LEI numbers by UK company type
Whether you need a Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) depends on what your organisation does, not on what it is: any legal entity that trades shares, bonds, ETFs or derivatives in its own name needs one. What changes with the legal form is which register the application is checked against and who has to sign.
234,486 entities with a UK legal address hold an LEI, and 95,220 of those are active. The guides below cover the forms behind most of them.
Guides by entity type
- Private limited company (Ltd)105,413 with an LEI · 52% active
- Public limited company (PLC)4,482 with an LEI · 55% active
- Limited liability partnership (LLP)3,746 with an LEI · 48% active
- Limited partnership (LP)2,395 with an LEI · 51% active
- Company limited by guarantee2,654 with an LEI · 48% active
- Trust74,575 with an LEI · 23% active
- Charity12,197 with an LEI · 21% active
- Pension scheme15,604 with an LEI · 45% active
When an LEI is required
- Under UK MiFIR, an investment firm cannot execute a trade in shares, bonds, ETFs or other reportable instruments for a client that is eligible for an LEI and does not have one. The FCA names companies, charities and trusts among the clients this covers. FCA: UK MiFIR legal entity identifiers
- The rule itself is short: a firm shall not provide a service that triggers a transaction report before it has the client’s LEI. RTS 22, Article 13(2), as kept in UK law
- Under UK EMIR, both sides of a derivative contract are reported, so every UK counterparty to a derivative needs an LEI. FCA: UK EMIR reporting obligation
- A private individual investing in their own name does not need an LEI and is identified by a national identifier instead. RTS 22, Article 6, as kept in UK law
How to apply
- Enter the name or registration number in the application form. Where the register is connected, the details are filled in for you.
- Check the name, registration number and address, and state whether a parent company consolidates the entity.
- Confirm that you may act for the entity, then pay. If a signed authorisation is needed, you sign it online.
- The details are checked against the register. Once they are confirmed, the LEI is issued and sent to you by email.
An entity can only have one LEI. Check whether it already has one
Apply for an LEIMost common legal forms
| Legal form | LEIs | Active |
|---|---|---|
| Private Limited Company | 103,485 | 53% |
| Public Limited Company | 4,482 | 55% |
| Limited Liability Partnership | 3,746 | 48% |
| Private Limited by Guarantee | 2,654 | 48% |
| Limited Partnership | 2,395 | 51% |
| Private Unlimited | 1,559 | 58% |
| Charitable Incorporated Organisation | 1,314 | 46% |
| Investment Company with Variable Capital | 954 | 87% |
| Northern Ireland Company | 392 | 71% |
| Government Entity | 323 | 51% |
| Registered Society | 270 | 55% |
| Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation | 157 | 36% |
| Other and unlisted forms | 111,830 | 27% |
Sources
- FCA: UK MiFIR legal entity identifiers
- RTS 22, Article 13(2), as kept in UK law
- FCA: UK EMIR reporting obligation
- RTS 22, Article 6, as kept in UK law
- GLEIF Golden Copy, published 13 November 2026 (CC0). Entities are counted by the country of their legal address.