Only a licensed individual can take a formal insolvency appointment in the UK, and you can confirm any licence yourself for free in about five minutes. This page explains exactly how. We have not performed this check on any firm listed in this directory — this page exists so that you can.
This directory holds no licence numbers and has cross-checked no listing against the Insolvency Service register. That is stated on every page of the site, and it is why this page exists rather than a “verified” badge.
It is also worth understanding that being listed on any directory, this one included, is not evidence of anything. Directories list firms; regulators license individuals. A site that displays a “verified” or “approved” label is usually describing its own internal process, which may mean it checked the register, or may mean it checked that an invoice was paid. The register is the only source that settles the question, and it is free.
Licences are held by people, not companies. “Smith & Co Business Recovery Ltd” cannot be licensed; a named individual within it is. So the first question to ask any firm is: who exactly will be appointed, and what is their full name?
A firm that cannot answer that clearly, or that deflects to the company’s credentials, has told you something. Ask before the conversation goes any further, not after.
Go to the government’s Find an Insolvency Practitioner service. You can search by practitioner name, or by town, city or county to see who is licensed in an area.
The entry will show the practitioner’s name, their firm, contact details, and — the part that matters — which body authorises them. It is a government register, it is free, and it needs no account.
UK insolvency practitioner licences are issued by a small number of recognised professional bodies:
The authorising body is also who you complain to if something goes wrong later, which makes it worth writing down now rather than looking for it during a dispute. The IPA additionally runs its own searchable member directory, which can be a useful cross-check.
Check that the name on the register matches the name the firm gave you, and that the firm shown on the register is the firm you are dealing with. Practitioners move between firms, and a register entry showing a different employer is worth a direct question rather than an assumption.
If the person who will be appointed is not the person you have been speaking to — which is normal, since much of the client contact in larger practices is done by non-licensed staff — the register check applies to the person being appointed.
“Business rescue”, “company recovery”, “debt solutions” and “turnaround” are marketing terms with no regulatory meaning. Any business can use them. Some organisations advertising insolvency help are advice or lead-generation businesses that will refer you on to a licensed practitioner, sometimes for a fee paid by that practitioner.
That is not necessarily against your interests, but you should know which kind of business you are talking to. The question that resolves it: are you the firm that will be appointed, or will you refer me to someone else? There is more on how these arrangements work on the directories and lead sites page.
Do not assume the worst immediately — try name variations, check whether they are licensed under a different authorising body, and search by town as well as by name. But if a person who has told you they will act as your liquidator or administrator does not appear on the register at all, stop and ask them directly which body licenses them and under what name they are registered.
Nobody who is properly licensed will be annoyed by the question. A reaction to being asked is itself an answer.
How do I check that an insolvency practitioner is licensed?
Search the individual’s full name on the Insolvency Service’s free Find an Insolvency Practitioner service at gov.uk. The entry shows their firm, contact details and which professional body authorises them. Licences are held by individuals, so search the person who will be appointed, not the company.
Which bodies license insolvency practitioners in the UK?
The Insolvency Practitioners Association, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland, and Chartered Accountants Ireland for practitioners authorised through it. The authorising body is also the one you would complain to.
Can a company be a licensed insolvency practitioner?
No. Licences are held by named individuals. A firm may employ one or more licensed practitioners, but the firm itself is not licensed, and a formal appointment is always taken by a person.
Does being listed in a directory mean a firm is licensed?
No. Directories list firms; regulators license individuals. This directory in particular has checked no listing against the register and holds no licence numbers, which is stated on every page. The register is the only source that settles the question, and checking it is free.
Is there a fee to check the register?
No. The Insolvency Service register is a free public government service and requires no account.