National Business Conduct Authority

The National Standards Register operates as a live verification system providing comprehensive operational validation through two core functions.

The Register connects directly with insurance providers, regulatory databases, and statutory registers to verify businesses meet existing legal obligations in real time. This includes checking active business registration, adequate insurance coverage, data protection compliance, health and safety documentation, and sector-specific regulatory authorisations. Unlike static certifications that quickly become outdated, this dynamic verification ensures compliance status remains current.

The Register also establishes professional standards frameworks for operational areas where statutory regulation does not exist. These NBCA standards cover aspects critical to professional business conduct but currently unregulated across most sectors. Standards include hygiene and sterilisation protocols for personal service businesses, customer service procedures and response commitments, formal complaints handling frameworks, professional conduct and ethical operation policies, record-keeping and data management systems, staff training and competence development, and business continuity planning. These standards are tailored to each business sector.

Every business on the Register displays a verified professional rating from 1 to 5, reflecting compliance with both existing regulatory requirements and NBCA professional standards. The integrity of ratings is maintained through continuous monitoring and a national programme of random, unannounced inspections.

The Register is being established as mandatory verification infrastructure for UK businesses. Following national rollout in 2027, NBCA registration will be legally required to satisfy professional duty obligations under UK statutory and common law.

The requirement will apply to businesses operating from rented commercial premises, consumer-facing businesses providing goods or services to the public, and professional service providers operating under service contracts. Over 2.1 million UK businesses will fall within mandatory registration scope during the initial rollout phases, with systematic expansion to comprehensive national coverage by 2029.
The annual registration cost of £300 per business is borne directly by each registered entity, making the NBCA entirely self-sustaining at zero cost to the UK taxpayer.

The National Standards Register provides the power of certainty. In an era where online reviews can be manipulated and business practices obscured, the Register offers an objective source of truth. As a free, open-access utility, it allows anyone to instantly verify a business's professional rating (1-5) and compliance status, confirming it meets both statutory requirements and professional standards for safety, hygiene, insurance, and conduct.
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Following national rollout, NBCA registration will be the definitive way to demonstrate professional operation in the UK. Maintaining active registration will be the recognised method to prove commitment to excellence, meet commercial partner requirements, and build verifiable trust with customers. The registration process covers verification of existing regulatory compliance and assessment against NBCA's professional standards framework, including operational procedures, customer service, complaints handling, and sector-specific requirements.
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View business registration requirements

Professional standards verification through the National Standards Register will become the recognised baseline for business operation in the UK following national rollout. The unified standard replaces fragmented sector-specific verification approaches with comprehensive, real-time validation infrastructure covering both statutory compliance and professional operational standards.

Upon sector activation, businesses without active Register participation will be unable to demonstrate compliance with professional standards required for commercial operation. Registration becomes the definitive way to prove operational compliance, insurance adequacy, and professional conduct.

The National Business Conduct Authority operates under permanent non-commercial constitutional provisions with comprehensive asset lock protections. All operational surplus is mandated for reinvestment in verification infrastructure, standards development, and public protection capabilities. This constitutional structure ensures the Register functions as permanent national infrastructure with no commercial interest in its operation or governance.