When you are about to sign a contract, pay an invoice or take on a new supplier, the question is narrow: does this company exist, and in what form does it exist today? The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) maintains the public companies register, and searching it is the fastest way to answer that. This guide explains what the status shown on the register means, how to read a company extract, and which of ASIC's other searches people mistake for a company check.
Start in the right search
ASIC's Search ASIC registers lets you search the Australian and New Zealand companies and business names registers, according to ASIC. That combination matters: a result may relate to a company registered in New Zealand rather than an Australian company, so check the jurisdiction on the record before you rely on it.
Two other ASIC searches are frequently confused with a company check:
- Name availability. Checking whether a name is free to register is a different task, done through ASIC Connect. It tells you about a name, not about whether a company trading under it is solvent, compliant or even still registered.
- Professional registers. ASIC operates a separate Professional Registers search for finding out about a person or an organisation registered or licensed with ASIC to provide a service. There is also a check for lenders with carried over instruments who have notified ASIC that they do not hold a credit licence. Neither of these confirms company registration status.
So search the companies register for company status, and use the professional registers when your question is about licensing or authorisation.
What "registered" and "deregistered" mean
The register records status in ASIC's own wording, so read the exact text shown against the company rather than assuming a label. In practical terms:
- Registered. The company is on the register as an existing registered company. This supports the basic expectation that it can contract and trade in its own right, but it is not a statement about its finances, tax position or compliance history.
- Deregistered. The company has been removed from the register. Treat this as a stop point: do not assume the entity can enter agreements, sue or be sued, hold property in its own name, or instruct anyone on its behalf. If you need to transact with it, the entity may need to be reinstated, or you may have to deal with former officeholders or an appointed insolvency practitioner. Ask ASIC, and your own legal adviser, which path applies.
A record may carry additional notations alongside the status. Do not gloss over these. Anything beyond a plain registration entry is a prompt to slow down and confirm the position with the company in writing, or with ASIC, before money or goods change hands.
"Current" refers to your search date
Search results reflect the register at the moment you run them. A company that was registered last month may not be today, and the reverse is also true after a reinstatement. Record the date and time of your check, and keep a copy of the result with your file notes, particularly if the search forms part of due diligence for a significant contract.
How to read a company extract
A company extract sets out the registered details in one document. Layouts vary, so read the labels as they actually appear rather than expecting a fixed format. Common fields include:
| Field | What it records | What to check next |
|---|---|---|
| ACN | The company's unique identifying number | Match it exactly to invoices, contracts and bank details |
| Registered name | The legal name on the register | Check whether a trading name or business name is also involved |
| Company type | How the company is structured (for example proprietary or public) | Confirm it matches what the counterparty told you |
| Status | Whether registered, deregistered or otherwise noted | Stop and verify if it is anything other than plainly registered |
| Registered office / principal place of business | ASIC's recorded addresses | Confirm against the address on any document served or sent |
| Officeholders | Directors and secretary recorded by ASIC | Compare with who is signing for the company |
| Date of registration / review date | Key dates on the record | Diarise your own review date; do not assume ASIC's dates match your obligations |
The practical test is consistency. If the ACN on an invoice differs from the ACN on the register, or the person signing is not a recorded officeholder, you have a question to resolve before proceeding.
If the company is registered: ongoing obligations
Registration carries continuing obligations. Officeholders can keep the record up to date through ASIC's online services for company officeholders, where you log in or sign up to ASIC's portals. Registered agents and authorised lodgers have their own online services and portal access, per ASIC.
At review time, you can download the company annual review statement from ASIC, which ASIC says includes the annual invoice and payment details. Treat that statement as the authoritative record of what ASIC has billed and what is payable, rather than relying on an amount quoted to you by anyone else.
Situations where a status check is worth doing
- Paying a large invoice for the first time. Confirm the company name and ACN before funds leave your account.
- Signing a contract. Confirm the legal entity, not just the trading name, and check the signatory's role.
- Onboarding a supplier or subcontractor. Repeat the check periodically rather than once, since status can change.
- Buying a business or its assets. Confirm both the seller entity's status and whether any intellectual property or business names sit elsewhere.
- Dealing with a deregistered entity. Do not transact until you understand who has authority to act.
Next steps
- Search the companies register for the legal name and the ACN separately, then compare results.
- Confirm the jurisdiction shown is the one you expect.
- Read the status line exactly as displayed, plus any additional notation.
- Save a copy of the result with the date of your search.
- Compare registered office and officeholder details with the documents in front of you.
- If anything does not match, ask the counterparty in writing and consider a company extract for the fuller record.
- Where licensing is the real question, run ASIC's Professional Registers search as well.
Scope of this guide
This article is general information about reading ASIC's public registers, not legal, tax, migration, credit or financial advice. It is not a substitute for company records, for advice from a registered professional, or for direct confirmation from ASIC. We do not approve, endorse or rank any company or provider, and checking a register does not guarantee a commercial outcome. Search results and register content are maintained by ASIC; if you are relying on a status for a significant decision, verify it directly with ASIC or seek advice from a qualified adviser.
If your reason for checking a company is deciding who to borrow from, compare borrowing options and lender checks may be a useful next read.