LEI Renewal in the UK: Dates, Data Checks and LAPSED

LEI renewal is due by the Next Renewal Date shown in the entity’s record. To renew an LEI, the entity confirms or updates its reference data with its issuer so the data can be re-validated. This check is required annually, even if the details have not changed.

What this means in the United Kingdom

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) – UK MiFIR Legal Entity Identifiers page says the annual LEI renewal requirement under UK MiFIR applies to all firms subject to UK MiFIR transaction reporting obligations. To renew, the entity must provide its Local Operating Unit, or LEI issuer, with updated information so it can verify the data held on the LEI. Issuing LEIs is not an activity the FCA regulates.

The FCA also says that a client which is a legal entity or structure, such as a company, charity or trust, needs an LEI for the firm to act on its instructions. A UK limited company whose stockbroker checks its LEI before each trade should therefore check the record’s renewal date and respond to requests for updated information. A charity trust whose investment manager asks for an up-to-date LEI can check the same record fields. If a firm’s or client’s obligations depend on its circumstances, it should check with the FCA or its adviser.

For a company, the LEI record’s registration authority code and company number help identify the underlying register entry. The GLEIF – Registration Authorities List assigns Companies House codes RA000585 for England and Wales, RA000586 for Northern Ireland and RA000587 for Scotland. The Companies House – Find and update company information service lets users search by name or company number, but Companies House does not check the accuracy of filed information. Changes to a company’s name or registered office at Companies House should be reported to its LEI issuer.

LEI renewal: key points

• Check the Next Renewal Date and registration status in GLEIF LEI Search, which is free to use without registration.
• Notify the managing LEI issuer when reference data changes; do not wait for the annual review.
• Renewal includes checking the information with the entity and re-validating it against a third-party source.
• If renewal is not completed by the date and within the issuer’s grace period, the status becomes LAPSED. The LEI remains valid.
• A multi-year arrangement does not remove the annual data check.

When is the LEI renewal date?

The deadline to check is the Next Renewal Date in the entity’s LEI record. GLEIF – LEI-CDF 3.1 format defines it as the date by which the LEI must be renewed and re-certified. Check the entity’s own record rather than assuming that its next deadline follows the date of its last order.

In its guidance on timely renewal, GLEIF blog – The Importance of Timely Renewal of LEIs (2015) quotes the LEI Regulatory Oversight Committee: the issuer must re-validate reference data regularly, no later than one year after the previous validation check. The Next Renewal Date is agreed between the entity and issuer, but must be no later than one year after the previous verification. Unchanged details do not create an exception to renewal by that date.

GLEIF LEI Search displays both the registration status and Next Renewal Date. For help reading those fields, see the guide to LEI lookup for UK companies.

What happens during renewal?

Renewal checks whether the published reference data still describes the entity accurately. The issuer verifies the relevant information with the entity and re-validates the data against a third-party source. Completing that process is different from simply finding that no details appear to have changed.

GLEIF – Data Quality Management explains that the entity and issuer review and re-validate the reference data at least annually. The entity must also notify its managing issuer when its reference data changes. If a UK company changes its name or registered office at Companies House, it should report that change to the issuer rather than waiting for the next renewal.

What if the renewal date is missed?

According to GLEIF’s guidance, if the entity does not renew by its Next Renewal Date and within the grace period set by its issuer, the registration status becomes LAPSED. The GLEIF data format describes LAPSED as not renewed by that date where public sources do not indicate that the entity has ceased operating. The issuer sets the grace period, so do not assume its length.

A lapsed LEI remains valid. LAPSED describes an overdue renewal, not deletion or invalidity of the identifier. A counterparty may ask for the renewal to be brought up to date; the guide to lapsed LEI renewal in the UK explains the status further. If a broker or another counterparty has set a specific requirement, check it with that counterparty or an adviser.

How does multi-year LEI renewal work?

Some issuers offer a multi-year contract instead of an annual arrangement. GLEIF – The Legal Entity Identifier (LEI): Questions and Answers (2024) describes this option. A multi-year booking covers renewal arrangements across several years, but the entity and issuer must still review and re-validate the reference data every year.

The entity must also tell its managing issuer when its reference data changes. Before choosing an arrangement, identify who will respond to the issuer’s annual request to check the data.

Renewal options and record status

Situation	What to check or do
Annual arrangement	Confirm or update reference data and renew by the record’s Next Renewal Date.
Multi-year arrangement	Expect an annual review and re-validation of reference data.
Change of issuer	Consider a transfer to another LEI issuer; the annual data check still needs attention.
LAPSED status	The LEI remains valid, but the record shows renewal is behind schedule.

What do the renewal figures show?

GLEIF – The LEI in numbers, Q3 2026, published on 22 October 2026, reported an overall renewal rate of 57.1% for Q3 2026. The rate was 61.1% in EU jurisdictions and 51.1% in non-EU jurisdictions. These figures do not establish the renewal status of a particular UK entity.

GLEIF also reported 3.19 million active LEIs and 90,000 new LEIs in that quarter. At its end, 88.1% of all LEIs were fully corroborated, meaning all reference data had been validated against public authoritative sources. Corroboration and timely renewal are different measures; check the individual record for its status.

LEI renewal checklist

1. Find the entity in GLEIF LEI Search and note its registration status and Next Renewal Date.
2. Compare its reference data with its current details, including any relevant Companies House changes.
3. Tell the managing issuer about changes and confirm the information it needs for re-validation.
4. Complete the LEI renewal by the Next Renewal Date, even if the details have not changed.
5. Check the record again for its displayed status and next renewal date.