How to find a company registration number online?

What are CRN and CIN?

Company Registration number (CRN) is a special number that is granted to any company during the company registration process by the Registrar of Companies (ROC). ROCs are present in different states of India and come under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA).

Corporate/Company Identification Number (CIN) provides the basic details of a company registered anywhere in India. Any company operating in India must have this unique number.

Once ROC issues a CIN to a certain company, it issues a certificate of incorporation containing the CIN and the approved name of the firm. This is a system-generated registration number and can be changed only in rare cases. This number will be available on the public register of companies and can be accessed online through the Companies House Service. This number will then be displayed on every official document of the company as it gives a unique identity to your firm.

What does CIN look like?

The CIN is a 21-digit alphanumeric code. Every company receives this number under the Company Act 2013 once it gets registered officially. It is easy to read and understand if we follow the following guidelines:

1. The first letter of the CIN represents the company’s status, which could be ‘U’ or ‘L’, where ‘U’ means ‘Unlisted’ and ‘L’ symbolises ‘Listed’ companies.
2. The next 5 digits denote the type of activities in which the company is involved. Here are some of the ROC industry codes that are used in the various CRNs or CINs:

a. Mineral water companies: 15543

b. Retail sales businesses: 52341

c. Hospitals: 85110

d. For higher education/Institute: 80301

e. Business in real estate on fee or contract basis: 70200

1. The next two digits in the CRN represent the name of the state in which the company is registered. This is in the form of a state code. Say, for Tamil Nadu, TN is the code.
2. After that are four digits in the CIN that represent the year in which the company is undergoing registration.
3. The next three letters denote the type of ownership that the company has. For example, SGC is used for Company of State Government, PLC is for Public Limited Company, and OPC is used for One Person Company.
4. Finally, there is a 6-digit number called the CRN, issued to that company by the ROC during registration. This is a system-generated unique code.

Importance of CRN

• It can be used to keep track of various functions from the inception of the company. It needs to be submitted or displayed with all the documentation and transactions with the state’s ROC.
• The CRN displays important details about the company. So, it can be used to track and check the registration of any company.
• This registration certificate is required as legal proof of existence while opening a business bank account.
• The registration of the firm makes it easier to transfer the ownership of the firm. The transfer of business-related documents and shares also becomes easy.
• If a firm is registered under limited liability, it is saved from losing personal property due to liabilities of business in case of losses incurred.

How to Find Company Registration Number Online

The CRN can be found on the official website of the Ministry of Current Affairs (MCA), which contains all the details of the companies operating in India. The data is published online and is publicly available on the MCA portal. Apart from registration details, one can also check other details such as the date of incorporation, accusations of the company, type of company, directors of the firm, and so on. Financial details such as the balance sheet and other financial statements are also available on this portal.

Steps to Check Registration Number

1. For accessing the portal, log on to the official MCA website: . You will now directly reach the homepage of the website.

2. On the homepage, check for the ‘MCA services’ tab and then click on it. A drop-down list will now appear. There will be several options here. Clicking on ‘View Company/LLP Master Data’ will open an entire list of services that can be availed from the drop-down menu.

3. This will lead you to the next page where three details will be asked before proceeding: the company/LLP name, company CIN, and captcha. If you don’t know the CIN, fill up the name of the company and click on search, it will find the CIN of that company for you.

4. If you know the company name and the CIN, and you fill in the details, you will just need to fill in the captcha code and click on the ‘submit’ option. This will lead you to the other details of the company.

These details can be availed if you fill in the above-mentioned details:

1. CIN/LLPIN
2. Company name or LLP name
3. State of the company
4. Date of registration of the company
5. Status of the company
6. Date of incorporation
7. Registration number and ROC information of the company
8. Category of the company such as a company limited by guarantee or by shares, or an unlimited company
9. Class of the company such as a private or a public company
10. The authorised and the paid-up capital of the company
11. Email and address of the company
12. The company's listing status
13. Last annual general meeting date and the company status

Apart from the services mentioned above, you can also get the following details:

1. The status of the charges of the company: Every company needs capital, for which, it takes a loan from banks or financial institutions. On this portal, you can check the status of this loan taken, the amount of the loan, and the address details of the loan holder.
2. The details of the signatory of the firm: The portal also states the details about the directors of the company in the list of directors or partners. You can find the name, addresses, and DIN (Director Identification Number) details, along with their date of appointment, their digital signatures, and their designation details.

The biggest benefit of a firm getting registered is secure funding availed from various resources. Financial institutions and investors rely upon legal documents more. So, getting the registration and knowing how to find the company registration number is crucial information for any business owner. Once you get the process done, it is easy to visit the portal and find the registration number on the official MCA portal.

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FAQ’s

Q. How can I check the registration number of a company in India?

Ans. Visit the official MCA portal and click on the ‘MCA services’ tab. Now, check the ‘View company/LLP Master data’ tab. Fill in the name of the company and search the CIN.

Q. What is a CIN of a company?

Ans. This is a 21-digit unique number containing alphabets and numbers. It is issued by the ROC of India and provides details about a company. Every company receives this number under the Company Act 2013 once it gets registered officially.

Q. Where can I find the company CIN?

Ans. You can find it on the official website of MCA here. Once you visit the home page, go to the MCA services tab. In the drop-down list, click on the ‘View company/LLP Master data’ tab.

Q. How do you find the details of a company in India?

Ans. To find the details of any company, you must know the company name and CIN of that company. On the official MCA website, once you enter these details, you will get to know various details such as the date of incorporation, accusations of the company, type of company, directors of the firm, and so on. Financial details such as the balance sheet and other financial statements are also available on this portal.