Public offices
How to verify an official role from public records
Short answer
- Canadian office holders
- Commissioner's Public Registry and profile search 2
- UK company officers
- Current and resigned officers on the free register 6
- UK identity checks
- Mandatory for new directors from 18 November 2025 5
- Scope
- Roles held in an official capacity only
Start from the body that makes the appointment
An official role exists when a law, an election or an appointing body created it. The best evidence is the record of that act. In Canada, a member's duty to file a disclosure statement runs from the date the notice of election is published in the Canada Gazette 1. In Australia, members file a statement of registrable interests within 28 days of making an oath or affirmation 3. Both dates tie the role to a public record.
Do not rely on biographies, social media or a person's own description. Use them only as leads to an official record.
Records that confirm a public role
| Role | Record | What it confirms |
|---|---|---|
| Member of the Canadian House of Commons | Notice of election in the Canada Gazette 1 | Start of the role and the filing clock 1 |
| Canadian minister or reporting public office holder | Public Registry of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner 2 | Coverage under the Conflict of Interest Act 2 |
| Member of the Australian House of Representatives | Register of Members' Interests 3 | Statement filed after the oath or affirmation 3 |
| UK MP | Register of Members' Financial Interests and linked registers 4 | A current member's declared interests 4 |
| US House member, officer or certain employee | Financial disclosure reports filed with the Clerk 7 | Status as a filer under the Ethics in Government Act 7 |
| Member of the European Parliament | Declaration of private interests 8 | Filed by the first part-session after elections or within 30 days of taking office mid-term 8 |
Company officers
A director or company secretary holds an office in a legal entity, and the company register is the record. Companies House shows current and resigned officers for free 6.
UK rules changed on 18 November 2025. New directors must verify their identity to incorporate a company or be appointed to one. Existing directors confirm verification with their next confirmation statement within a 12-month transition 5. Companies House says it will be an offence to act as a director without being verified once the duty applies 5. People with significant control verify and give a Companies House personal code within a set 14-day period 9.
Check that the role is current
- Note the start date from the gazette, oath or appointment record 1,3.
- Check for a resignation or end date on the register 6.
- Check the date the register was last updated.
- For Canadian office holders, check which category applies. Reporting public office holders follow the Act's public disclosure rules, and part-time public office holders follow only its general rules 2.
- Keep a dated copy or note of each record you used.
Limits
A register entry shows that a role was recorded, at a date. It does not show how a person performs the role. Keep the profile to the office and the official acts recorded for it. A filing deadline missed is a matter for the body that set the rule, and only that body's published finding says a rule was broken.
Common questions
Where can I confirm a Canadian MP was elected?
The notice of election is published in the Canada Gazette, and the member's filing deadline runs from that date 1.
How do I check a UK company director?
Search the company on the UK register, which shows current and resigned officers for free 6.
Do UK directors have to prove their identity?
Yes. Identity verification became mandatory for new directors on 18 November 2025, with a 12-month transition for existing directors 5.
Who files financial disclosures in the US House?
Members, officers, certain employees and candidates, under Title I of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 7.
Can I search Canadian public office holders?
Yes. The Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner offers a Public Registry search and a profile search 2.
Rules and charges change. Check the official source linked on this page before you pay or travel. Spotted an error? Email hello@entitydossier.com.
Sources
- House of Commons of Canada: Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons
- Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner: Home
- Parliament of Australia: Register of Members' Interests, 48th Parliament
- UK Parliament: Registers of Interests
- Companies House: Companies House confirms identity verification rollout from 18 November 2025 (5 August 2025)
- GOV.UK: Get information about a company
- House Committee on Ethics: Financial Disclosure
- European Parliament Legislative Observatory: EP Rules of Procedure, strengthening integrity, independence and accountability (13 September 2023)
- GOV.UK: People with significant control (PSCs) (last updated 30 July 2026)
Related
- Registers of members' interests: how parliaments compare
How the UK, US, Canadian, Australian, European and South African parliaments record members' interests, with deadlines and update rules.
- Public body classifications explained
How official directories and laws sort public bodies and public offices, from the GOV.UK organisation list to Canada's office holder categories.
- How to build a sourced entity profile from official records
A step-by-step method for profiling an organisation or public office from official registers: identifiers, company records, ownership and interests.
- Beneficial ownership registers: where they stand in 2026
The status of beneficial ownership registers in the UK, the EU after the November 2022 CJEU ruling and the US after FinCEN's 2026 final rule.