LEI for a company limited by guarantee

Data as of 13 November 2026 Source: GLEIF

A company limited by guarantee has no shareholders, but it is a legal entity like any other company. If it invests its reserves in shares, bonds or funds traded on a market, it needs an LEI first.

2,654 UK companies limited by guarantee hold an LEI and 48% of them are active.

  • 2,654Entities with an LEI
  • 48%Active LEIs
  • 162New in the last 12 months
  • 1.1%Share of the country’s LEIs

When an LEI is required

This form is used by membership bodies, clubs, housing and community organisations, schools and many charities. They rarely trade for profit, yet they often hold an investment portfolio through a wealth manager, and the manager cannot deal for them without an LEI.

If the company is also a registered charity, one LEI covers it: the LEI belongs to the legal entity, not to its charitable status.

Legal basis

  • 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

What the application needs

Register
Companies House; a charitable company is also on the charity register
Registration number
The 8-character company number
Who can apply
A director (often called a trustee), or anyone the company authorises with a signed letter of authorisation
Parent company
Usually none, because there is no shareholder to consolidate it

How to apply

  1. Enter the name or registration number in the application form. Where the register is connected, the details are filled in for you.
  2. Check the name, registration number and address, and state whether a parent company consolidates the entity.
  3. Confirm that you may act for the entity, then pay. If a signed authorisation is needed, you sign it online.
  4. 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 LEI

In numbers

  • Active 1,274 (48%)
  • Lapsed 1,317 (50%)
  • Other 63 (2.4%)

First LEI registrations per year

YearLEIs
201571
201625
20171,073
2018310
2019130
202084
2021109
2022123
2023150
2024152
2025169
2026*141

* 2026 is counted up to 13 November 2026.

Registers these entities are recorded in

Registration authorityLEIs
Companies Register (Companies House), England and Wales1,942
Charity Commission for England and Wales543
Companies Register (Companies House), Scotland93
Companies Register (Companies House), Northern Ireland44
Scottish Charity Register (Scottish Charity Regulator), Scotland29
Other registers3

UK LEI statistics

Frequently asked questions

Our company is also a charity. Do we need two LEIs?

No. A charitable company is one legal entity and has one LEI, verified against its Companies House record.

We only hold investments through a discretionary manager. Do we still need one?

Yes, if the manager buys and sells reportable instruments in the company’s name. The manager needs the client’s LEI before it can trade.

Does a community interest company fall under this page?

A community interest company limited by guarantee is checked against Companies House in the same way and applies with its company number.

Sources

Other entity types