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Letter resigning as a company director (UK)
England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales · in English
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For a director of a private limited company in the UK who is stepping down. The letter resigns with effect from a stated date, asks the company to notify Companies House within 14 days on form TM01 and update its records, and states that resigning as a director does not by itself end any job or shareholding. Under the model articles a resignation takes effect as it states once the company receives it. A company must keep at least one director who is an individual, so a sole director arranges a replacement first.
- Made for use in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales
- Last updated October 28, 2026
- Document in English
Where a UK document reproduces the words of legislation or of a government publication — UK, Scottish or Northern Irish — it contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Published byDocMuse
When to use this document
- You want to step down as a director of a company in the UK and resign in writing.
- You are leaving a business you helped found and want your resignation as director on record.
- The other directors are ignoring your concerns and you want to leave the board.
- You need to resign as a director so that the company can file the change at Companies House.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Director being appointed, removed or resigning
- Director's address
- Town or city
- Your postcode
- Date
- Company name
- Company's current registered office
- Postcode of the registered office
- Company number (8 characters, as on the Companies House register)
- Effective date
- Company property returned or to be returned (laptop, keys, cards)
Common questions
- Who tells Companies House that a director has resigned?
- The company does, within 14 days of the resignation, on form TM01, which can be filed online without a fee. If the company does not file it, ask it again in writing and keep this letter and the signed receipt as proof of the date you resigned. Companies House's free online register shows when the change has been recorded.
- Does resigning as a director end my job with the company?
- Not by itself. Being a director is an office; employment is a separate contract with its own notice period. If you are also an employee, give notice under your employment contract as well, or agree your exit with the company. Resigning as a director does not transfer your shares or repay a loan either.
- Can the only director of a UK company resign?
- Not without leaving the company in breach: a private company must have at least one director, and at least one director must be an individual (sections 154 and 155 of the Companies Act 2006). Appoint a replacement, who must verify their identity with Companies House, before your resignation takes effect, or close the company if it has no future.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.
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