Is it a legal requirement to have a company secretary?

The requirement to have a company secretary was removed by the Companies Act 2006. UK companies do not legally need to have a secretary. You can register a company with just one director appointed if you wish.

If your company does not want to appoint a secretary you can simply select the option not to appoint one when forming your company. Do not skip this section. Part of the incorporation process requires either adding a secretary or stating that you do not want to appoint one.

Many new company formations do not appoint a company secretary. In sole director companies it is common to only appoint one director and not to have a company secretary. The administrative tasks of the company secretary can be completed by the company director.

If you have more than one company director you can appoint one of the directors as the company secretary. This would clearly define who is responsible for the filing duties and other responsibilities of the company secretary.