In brief. There is no official register of recruitment agencies in the UK, and "accredited" has no legal meaning for an agency. Any agency can be checked in ten minutes with five public sources, Companies House, the ICO register, the licence register for the food and farming sectors, the documents the law says an agency must give you, and the public verification page of any professional body it says it belongs to. This guide gives the checks in order, with where to do each one.
Who this is for. A client deciding whether to use an agency, a candidate or temp deciding whether to register with one, and a tender or procurement panel that has been given a list of memberships and logos and wants to know what each one proves.
First, what the law does and does not require
Every recruitment agency and employment business in Great Britain works under the Employment Agencies Act 1973 and the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003. Those rules apply whether or not the agency belongs to anything. Since April 2026 they are enforced by the Fair Work Agency, the single state enforcement body for employment rights, which took over the work of the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, the HMRC National Minimum Wage enforcement team and the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority. There is no licence and no registration for most agencies, so there is no official list to search. The exception is labour providers in agriculture, horticulture, shellfish gathering and food processing and packaging, which need a licence and appear on a public register.
Membership of a professional body is voluntary. It can tell you that an agency has agreed to a published code, and in some bodies that its processes have been tested against the law, but it is not a licence and it is not issued by the state. That is why the check is always with the body's own public record, never with the logo on the agency's website, which may be years out of date.
The ten-minute check, in order
1. Companies House
Search the agency's name at the government's company register (find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk). You want an active company, the incorporation date, the registered office, the current officers and accounts filed on time. A name that does not appear, a company that is dissolved or in a strike-off, or officers who change every few months, are reasons to ask questions before you go further.
2. The ICO register
An agency handles personal data all day, so it should be registered with the Information Commissioner's Office and paying the data protection fee. The ICO's register of fee payers is public (ico.org.uk). Search the company name.
3. The documents the agency must give you
If you are a candidate or a temp, an agency must give you its terms before it starts finding you work, and if you will be paid through an umbrella company or another third party, a Key Information Document showing how your pay is worked out and what is deducted. Since April 2026 the agency that supplies you carries responsibility for the tax on your pay when an umbrella company is used. An agency that cannot produce these documents on request is not compliant, whatever it belongs to. If you are a client, ask for the agency's terms of business and its employers' liability insurance certificate, which every employer must hold.
4. The licence, if the sector needs one
For agriculture, horticulture, shellfish gathering and food processing and packaging, a labour provider must hold a licence. Check the public register of licence holders through GOV.UK before using the agency; supplying or using unlicensed labour in these sectors is a criminal offence.
5. The professional body's own record
If the agency says it is a member of a professional body or holds a certification, go to that body's public directory or verification page and check the agency's name there. A real membership shows a status and dates; a real certification shows what was tested and when. For BIOR members, enter the agency's name or membership number at ior.org/verify. The page shows Active or Lapsed, the credential (Agency Membership, and BIOR Certified where the business has passed the certification assessment), and the dates, and nothing private. The public directory of members is at ior.org/certified.
What a membership or certification can tell you
Look for four things in the body's own description, and be wary of a membership that offers none of them. A published code of conduct that the member has agreed to. A test of the member's processes against the law, not only a fee paid. A public, checkable record of who is a member and whether the membership is current. A complaints procedure that a client or a candidate can use. BIOR membership, for example, includes the certification assessment, which tests an agency's processes against current UK recruitment law and the BIOR Code of Professional and Ethical Conduct, a listing in the public directory, a verification page for every member, and a published complaints procedure.
If something is wrong
Raise it with the agency first, in writing. If the agency belongs to a professional body, use that body's complaints procedure. For a breach of the agency rules themselves, unpaid wages, deductions that were not agreed, fees charged to work-seekers or a refusal to give the documents above, the Fair Work Agency takes complaints from workers and from businesses; the route is on GOV.UK under employment agencies and businesses.
Questions people ask
Is there an official register of recruitment agencies in the UK?
No. Most agencies need no licence or registration, so there is no government list to search. The exceptions are labour providers in agriculture, horticulture, shellfish gathering and food processing and packaging, which must be licensed and appear on a public register. For every other agency, the checks are Companies House, the ICO register, the documents the agency must give you, and the public record of any professional body it names.
What does it mean if a recruitment agency says it is accredited?
"Accredited" has no legal meaning for a UK recruitment agency. It usually means membership of a voluntary body or a scheme. Check the body's own public directory or verification page for the agency's name and the status shown there. A membership that cannot be checked publicly proves nothing.
How do I check whether an agency is a BIOR member or BIOR Certified?
Enter the agency's name or membership number at ior.org/verify. The page shows Active or Lapsed, the credential and the dates; certified entries show the certified mark and the date they were last certified.
Does a recruitment agency have to belong to a professional body?
No. Membership is voluntary. The Employment Agencies Act 1973 and the Conduct Regulations 2003 apply to every agency regardless, and the Fair Work Agency enforces them.
What documents must a recruitment agency give a candidate?
Its terms before it starts finding you work, and a Key Information Document before you agree terms if you will be paid through an umbrella company or another third party. Both are legal requirements under the Conduct Regulations, and an agency must give them on request.
Written by The BIOR Membership Team. Last reviewed 28 September 2026. Sources: GOV.UK, employment agencies and businesses; the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003 (legislation.gov.uk); GOV.UK, the Fair Work Agency; Companies House; the Information Commissioner's Office register of fee payers.