Corporate Registry Data Sources
Corporate registry data sources help verify that a legal entity exists and provide registry facts such as legal name, registration number, status, officers, filing history, addresses and sometimes persons with significant control. Registry facts are central to KYB but do not by themselves prove low risk.
1. Main source types #
| Source type | Examples | What it helps verify |
|---|---|---|
| Official national registry | Companies House, local company registries | Legal existence, status, officers, filings |
| Aggregated registry platform | OpenCorporates | Cross-jurisdiction discovery, source links, provenance |
| LEI system | GLEIF LEI data | Standardised entity identity and related identifiers |
| BO register or BO standard | Jurisdictional BO register, Open Ownership BODS | Ownership/control fields and data model |
| Investigative source | ICIJ Offshore Leaks, OCCRP Aleph | Leads about offshore or investigative connections |
2. What to capture #
- legal name exactly as registered;
- registration number;
- jurisdiction;
- status;
- incorporation date;
- registered address;
- directors/officers;
- PSC/UBO or controller information if available;
- filing dates;
- source URL and check date;
- source limitations.
3. Registry facts vs AML risk #
A registry can confirm facts. It usually cannot confirm commercial purpose, true source of funds, full control, nominee risk, adverse media risk, sanctions exposure or whether a structure is being misused.
Registry evidence should be combined with CDD, UBO, sanctions, PEP, adverse media, transaction and sector-risk checks.
4. Companies House example #
Companies House is useful because it is an official registry and its API provides live company information for UK companies. It is strong for UK entity facts, officers and public filings, but it is not a global AML risk database.
5. OpenCorporates example #
OpenCorporates is useful for cross-jurisdiction discovery and provenance because records link back to source data where available. It should be used as a discovery and enrichment layer, then important findings should be checked against the underlying source when possible.
6. Boundary #
Scope boundary: data sources only. Jurisdiction-specific filing rules belong in Regulation Map; private KYB thresholds belong in company policy.