for exemption from including the word ‘Limited’ in your company name, you must satisfy all of the following conditions:
Any company that existed as a private company limited by shares on 25 th February 1982 may also qualify for ‘limited’ word exemption if it can satisfy the following two conditions:
In accordance with Section 60 of the Companies Act 2006 , exemption can be claimed on Form IN01 during the company formation process.
Companies that are already registered but later wish to remove ‘Limited’ from their name must pass a special resolution of the members. A copy of the resolution should be filed at Companies House along with Form NE01 .
There is no additional charge for claiming exemption during the registration process. However, if you apply after company formation, you will have to pay the standard change-of-name fee to Companies House.