RT01 Form: How to Apply for Administrative Restoration
The RT01 form is the Companies House application used to restore an eligible company through administrative restoration. A former director or former member can use RT01 where the company meets the statutory restoration conditions.
The current form is RT01 version 9.0, dated February 2026. The Companies House application fee is £341. The application is normally submitted as a package with outstanding company documents, applicable filing fees and penalties, and a Bona Vacantia waiver where required.
RT01 is only for administrative restoration. A company voluntarily struck off following an application by its directors cannot use this form and requires the court restoration route instead.
What Is Form RT01?
Form RT01 is the Companies House form used to apply for administrative restoration under section 1024 of the Companies Act 2006. Administrative restoration allows an eligible company to return to the Companies House register without first obtaining a court order. The current RT01 form contains four main sections:
- company details;
- the restoration application;
- the statement of compliance; and
- an alternative company name, where required.
The form also contains a checklist covering the documents and payments that normally accompany the restoration application. RT01 should not be confused with the court restoration process. A company that does not meet the administrative restoration conditions may need to follow the court route instead.
Who Can Use the RT01 Form?
A former director or former member can use RT01 where the company qualifies for administrative restoration.Section 1024 allows administrative restoration for qualifying companies struck off under sections 1000, 1001 or 1002A of the Companies Act 2006. The legislation also requires the application to reach the Registrar within 6 years of dissolution. The administrative route also applies, with modifications, to certain companies struck off under regulation 22 of the Registered Office Address (Rectification of Register) Regulations 2024.
A voluntarily struck-off company cannot use RT01. Where the directors applied to strike the company off voluntarily, restoration requires a court application. The detailed eligibility conditions belong to the wider restoration process. See our guide to administrative restoration eligibility for a full explanation.
What Information Does the RT01 Form Require?
RT01 requires the company details and confirmation that the statutory requirements for administrative restoration have been satisfied.
Section 1 asks for the:
- company number; and
- company name in full.
These details should match the information held on the Companies House public register. Section 2 contains the restoration application. It confirms matters including the applicant’s status as a former director or member, the six years, the relevant strike-off conditions, outstanding filings, penalties, Bona Vacantia consent where applicable, and payment of the administrative restoration fee. Companies House also warns that information entered on RT01 will appear on the public record. Applicants should therefore check the form carefully before submission.
What Is the Statement of Compliance on RT01?
The statement of compliance confirms that the applicant is a former director or member and that the administrative restoration requirements have been met. The current RT01 asks the applicant to enter their printed name in section 3. A handwritten signature is not required. The printed name authenticates the application and appears on the public record. This is an important change to note when using older RT01 guidance or previous versions of the form.
When Is an Alternative Company Name Required?
An alternative company name is required where the company’s former name cannot be used when the company is restored.Another company may have registered a conflicting name during the period of dissolution. Section 4 of RT01 allows the applicant to provide an alternative name.If an acceptable name is not available, the Registrar can restore the company with its company number as its name. The company then has 14 days after restoration to change its name in accordance with the Companies Act requirements.
What Must Be Sent With the RT01 Form?
An RT01 application should be submitted with the documents and payments required to bring the company’s Companies House record up to date.
The current RT01 checklist includes:
- the completed RT01 form;
- the £341 administrative restoration fee;
- all outstanding accounts;
- outstanding annual returns or confirmation statements and their filing fees;
- applicable late filing penalties;
- a Bona Vacantia waiver letter where required;
- form AD01 where applicable; and
- form EM01 where applicable.
The exact restoration package depends on the company’s individual filing history.
Are Outstanding Accounts Required With RT01?
Outstanding accounts required to bring the Companies House record up to date must be dealt with as part of the administrative restoration application.
The same applies to outstanding annual returns or confirmation statements and their relevant filing fees.
Companies House normally disregards the period during which the company was dissolved when calculating late filing penalties. A company is not liable for a late filing penalty for accounts that became due during the period of dissolution.
For example, accounts already 2 months overdue when the company was dissolved will normally remain 2 months late when delivered on restoration. Accounts whose deadline arose only after dissolution are treated differently.
Do Outstanding Fines and Financial Penalties Need to Be Paid?
Outstanding Companies Act fines and financial penalties affecting relevant persons must also be settled before administrative restoration can be completed. Section 1025 requires outstanding late filing penalties to be paid. It also requires each relevant person to have paid outstanding fines or financial penalties imposed for Companies Act offences relating to the company. Relevant persons can include the applicant and certain people who were directors before dissolution and will remain directors after restoration. The RT01 form itself contains a declaration confirming that these amounts have been paid.
Is Extra Evidence Needed for a Section 1002A Restoration?
A section 1002A RT01 application requires supporting evidence about the reason the Registrar struck the company off. The evidence should show that, at the time of strike-off, the Registrar did not have reasonable cause to believe the matter specified in section 1002A(1)(a) or (b). This is an additional requirement and should be addressed before the restoration package is submitted.
What Is Required for a Regulation 22 Restoration?
A Regulation 22 restoration requires additional registered-office evidence.Companies House states that the application must include:
- a notice changing the company’s registered office address; and
- evidence that the company owns or has the right to use the new address.
The current RT01 checklist also refers to form AD01, where the registered office needs to be changed. Where the company had been moved to the Companies House default address, evidence that the new address is appropriate is required.Form EM01 can also be required where the registered email address needs to be changed.
Is a Bona Vacantia Waiver Required With RT01?
A Bona Vacantia waiver is required where company property or rights vested in the Crown and written Crown consent is needed for administrative restoration.
Property owned by a company can pass to the Crown as bona vacantia when the company is dissolved. The applicant is responsible for obtaining the Crown representative’s written consent where the requirement applies.For cases handled by the Treasury Solicitor’s Bona Vacantia Division in England and Wales, the current waiver application cost is £64. The Government Legal Department states that its waiver guidance applies to England and Wales.Different Crown representatives can apply elsewhere. For example, Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate authorities, and Duchy arrangements can apply in certain areas of England.
How Much Is the RT01 Fee?
The Companies House RT01 application fee is currently £341.
The £341 fee applies from 1 February 2026. Companies House states that an application will be rejected if the correct fee is not included. The current paper form instructs applicants paying with the application to make a cheque or postal order payable to Companies House.The £341 amount is the Companies House administrative restoration fee only. Separate costs can arise from outstanding filings, penalties, Bona Vacantia consent and professional assistance.
Where Is the RT01 Form Sent?
The complete RT01 administrative restoration package is currently sent to the Companies House main office in Cardiff.
The address is:
Companies House
Crown Way
Cardiff
CF14 3UZ
The current GOV.UK administrative restoration instructions require the complete application information to be posted to Companies House.The package should be checked before posting because missing documents, information or payment can delay the restoration.
Can the RT01 Form Be Filed Online?
RT01 administrative restoration applications are currently submitted by post.The current RT01 form contains general Companies House wording explaining that certain forms can be uploaded online. However, the specific administrative restoration instructions state that the completed RT01 and accompanying information must be posted to the Companies House main office.Applicants should therefore follow the RT01-specific instructions rather than assuming the full restoration package can be filed through normal Companies House online filing services.
Why Can an RT01 Application Be Returned or Rejected?
Companies House can return or reject an RT01 application where the form is incorrect, information is missing or the administrative restoration requirements have not been met.
Common problems include:
- using RT01 for a voluntarily dissolved company;
- applying outside the six-year period;
- incorrect company name or company number;
- failure to authenticate the statement of compliance;
- missing accounts or confirmation statements;
- unpaid applicable penalties;
- unpaid relevant-person fines or financial penalties;
- missing Bona Vacantia consent where required;
- using the wrong restoration fee;
- missing AD01 or EM01 where required;
- missing section 1002A supporting evidence; or
- missing registered-office evidence for a Regulation 22 case.
The current RT01 checklist states that incorrectly completed forms or forms with missing information may be returned. Companies House separately states that it will reject an administrative restoration application where the correct fee or required information is not included.Checking the entire application package before posting reduces avoidable delays.
What Happens After Companies House Receives RT01?
The Registrar reviews the RT01 application and decides whether the company meets the requirements for administrative restoration. Companies House notifies the applicant of its decision. Where the Registrar agrees to restore the company, restoration takes effect from the date the Registrar sends the notification of the decision. The company is then treated as having continued in existence as if it had not been struck off and dissolved. The time taken to reach this stage can depend on whether the application is complete and whether Companies House needs further information.
What Happens If RT01 Is Returned or Formally Refused?
A returned or incomplete RT01 application is different from a formal decision by the Registrar not to restore the company.Where Companies House returns an application because something is missing or incorrect, the issue can usually be corrected and the package resubmitted while the company remains eligible.A formal refusal is different. If the Registrar decides not to restore the company, an application can be made to the court for restoration within 28 days of the refusal, even if the normal restoration period has expired.This distinction matters because a paperwork error and a formal restoration refusal do not have the same consequences.
FAQs
RT01 is the Companies House form used by an eligible former director or former member to apply for administrative restoration of a company.It is the application form used under section 1024 of the Companies Act 2006.
The current Companies House RT01 fee is £341. The fee applies from 1 February 2026
The complete RT01 administrative restoration application is currently submitted by post. Companies House’s specific RT01 guidance requires the application package to be sent to its main office
RT01 can need outstanding accounts, confirmation statements, filing fees, applicable penalties, a Bona Vacantia waiver and forms AD01 or EM01. Additional evidence applies to some section 1002A and Regulation 22 cases.
A formal refusal can allow the applicant to seek court restoration within 28 days. A form merely returned because information is missing should first be distinguished from a formal decision not to restore the company.
Getting Help With an RT01 Application
A successful RT01 application depends on both the form and the documents that accompany it. Before submission, the company’s restoration eligibility, outstanding accounts, confirmation statements, penalties, registered office position, and Bona Vacantia requirements should be checked. Tilly & Cooper can review the Companies House record, identify the outstanding restoration requirements, and assist with preparing the RT01 application package.
