Start by identifying the company in its official registry, then trace the records to the person or organization that may now hold them. A registry may show filings and dissolution details without holding the company’s invoices, customer files, contracts, correspondence, or accounting records. Where the records ended up depends on the closure route, the type of record, the jurisdiction, and your authority to request it.
First, identify the company and the records you need
Search for the legal entity, not just the brand or trading name. Gather as many of these details as you can:
- Exact legal name, registration number, country or state of registration, and any former names.
- Trading names, registered address, and approximate date the business closed.
- The specific records sought—for example, a customer contract, employment file, invoice, tax record, or proof of a transaction.
- Your relationship to the company and why you are entitled to request the material.
The National Archives’ UK guide to companies and businesses says registry research can reveal details such as registered office, status, and former names. A trading name may not match the legal name shown on a contract, invoice, or payment record.
Search the official register, but distinguish filings from business files
Use the official company register for the jurisdiction where the company was registered. In England and Wales, search Companies House’s company information service and dissolved-company records. These can help establish the company’s status, filings, former names, and dissolution information; they are not a substitute for the company’s working files.
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Companies House said on 12 May 2026 that dissolved-company records were then retained for 20 years, after which selected records would be transferred to the appropriate Public Records Office. The same notice said destruction and transfer had been paused while the retention period was reviewed. It also said registry searches remained available and that requests for records not online could still be made for a fee. Treat the 20-year schedule and pause as the position described in that dated notice, not a guarantee of future access; check the live Companies House service before relying on it.
For a company registered elsewhere, use that jurisdiction’s official corporate registry and relevant national, state, or local archive. The UK process and retention schedule should not be assumed to apply in another country.
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Work out who may hold the company’s own records
The way the business closed is a useful starting point for tracing custody. It does not, by itself, prove that a particular person has a particular file or that you may access it.
| Closure or record route | Likely place to ask | What to establish |
|---|---|---|
| Solvent voluntary winding up | Former directors | The National Archives says the company’s own records remain the property of former directors in this UK closure route. Ask whether the relevant files still exist and what access they can lawfully provide. |
| Insolvency | Insolvency practitioner, liquidator, official receiver, or receiver; potentially creditors | The National Archives says the books and papers of an insolvent company become the property of creditors, with a receiver or liquidator representing a registered company. Ask who currently has custody, whether the records remain, and what request process applies. |
| Merger, sale, or continuing business | Successor business or purchaser | Ask whether it received the particular records. A sale of assets does not establish that the buyer is the legal successor for every record category. |
| Hosted or cloud-based files | The service provider, through an authorized account contact | Identify the provider and account, then ask promptly whether the data remains and whether access can be restored or continued. |
| Historical or locally significant company | National archive, local or county archive, or another repository named in a catalogue | Ask whether it holds the company’s original records, only government registry material, or a catalogue reference to another repository. |
The National Archives notes that company records may have gone to a successor, a public record office, or a local county archive, while some may have been destroyed. Its own company holdings are often government records about registration and dissolution, rather than the company’s working files. Do not assume that dissolution placed all operating records in a public archive.
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If an official receiver or insolvency practitioner handled the closure, ask who has custody now, whether the requested category survives, what proof of identity or authority is needed, and whether a fee applies. The Insolvency Service’s technical guidance for Official Receivers describes identifying the nature and whereabouts of records and arranging custody or collection.
For cloud records, contact the provider quickly
Look for provider names in account notices, invoices, domain records, bookkeeping software references, backup notifications, and correspondence with former administrators. A lapsed subscription does not necessarily mean the data was erased immediately, but the retention period varies and is not established by the Insolvency Service guidance. That guidance advises contacting the provider at the earliest opportunity to discuss restoring or continuing service if data has not been downloaded or preserved.
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Be prepared to show that you are entitled to act for the account or request the data. A former employee, customer, director, liquidator, and successor can have different rights. The guidance concerns official receivers; it does not create a general right for every former stakeholder to enter an account. Do not use credentials that are not yours or try to bypass access controls.
Ask an archive when a deposit is plausible
Search the national archive catalogue and relevant local or county archive catalogues, especially for an older business with local or historical significance. Contact the repository to confirm exactly what it holds and whether a catalogue entry points to another institution. An entry about the company may describe registry or dissolution material rather than original business records.
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Preserve records once you obtain them
- Document what arrived. Record the custodian, date received, format, description of the files, and any stated restrictions. Keep the covering email, letter, or transfer record with the material.
- Keep the originals unchanged. Make working copies for searching or annotation. The Insolvency Service’s official-receiver guidance says not to annotate paper records or alter digital records; it also describes logging access and downloads to maintain an audit trail.
- Keep protected copies. For important digital records, maintain more than one protected copy, including a separate backup where appropriate. The FTC’s business guide recommends a written retention policy that identifies what information must be kept, how it should be secured, how long to keep it, and how to dispose of it securely when no longer needed.
- Limit disclosure. Do not share employee, customer, financial, or medical information more widely than necessary. Check the privacy and confidentiality rules that apply before transferring or publishing it; the FTC guide is security guidance, not a complete legal rule for every jurisdiction or record type.
- Pause before changing or disposing of potential evidence. If records may relate to litigation, an investigation, or a regulated recordkeeping duty, ask the responsible liquidator, regulator, lawyer, or records professional before modifying, destroying, or disclosing them. Insolvency Service guidance describes preservation duties while investigations and proceedings remain open.
A separate storage device can help preserve a lawful copy after you receive it; it cannot restore access to files still held behind a closed company account or a registry service.
Retention periods depend on the record and the rules that apply
There is no single retention period for every file from every closed company. These examples concern different records and legal regimes:
| Record category and jurisdiction | What the source says | Important limit |
|---|---|---|
| Dissolved-company registry records, England and Wales | Companies House said on 12 May 2026 that records of dissolved companies were then retained for 20 years before selected records were transferred to the appropriate Public Records Office. | The notice also said destruction and transfer were paused during a review. This is a registry-record schedule, not a retention promise for a company’s private operating files. |
| Certain VAT records after deregistration, UK | HMRC’s VAT Traders’ Records Manual, updated 16 January 2025, describes a general six-year limit for deregistered traders’ records. | The manual identifies exceptions, including a transfer of a going concern and liquidation. This is not a universal period for all company records. |
| Certain employee medical and exposure records, United States | An OSHA interpretation dated 17 February 1999 describes transfer to a successor employer or, where there is no successor, transfer to NIOSH or advance written notice of intended disposal in circumstances governed by the cited rule. | This is a specific, older interpretation. Confirm the current regulation and the record category before acting; it does not establish a general US retention period for company files. |
For a particular file, confirm the company’s jurisdiction, the record category, the closure circumstances, and the rules applying to the custodian. The relevant regulator or a qualified adviser can help where a legal retention or disclosure duty is uncertain.
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