UK website legal requirements: the business details your footer should show

Updated Oct 27, 2026 · Pewterkit Guides

A UK business selling online shows who it is: its name, a geographic address and an email address under the Electronic Commerce Regulations 2002, and, for a limited company, its registered number, registered office address and where it is registered under the company disclosure rules. The simplest home for all of it is your site footer or an "About" or "Legal" page linked from every page.

What the E-Commerce Regulations ask for

Regulation 6(1) of the Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations 2002 lists information a service provider makes "easily, directly and permanently accessible":

  • (a) "the name of the service provider";
  • (b) "the geographic address at which the service provider is established";
  • (c) contact details "including his electronic mail address", allowing rapid, direct contact;
  • (d) where you are on a public trade register (such as Companies House), the register and your registration number;
  • (g) your VAT number, if your activity is subject to VAT.

There are extra items for regulated professions and businesses that need an authorization to trade.

What a limited company adds

GOV.UK's guide to running a limited company says a company's website must show:

  • "the company's registered number"
  • "its registered office address"
  • "where the company is registered (England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland)"
  • "the fact that it's a limited company (usually by spelling out the company's full name including 'Limited' or 'Ltd')"
[Acme Rota Ltd] · Registered in [England and Wales] · Company number [12345678]
Registered office: [1 High Street, Leeds, LS1 1AA]
[VAT number: GB123456789]
Contact: [hello@yourdomain.co.uk]

For a sole trader, use your trading name and your own name, a geographic business address and an email address; the company lines don't apply. This is a plain-English starting point you can adapt; for anything specific to your business, a lawyer's or accountant's quick review is worth it.

Placing it in an AI-built app

Ask your builder to add the block to the shared footer component, so it appears on every page, including checkout. Keep it as real text rather than an image, so customers, screen readers and search engines can read it.

What Pewterkit Check looks for

When your site looks UK-based and takes payments, a free check reads your homepage text for a UK postcode or a company number line. If neither is there, it names the "About", "Legal" or "Terms" link it found so you can check that page has the details.

FAQ

Does my website need my company number on it?

For a UK limited company, yes: GOV.UK lists the registered number, the registered office address, the place of registration and the fact that it's a limited company.

Can I use a virtual office address?

The E-Commerce Regulations ask for "the geographic address at which the service provider is established", and a company's registered office is a separate item on GOV.UK's list. If you use a service address for either, ask the provider what it covers before you publish it.

Where should the details go?

Anywhere "easily, directly and permanently accessible". A site-wide footer, or a "Legal" page linked from the footer, does that.

Do I need a VAT number on my site?

Only if you are VAT-registered: regulation 6(1)(g) applies where your activity is subject to VAT.

Sources

  1. The Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations 2002, regulation 6 (legislation.gov.uk) — read 27 Oct 2026: name, geographic address, email, register number, VAT number
  2. GOV.UK: Running a limited company, signs, stationery and promotional material — read 27 Oct 2026: what a company website must show

How this page was made: drafted with AI from the sources listed, reviewed by Pewterkit. Docs checked Oct 27, 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

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