Company filings
Company filing registries compared
Short answer
- EDGAR access
- Free 1
- EDGAR full text search
- Filings since 2001 2
- Companies House certified copy
- £22 by post, £65 same day 3
- SEDAR+ launch date set
- 25 July 2023 4
- EU registers interconnected
- From June 2017 5
Business registers and securities regulators
Two kinds of body hold company documents. A business register records every company formed in a jurisdiction, such as Companies House in the UK 3 or the Business Registration Service in Kenya 6. A securities regulator holds the disclosure of listed issuers, such as the SEC through EDGAR 1 or the Canadian securities regulators through SEDAR+ 4.
United States: SEC EDGAR
EDGAR is the primary system for companies and others submitting documents to the SEC 1. It can be used to research information provided by public companies, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, variable annuities and individuals 1. Access to the public database is free 1. Full text search covers all filings submitted electronically since 2001, including attachments such as exhibits 2.
United Kingdom: Companies House
Companies House states that the register can be searched for free 3. Its fee list, updated 25 September 2026, gives these charges 3.
Canada, Australia and Singapore
On 29 June 2023 the Canadian Securities Administrators confirmed that SEDAR+ would launch on 25 July 2023 as the system for all market participants to file, disclose and search for issuer information 4. They said that at launch it would replace SEDAR, the national cease trade order database and the disciplined list database 4.
ASIC says some information can be accessed for free from its online registers 7. Its search fee page lists charges for current and historical company extracts and document copies, and an extra fee to certify a document 7. In Singapore, ACRA sells business profiles and certificates through Bizfile 8.
European Union, Germany and Kenya
The European e-Justice Portal says the business registers of all EU countries have been interconnected and searchable since June 2017 5. Germany's joint register portal of the federal states gives access to the commercial, cooperative, partnership and association registers of all states, plus register announcements 9. In Kenya, the Business Registration Service describes itself as the sole custodian of a list of all companies registered in the country 6.
Common questions
Is SEC EDGAR free?
Yes. Access to EDGAR's public database is free 1.
How much is a certified copy from Companies House?
£22 by post, or £65 for same day service 3.
What replaced SEDAR in Canada?
SEDAR+. Canadian regulators confirmed on 29 June 2023 that it would launch on 25 July 2023 and replace SEDAR 4.
Can I search all EU company registers at once?
Yes. The registers of all EU countries became searchable through one interconnection from June 2017 5.
Rules and charges change. Check the official source linked on this page before you pay or travel. Spotted an error? Email hello@documentlocker.org.
Sources
- SEC: About EDGAR
- SEC: EDGAR Full Text Search FAQ
- GOV.UK: Companies House fees (updated 25 September 2026)
- Canadian Securities Administrators: SEDAR+ filing system to launch July 25 (29 June 2023)
- European e-Justice Portal: Business registers, search for a company in the EU
- Business Registration Service: Doing Business Made Easier
- ASIC: Search fees
- ACRA: Buying business information
- Registerportal: Startseite
Related
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Where official laws, gazette notices, court judgments and company filings are published, in the US, UK, EU, India, Kenya and other jurisdictions.
- Certified copies explained
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- How to cite a primary document
How to cite laws, gazette notices, judgments and company filings so a reader can find the exact version: identifiers, versions, dates and official URLs.
- Freedom of information and access to information laws compared
Who can ask, how long the body has to answer and what it costs under FOI laws in the US, UK, EU, India, Kenya, Canada and South Africa.