Editing Public limited company (section)

===Company formation ===
{{worldview|section|date=February 2022}}

==== Paper process ====
The following documents, together with the registration fee are sent to the Registrar of Companies:

; Memorandum of association: This sets out the company name, the registered office address and the company objects. The object of a company may simply be to carry on business as a general commercial company. The company's memorandum delivered to the Registrar must be signed by each subscriber in front of a witness who must attest the signature. It is often referred to as the 'charter of a company' or 'constitution of the company'. The signatories to the memorandum of association are deemed to be the first directors of the company. The memorandum defines the relation of members with the rest of the world.
; Articles of association: This is the document which sets out the rules for the running of the company's internal affairs. The company's articles delivered to the Registrar must be signed by each subscriber in front of a witness who must attest to the signature. The articles define the inter-management, inter-member and inter-employee relationship. 
; Form 1: This gives details of the first directors, secretary and the intended address of the registered office.  As well as their names and addresses, the company's directors must give their date of birth, occupation and details of other directorships they have held within the last five years. Each officer appointed and each subscriber (or their agent) must sign and date the form.
; Form 12: This is a statutory declaration of compliance with all the legal requirements relating to the incorporation of a company. It must be signed by a solicitor who is forming the company, or by one of the people named as a director or company secretary on Form 10. It must be signed in the presence of a commissioner for oaths, a notary public, a justice of the peace or a solicitor. There is usually a £5 fee payable to the person that witnesses the statuary declaration.

==== Electronic process ====
{{see also|Electronic process of law}}
The key difference with the paper process is that there is no Form 12 and requirement for a statutory declaration. This significantly speeds the process: the record at Companies House for the formation of an Electronic Company is 23 minutes.

Because the electronic process requires compatible software that works with Companies House eFiling service,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/toolsToHelp/accountsSoftware.shtml |title=Software Filing software supplier list |website=Companies House |date=2013-09-18 |access-date=2013-12-25 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131226105407/http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/toolsToHelp/accountsSoftware.shtml |archive-date= Dec 26, 2013 }}</ref> companies are usually formed through a Company Formation Agent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/toolsToHelp/formationAgents.shtml |title=Formation & Company Secretarial Agents |publisher=Companies House |date=2013-12-19 |access-date=2013-12-25 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131226103559/http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/toolsToHelp/formationAgents.shtml |archive-date= Dec 26, 2013 }}</ref>