# MR01: registering a company charge within 21 days

- **Canonical URL:** https://formspedia.com/uk/mr01/
- **Last updated:** 2026-11-07
- **Country & Language:** United Kingdom (`en-GB`)
- **Form:** MR01
- **Revision:** 05/24 Version 3.0
- **Issuing Agency:** Companies House
- **Tax Area:** Business and corporate tax
- **Who Must File:** The company or any person interested in the charge, such as the lender
- **Filing Method:** WebFiling, third-party software, or paper form sent by post
- **Where to Send:** Companies House, Crown Way, Cardiff, CF14 3UZ
- **Filing Deadline:** 21 days beginning with the day after the charge is created
- **Filing Fee:** £14 online or by software; £24 on paper
- **Legal Basis / Statute:** Companies Act 2006, sections 859A and 859J
- **Official Form PDF:** https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/661fdb4bced96304c8757eff/MR01_v3.0_final.pdf

When a company gives security for a loan by signing a mortgage deed, debenture or similar instrument, the lender usually wants that charge on the company's public record at Companies House. MR01 is the paper statement of particulars used for that, under sections 859A and 859J of the Companies Act 2006, for charges created or evidenced by an instrument on or after 6 April 2013. The PDF on GOV.UK is version 3.0, dated 05/24, and runs to three pages.

### Who can register a charge on MR01, and when another form applies

The Act lets the company or any person interested in the charge deliver the particulars. Companies House's charge guidance names the company itself, an agent or the lender as examples.

MR01 covers a company registered in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. Other cases use a different form:

- a limited liability partnership: LL MR01

- a charge with no instrument creating or evidencing it: MR08, as page 1 of MR01 says

- property the company acquired that was already subject to a charge: MR02

- a charge created before 6 April 2013: archived form MG01 (England and Wales, Northern Ireland) or MG01s (Scotland), downloaded from The National Archives website

Section 859A also leaves out two kinds of charge altogether: a charge in favour of a landlord on a cash deposit given in connection with a lease of land, and a charge created by a member of Lloyd's to secure its underwriting obligations there.

Because the company name on MR01 has to match the register, a company that has recently changed its name by resolution on [NM01](/uk/nm01/) enters the name now recorded at Companies House.

### The 21-day deadline for MR01 and what a late filing costs

The period allowed for delivery is 21 days beginning with the day after the date the charge was created. Companies House's own worked example: a charge dated 6 April 2025 must be delivered by 27 April 2025. An MR01 that arrives outside the 21 days is rejected unless a court order extending the time comes with it.

Only the court can extend the period. Under section 859F it can do so on the application of the company or a person interested, where the failure was accidental, due to inadvertence or some other sufficient cause, or not of a nature to prejudice creditors or shareholders, or where relief is otherwise just and equitable. A copy of the order is then delivered with the statement of particulars.

Missing the deadline without an order has a hard consequence under section 859H. The charge is void, as far as it gives security over the company's property, against a liquidator, an administrator and any creditor of the company. The debt itself survives, and the money secured becomes immediately payable. The guidance puts the same point more plainly: an unregistered charge may make the debt difficult to recover if the company becomes insolvent.

### What goes in the envelope: form, certified copy and fee

The completion notes require three things to be delivered together: the MR01, a certified copy of the written instrument signed by the charging company, and the fee. Companies House rejects the application if any of them is missing, and it does not contact you for the missing piece or hold an incomplete set while you send it. Do not send the original instrument; the copy you send is kept, scanned and placed on the public register.

A few points on the instrument itself, all from the completion notes:

- if executed as a deed, it carries the company's common seal or is signed by two people, either directors and secretary or a director and a witness

- if executed in counterpart, only the counterparts signed by the charging company are needed

- where the instrument is between two or more parties, section 859E reads "execution" as execution by every party whose signature is essential for the charge to take effect

Everything on the certified copy becomes public. Before sending it you may redact personal information about an individual (but not their name), the number or identifier of a bank or securities account, and signatures, including a signature certificate. The guidance leaves the method of redaction to you.

The fee for registering a charge is £14 online or through software and £24 on paper, per charge. A paper fee is paid by cheque or postal order made payable to "Companies House". The archived MG01 forms may still print an old fee, and Companies House asks for the current one.

### How to fill in MR01 section by section

Page 2 holds sections 4 to 9: a short property description, four tick-box sections on what the instrument contains, and the authentication. Type the form or use bold black capitals; every field is mandatory unless the form marks it otherwise or with an asterisk.

| Section | What to enter | Where to find it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Charging company's number and full name. | Companies House register; both must match it. |
| 2 | Charge creation date (dd/mm/yyyy). | The instrument, using the date rules below. |
| 3 | Names of the persons, security agents or trustees entitled to the charge, up to four. | The parties clause of the instrument; names must reflect it accurately. |
| 4 | Short description of any land (including buildings), ship, aircraft or intellectual property charged. | The property schedule. Leave blank or write "none" if there is none. |
| 5 | Yes or No: any other fixed charge or fixed security not described in section 4. | The charging clauses. |
| 6 | Yes or No: a floating charge; if yes, whether it covers all the property and undertaking. | The floating charge clause. |
| 7 | Yes or No: a negative pledge. | Restrictions on further security ranking equally with or ahead of the charge. |
| 8 | Optional tick: the company holds the charged property as trustee. | Trust documents; can be filed later on MR06. |
| 9 | Printed name of a person with an interest in the charge. | No signature is needed. |

Section 2 follows the date rules in section 859E. For a Scottish standard security, the date is when it was recorded in the Register of Sasines or registered in the Land Register of Scotland. For other charges, it depends on how the instrument was executed:

- deed with immediate effect on execution and delivery, or executed and held as undelivered: date of delivery

- deed held in escrow: date it was delivered into escrow

- instrument that is not a deed, effective on execution: date of execution

- instrument that is not a deed and takes effect later: the date it takes effect

Section 3 has room for four names. Where more than four persons, security agents or trustees are entitled to the charge, enter any four and tick the confirmation statement below the boxes.

Section 4 is for registered or registrable property only, and the form asks you to keep within the space. With several plots, ships or aircraft, describe at least one and add a line such as "for more details of land, ship, aircraft or intellectual property charged please refer to the instrument"; the notes say nothing more is required there. A debenture that charges land and also takes a fixed charge over book debts would describe the land in section 4 and answer Yes in section 5 for the book debts.

In section 6, a No sends you straight to section 7. Section 9 is completed by someone interested in the charge: the company, the lender, or a representative of either such as a solicitor or accountant. The name is typed or printed, and it appears on the public record.

### What gets an MR01 rejected

- Delivery after the 21-day period with no court order attached.

- The form sent without the certified copy of the instrument or without the fee, or the three sent separately.

- The original instrument sent in place of a certified copy.

- A company name or number that does not match the register.

- Errors on the form: Companies House says it will normally reject the form and return it to the presenter, and the checklist on page 3 warns that incomplete forms may be returned.

The page 3 checklist also asks you to confirm the creation date, the names in section 3, the ticks in sections 3 and 5 to 8, the section 4 description where relevant, the authentication and the correct fee.

### After registration: the certificate and the charge code

Companies House sends the certificate of registration to the presenter's address on page 3, or to the registered office if the presenter section is left blank. The presenter details are optional; if given, they help with queries and are visible on the public record, like the rest of the form. The certificate carries the charge code, the unique reference you will need for any later statement about the same charge, such as a trustee statement on MR06 or MR04 when the secured debt has been paid off.

### Filing MR01 online or on paper

The [MR01 page on GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/register-particulars-of-a-charge-mr01) recommends WebFiling as the quickest route and warns that posted paper forms take longer. A company registering its own charge online signs in with its company authentication code. An agent or lender filing for other companies registers with Companies House as a lender, and can apply for a credit account at the same time to pay fees that way; third-party software is a further option. The online service runs checks while you file.

For paper, print the PDF at full size on white A4 and post the form, certified copy and cheque together to:

Companies HouseCrown WayCardiffCF14 3UZDX 33050 Cardiff

That address applies to companies in all parts of the UK. With the 21 days running, bear in mind that the Cardiff office's external post box gives no proof of delivery, and an acknowledgement requested with a stamped addressed envelope confirms only that the papers arrived, not that the charge is registered. Questions go to enquiries@companieshouse.gov.uk.

### Sources

- [Companies House MR01, particulars of a charge, 05/24 version 3.0](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/661fdb4bced96304c8757eff/MR01_v3.0_final.pdf)

- [Register particulars of a charge (MR01), GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/register-particulars-of-a-charge-mr01)

- [How to complete paper form MR01, GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/register-particulars-of-a-charge-mr01/how-to-complete-paper-form-mr01)

- [Register a charge (mortgage) for a limited company, GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/register-a-charge-mortgage-for-a-limited-company)

- [Companies House fees, GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/companies-house-fees/companies-house-fees)

- [Companies House offices and sending documents by post, GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/companies-house/about/access-and-opening)

- [How to complete form MR04, GOV.UK (charge code on the certificate)](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/register-a-statement-of-satisfaction-mr04/how-to-complete-form-mr04-checklist)

- [Companies Act 2006, Part 25 Chapter A1 (sections 859A, 859E, 859F, 859H, 859J), legislation.gov.uk](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/46/part/25/chapter/A1)