Only a licensed Insolvency Practitioner can act as your company's liquidator, administrator, or supervisor in a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA). This guide explains how to confirm an Insolvency Practitioner's licence, why verifying their licence matters, and what it means if they’re not licensed.
How to check an Insolvency Practitioner's licence
To check whether an Insolvency Practitioner is licensed, search their full name on the government's find an insolvency practitioner portal, check on the register of their licensing body, or use our directory of licensed Insolvency Practitioners.
Every licensed Insolvency Practitioner is authorised by a recognised professional body and has a unique Insolvency Practitioner number, which appears as ‘IP No.’ on official notices.
Confirm that their name, Insolvency Practitioner number, and authorising body match what they have told you. The best time to ask this is when you initially enquire. Ask this question earlier, rather than later, to distinguish licensed Insolvency Practitioners from unlicensed insolvency advisers. Our guide on the difference between a licensed Insolvency Practitioner and an insolvency adviser explains what to look out for.
During my time as an Insolvency Practitioner, I’ve had a handful of clients claim that they’ve sought advice from someone they initially thought was an Insolvency Practitioner. In reality, they were speaking to an external adviser who would then refer the enquiry to an Insolvency Practitioner. In the end, this meant discrepancies in service standards, longer wait times, and, ultimately, a lack of transparency.
Checking a licence online takes a few minutes:
Ask for their details –Ask the Insolvency Practitioner for their full name, Insolvency Practitioner number, and authorising body.
Search the government directory - Find an Insolvency Practitioner on the government directory by name, company, town, or postcode. It shows each practitioner's contact details and authorising body.
Cross-check with the authorising body – All three of the authorising bodies have searchable directories.
Confirm the details match - The name, number, firm, and authorising body should be consistent across everything you have been given.
Every practitioner profile in our directory shows their Insolvency Practitioner number, so you can cross-check it before you get in touch. For more on where to find a reputable Insolvency Practitioner, read our guide on how to find an Insolvency Practitioner.
Are Insolvency Practitioners regulated, and who licenses them?
Insolvency Practitioners in England, Wales, and Scotland are licensed and regulated by one of three recognised professional bodies:
- Insolvency Practitioners Association (IPA)
- Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW)
- Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS)
A recognised professional body is an organisation approved by the government to license Insolvency Practitioners and oversee their conduct. The Insolvency Service acts as the oversight regulator of these bodies.
Find the authorising body for an Insolvency Practitioner on the government website or ask them directly.
Is membership the same as a licence?
Membership is not the same as a licence. A person is only authorised to act as an Insolvency Practitioner once they obtain a licence, not just membership.
IPA, ICAEW, or ICAS membership does not on its own mean someone holds an insolvency licence. The same applies to R3, the trade association for the insolvency profession.
Does being a chartered accountant mean you are licensed?
Many Insolvency Practitioners are chartered accountants, but chartered status alone does not allow someone to take formal insolvency appointments. They must pass separate insolvency exams and hold a licence. Our guide on what an Insolvency Practitioner is explains their background and education in more detail.
What qualifications does an Insolvency Practitioner need?
To become licensed, an Insolvency Practitioner must pass the Joint Insolvency Examination Board (JIEB) exams and meet their professional body's requirements on experience, fitness, and propriety. Our guide on what an Insolvency Practitioner is covers this in more detail.
Only a licensed Insolvency Practitioner can be appointed as a liquidator, an administrator, or the nominee or supervisor of a CVA. Acting as an Insolvency Practitioner without being qualified is a criminal offence under section 389 of the Insolvency Act 1986, punishable by imprisonment, a fine, or both.
A Manchester firm offering unlicensed Insolvency Practitioner services was wound up by the court, as none of the individuals offering insolvency advice were licensed. The Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, commenting on the case, said the integrity of the insolvency regime was put at risk following the company’s claim to offer an alternative to formal insolvency procedures.
If you believe someone is acting as an Insolvency Practitioner without a licence, report it to the Insolvency Service. Working with someone who is not licensed carries real risks, including paying for unqualified advice from an individual who cannot perform a formal procedure.
What to do if you cannot verify a practitioner's licence
A missing search result does not automatically mean a practitioner is unlicensed. The GOV.UK service only lists Insolvency Practitioners who have agreed to include their details. Professional directories may also be optional for their members.
If you cannot find a practitioner:
- Search again using their full name, including any middle names, as official notices use full legal names
- Ask the practitioner which body licensed them and for their Insolvency Practitioner number
- Contact that body directly and ask it to confirm the licence is current
- Do not sign a letter of engagement or pay any fees until the licence has been confirmed to avoid paying twice
Can a licence be suspended or withdrawn?
Professional bodies can sanction Insolvency Practitioners who breach their rules, which may warrant withdrawing their licence. Sanctions are reported to the Insolvency Service and include a summary of the misconduct and sanctions. Sanctions range from reprimands and fines to suspension or withdrawal of the licence. To check if an Insolvency Practitioner has been disciplined, check the government website for current Insolvency Practitioner sanctions.
Checking an Insolvency Practitioner's licence before appointing them
Before you sign a letter of engagement, confirm the licence using the steps above. Since 2015, an Insolvency Practitioner can be fully authorised, which most are, or partially authorised to act for either companies or individuals, rather than both.
Licences are held by individuals, not firms, so check the named person who will be appointed. Once a liquidator or administrator is appointed, the appointment is published in The Gazette, with details of the Insolvency Practitioner.
For the wider checks to make before appointing, including fees and sector experience, read our director's checklist for choosing an Insolvency Practitioner. To understand who appoints a practitioner in each procedure, see what happens after appointing a licensed Insolvency Practitioner.
Find a reputable licensed Insolvency Practitioner
Find a licensed Insolvency Practitioner using our directory and assess their years of experience, regulatory body, area(s) covered, specialisms, sector expertise, and additional qualifications. If you need urgent advice from a licensed Insolvency Practitioner, get in touch with our team to find an available Insolvency Practitioner.
