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This free service lets you protect your company from unauthorised changes to your records. It prevents the filing of certain paper forms, including:

• changes to your registered office address
• changes to your officers (appointments, resignations or personal details)
• changes to your company name by special resolution

It鈥檚 important that your company鈥檚 records are correct because they鈥檙e sometimes used to check its legitimacy if you apply for a loan.

Fraudsters are known to hijack a company by changing the details of the company鈥檚 directors and registered office. This leaves the company vulnerable to further fraud.

Companies House deals with around 50 to 100 cases of corporate identity theft every month. If you suspect fraudulent activity against a company you should report this to Companies House.

Join PROOF

Once you鈥檝e signed in, complete the following steps:

1. Select the 鈥楯oin PROOF鈥� link near the padlock icon at the top of the overview screen.
2. Agree to the terms and conditions.
3. Select 鈥楶rotect this company鈥�.

You鈥檒l get an email to let you know if your application has been successful.

Once you鈥檝e joined, the forms covered by PROOF can only be filed online, so:

• tell anyone who files documents for your company that you鈥檙e joining PROOF
• give them the authentication codes they鈥檒l need to file online

Companies House will reject any paper versions of the forms and send them back to the registered office address.

Watch a video demonstration on how to join PROOF

Check if you鈥檙e registered for PROOF

Your company鈥檚 PROOF status is displayed on its online overview screen and:

• you鈥檙e registered for PROOF if the padlock icon is locked
• you鈥檙e not registered for PROOF if the padlock icon is unlocked
• your application is in progress if there is a clock icon

When you cannot join PROOF

If your company has an ongoing internal dispute between its officers, you will not be able join PROOF until it has been resolved.

Leaving the PROOF service

To leave the service select the 鈥楲eave PROOF鈥� link at the top of your company鈥檚 online overview screen. You鈥檒l get an email confirming you鈥檝e left the service.

Once you鈥檝e left the service your company will no longer be protected against fraudulent filings on paper. The registrar may also terminate the agreement with immediate effect under clause 8.2 of the (MS Word Document, 749 KB).

Forms covered by PROOF

Limited company forms

Form	Description
AR01	Annual Return
AP01	Appointment of director
AP02	Appointment of corporate director
AP03	Appointment of secretary
AP04	Appointment of corporate secretary
CH01	Change of director鈥檚 details
CH02	Change of corporate director鈥檚 details
CH03	Change of secretary鈥檚 details
CH04	Change of corporate secretary鈥檚 details
TM01	Termination of appointment of director
TM02	Termination of appointment of secretary
AD01	Change of registered office address
NM01	Change of company name
Change of company name by special resolution	听

Limited liability partnership (LLP) forms

Form	Description
LL AR01	Annual Return
LL AP01	Appointment of a member
LL AP02	Appointment of a corporate member
LL CH01	Change of member鈥檚 details
LL CH02	Change of corporate member鈥檚 details
LL TM01	Termination of appointment of a member
LL AD01	Change of registered office address

In June 2016, the annual return was replaced by the confirmation statement. These forms are not in the PROOF scheme.

All other documents are accepted on paper if delivered by a company in the PROOF scheme.

Filing paper forms covered by PROOF

If you need to file one of the forms covered by PROOF on paper while you鈥檙e still registered for PROOF, you鈥檒l need to complete a paper consent form.

You should only use a paper consent form if absolutely necessary. See the PROOF terms and conditions for more information.

Call the Companies House contact centre on 0303 1234 500 to request a paper consent form.

PROOF terms and conditions

The registrar of companies operates the PROOF scheme under an agreement under section 1070 of the Companies Act 2006.

Any company joining the PROOF scheme does so on the terms set out in the (MS Word Document, 749 KB).