How to Appoint or Remove a Director (AP01, TM01)

To appoint a director, get the new director’s Companies House personal code and consent, approve the appointment under your articles, and file form AP01 within 14 days. To remove a director, accept their resignation or pass a shareholder resolution, then file form TM01 within 14 days. Neither filing has a Companies House fee. The big change since 18 November 2025 is identity verification: a new director must be verified before you can file their appointment. This guide covers both changes step by step.

Before You Appoint a Director: Three Checks

Are they eligible? A director must be at least 16 and must not be disqualified. They do not need to live in the UK or be British.
Have they verified their identity? The appointment notice must include a statement that the new director’s identity is verified, and you give their 11-character personal code. Without it, the filing cannot be made. If they have not verified yet, they can do it with our director identity verification service for £35.99.
Have they agreed? The company confirms in the filing that the person has consented to act as a director, so get their consent in writing and keep it with your records.

How to Appoint a Director: Step by Step

Check your articles of association. Under the model articles most companies use, the directors can appoint a new director by board decision, and shareholders can also appoint by ordinary resolution. Your own articles may differ.
Record the decision. Write board minutes or a written resolution with the appointment date.
Collect the director’s details: full name, any former names, date of birth, nationality, occupation, country of residence, a service address (shown publicly), a residential address (kept private) and their personal code.
File form AP01 with Companies House online, using the company’s authentication code. It is free.
Do it within 14 days of the appointment date (section 167G of the Companies Act 2006).
Update everything else: the bank mandate, HMRC if the director will be paid, insurance, and your internal records. If the new director owns more than 25% of the company, update the PSC information too.

Keep the director’s home address private. The service address is public. If the new director would otherwise give their home, a director service address keeps it off the register.

How to Remove a Director

When the director resigns

Get the resignation in writing with the date it takes effect. Check their service contract for any notice period.
Make sure the company still has a director. Every private company needs at least one director, and at least one director must be an individual. Appoint a replacement first if needed.
File form TM01 with the date the appointment ended, within 14 days. There is no fee.
Update the bank mandate and records, and if the departing director was a PSC or shareholder, deal with their shares and PSC entry separately.

When the director will not resign

Shareholders have a statutory right to remove a director under section 168 of the Companies Act 2006, whatever any agreement with the director says:

A shareholder gives the company special notice (at least 28 days before the meeting) of an intended resolution to remove the director.
The company sends a copy to the director, who has the right to be heard at the meeting.
The director can ask for written representations to be circulated to shareholders.
The resolution is passed by a simple majority at a general meeting. It cannot be passed as a written resolution.
The company files TM01 within 14 days of the removal.

Removal does not cancel any right to compensation under the director’s service contract. In a dispute, take legal advice before you start.

Changing an Existing Director’s Details

Appointments and removals are not the only director changes Companies House needs to know about. If a director changes their name, service address, residential address, nationality or country of residence, the company must file the change within 14 days of it happening (section 167H of the Companies Act 2006). This is done on form CH01, and there is no fee.

If you change a director’s service address but not their home address, the filing must say that the residential address is unchanged. Moving a director’s public address from their home to a director service address is one of the most common reasons for a CH01.

Directors, Shareholders and PSCs Are Different Roles

Appointing someone as a director does not give them shares, and removing a director does not take their shares away. Shares are transferred or issued separately, and if anyone’s ownership or control goes over or under 25%, the company’s PSC information must be updated as well. Since 18 November 2025, PSCs also have to verify their identity. See PSC verification explained.

Common Mistakes

Filing before the new director has verified. The filing will not go through without the personal code, and verification can take a few days, so start it early.
Removing the last director before a replacement is appointed.
Missing the 14-day deadline. Late filing is an offence, and the register shows the wrong people in the meantime.
Forgetting the PSC register when the director is also a significant shareholder.
Using a home address as the service address without meaning to. It becomes public and stays on the filing.

Do It Yourself or Use CorpAssist?

Filing an AP01 or TM01 yourself is free, but you need the authentication code, the new director’s personal code and the right details in the right format. When something is missing, the filing stalls and the 14-day clock keeps running.

CorpAssist checks the new director’s personal code before filing, sorts out verification in the same order if they have not verified yet, and files the change through our Companies House-registered ACSP partner. It costs £49.99 per director change, with no Companies House fee on top. Filed within 1 business day of a complete order.

Director Changes Filed for You

£49.99 per director change. No Companies House fee for these filings.

Appointment (AP01) or termination (TM01) prepared and filed with Companies House
The new director’s personal code checked before filing, so the appointment is not held up
New directors who still need to verify can do it with us for £35.99
Filed through our Companies House-registered ACSP partner
Filing confirmation emailed to you

Start — £49.99 What is included

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I add a director to my limited company?

Make sure the new director has verified their identity and has a Companies House personal code, get their consent, approve the appointment as your articles require (usually a board decision), then file form AP01 with Companies House within 14 days. There is no Companies House fee. CorpAssist files it for £49.99.

Does a new director need to verify their identity first?

Yes. Since 18 November 2025 the appointment can only be filed with the new director’s Companies House personal code and a statement that their identity is verified. If they have not verified, they must do so before you file.

How long do I have to tell Companies House about a new or departing director?

The company must give notice within 14 days, beginning with the day the person becomes or stops being a director (section 167G of the Companies Act 2006).

Is there a fee to appoint or remove a director?

No. Companies House does not charge for filing an AP01 or TM01. CorpAssist charges £49.99 per director change to prepare and file it for you.

Can I remove a director who does not want to resign?

Yes. Shareholders can remove a director by ordinary resolution at a general meeting under section 168 of the Companies Act 2006. Special notice of the resolution is required, and the director has the right to be heard and to circulate written representations. It cannot be done by written resolution. Check the director’s service contract and take legal advice if there is a dispute.

Can the only director of a company resign?

A private company must always have at least one director, and at least one director must be an individual. If the only director wants to leave, appoint a replacement first, then file the resignation.

Who can be a company director?

Anyone aged 16 or over who is not disqualified, and who has verified their identity with Companies House. Directors do not need to live in the UK or be British.

Official guidance: Appoint a director (AP01) on GOV.UK. Related: what a company director does, new director verification and how to file a confirmation statement.

Rules checked against GOV.UK and the Companies Act 2006 on 30 October 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice. CorpAssist is an independent commercial service and is not Companies House or GOV.UK.