{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/companies-act-2006/section-53",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/companies-act-2006/section-53.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2006/46",
  "legislation_title": "Companies Act 2006",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/companies-act-2006",
  "path": "section/53",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "53",
  "heading": "Prohibited names",
  "text": "A company must not be registered under this Act by a name if, in the opinion of the Secretary of State—\n(a) its use by the company would constitute an offence, or\n(b) it is offensive.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 53 applied (with modifications) by S.I. 1989/638 reg. 10(1A)-(1C) (as substituted (1.10.2009) by The European Economic Interest Grouping (Amendment) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/2399), reg. 13 (with reg. 2))"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "Ss. 53-56A applied (with modifications) (9.7.2009 for certain purposes otherwise 1.10.2009) by The Limited Liability Partnerships (Application of Companies Act 2006) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/1804), regs. 2, 8 (with Sch. 1 paras. 3, 4, 34, 35) (as amended: (14.12.2009) by S.I. 2009/2995, reg. 2(2); and (4.3.2024) by The Limited Liability Partnerships (Application of Company Law) Regulations 2024 (S.I. 2024/234), regs. 1(2), 6; S.I. 2024/269, reg. 2(a))"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/46/section/53",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:13:40.060156+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}