Can you register a company yourself without a CA or CS?

Reviewed by CS. Bhavik Hariyani

In short

You can prepare most of a Company Registration yourself, but current law requires a declaration and certification on SPICe+ by a practising CA, CS, Cost Accountant or advocate.

You can do most of the work of Company Registration yourself, but under the law in force in October 2026 you cannot complete a company's incorporation entirely alone. Section 7(1)(b) of the Companies Act, 2013 requires a declaration by an advocate, Chartered Accountant, Cost Accountant or Company Secretary in practice who is engaged in forming the company, and the SPICe+ form carries that professional's declaration and certification. A founder can prepare everything else, sign with their own Digital Signature Certificate and track the application on the MCA portal.

The question "can I register a company by myself?" usually comes from founders who want to save money or simply understand the process. This post explains what the law requires, what you can genuinely do alone, a proposed change in Parliament, and the risks of doing it badly. For the full step-by-step process, read How to Register a Company in India.

What does the law require from a professional at Company Registration?

Section 7(1) of the Companies Act, 2013 lists what must be filed with the Registrar of Companies (ROC) to incorporate a company. Clause (b) is a declaration that all the requirements of the Act and rules for Registration have been complied with. Today it must be given by two parties:

an advocate, Chartered Accountant (CA), Cost Accountant or Company Secretary (CS) in practice who is engaged in the formation of the company; and
a person named in the Articles as a director, manager or secretary of the company.

Rule 14 of the Companies (Incorporation) Rules, 2014 originally prescribed this declaration in Form INC-8; it is now built into SPICe+, the single web form for incorporation. SPICe+ also has a certification section that must be signed by a practising professional with their own DSC and membership number. In practice, this means at least one qualified professional has to put their name and signature on your application.

What can a founder do without a CA or CS?

Task	Can you do it yourself?	Notes
Choose the structure (PVT. LTD., OPC, LLP)	Yes	See PVT. LTD. vs LLP vs OPC
Get a Class 3 Digital Signature Certificate (DSC)	Yes	Bought online from a licensed certifying authority with Aadhaar or video verification
Create an MCA portal login	Yes	Free user Registration on mca.gov.in
Check and reserve the company name	Yes	SPICe+ Part A, ₹1,000 per name; also search the trademark register
Collect documents and registered office proof	Yes	See the documents checklist
Fill SPICe+ Part B, e-MoA, e-AoA, AGILE-PRO-S	Yes, you can prepare them	Drafting the objects clause and capital correctly needs care
Professional declaration and certification on SPICe+	No	Must be signed by a CA, CS or Cost Accountant in practice (an advocate may give the Section 7(1)(b) declaration)
Sign as director and subscriber, pay fees, track status	Yes	With your own DSC and MCA login

If you do the preparation yourself, the professional's role can be limited to checking your work and certifying it. Whether a professional agrees to certify forms they did not prepare is their decision, because their name, signature and responsibility go on the filing.

Is the rule about professional declarations changing?

Possibly. The Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Lok Sabha in March 2026 and sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee, which presented its report in August 2026. The Bill text (PRS Legislative Research) proposes that the incorporation declaration be given by the person named as director, and that a professional's declaration be required only "where a company engaged such professionals in its formation or incorporation". A similar change is proposed for LLPs.

Until the Bill is passed, notified and the MCA forms are updated, the current requirement continues. Check the MCA portal for the latest position before you plan a fully do-it-yourself filing.

How does a do-it-yourself Company Registration work, step by step?

Decide the structure, the name, the registered office and the authorised capital.
Get a Class 3 DSC for every proposed director and subscriber.
Create your MCA login and check the name against existing companies, LLPs and trademarks.
Reserve the name through SPICe+ Part A, or apply for it with the full form.
Prepare SPICe+ Part B, e-MoA, e-AoA and AGILE-PRO-S, and attach the documents.
Have a practising professional review, declare and certify the form, then sign it yourself with your DSC.
Pay the fees and stamp duty through the challan, and answer any resubmission query.

Time depends mainly on how complete the application is, not on who prepares it; see How long does Company Registration take?

Can you register an LLP or a proprietorship yourself?

LLP: an LLP is incorporated through the FiLLiP form, which currently also needs certification by a practising professional. The proposed amendment would relax this where no professional is engaged. See LLP Registration process and cost.
Sole proprietorship: there is no incorporation at all. You can apply yourself for Udyam Registration, GST Registration and the local shop and establishment Registration without any professional.
Partnership Firm: you can draft and register the partnership deed with the state Registrar of Firms, though many people take legal help with the deed.

What are the risks of registering a company yourself?

Resubmissions and rejections. Wrong objects, name issues, mismatched PAN and Aadhaar details or weak address proof lead to queries from the Central Registration Centre. Each round costs time, and the name reservation can expire.
Poorly drafted MoA and AoA. A narrow objects clause, or Articles without share-transfer and investor clauses, can cause trouble later and need formal amendments.
Wrong capital. Authorised capital above ₹15 lakh brings MCA fees and higher stamp duty; too little may need an increase later.
Legal responsibility. Section 7 makes false or incorrect information in incorporation documents a serious matter, with liability under the fraud provisions of the Act. Your signature as director carries that responsibility whether or not a professional helped.
Missing post-Registration steps. First auditor within 30 days, share certificates within two months and Form INC-20A within 180 days are easy to forget. The 10 mistakes founders make post covers these.

How do you choose a professional if you need only certification?

Verify membership and certificate of practice on the ICSI (Company Secretaries) or ICAI (Chartered Accountants) website.
Agree in writing whether they are drafting, reviewing or only certifying.
Make sure the MCA login, DSCs and all documents stay in your control.
Understand who does what after Registration; the CA or CS: who does what post explains the roles.

Location matters less than people think: the whole process is online through the MCA portal, so the professional does not have to be in your city.

Key takeaways

Under current law, a company cannot be incorporated without a declaration and certification by a practising professional on SPICe+.
A founder can do almost everything else alone: DSC, MCA login, name check, documents, drafting and signing.
The Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 proposes making the professional declaration needed only when a professional is engaged; it is not yet law.
Proprietorship, Udyam and GST Registrations can be done entirely by yourself.
Doing it yourself saves fees but puts accuracy and post-Registration deadlines on you.

Frequently asked questions

Can I register a company by myself in India?

You can do most of the work yourself: get a Digital Signature Certificate, create an MCA login, check and reserve the name, prepare SPICe+ and sign as director. However, under Section 7(1)(b) of the Companies Act, 2013, a declaration by an advocate, Chartered Accountant, Cost Accountant or Company Secretary in practice engaged in the formation is required, and SPICe+ carries that professional's certification. So one qualified professional must be involved.

Can I register a company without a CA?

Yes, a Chartered Accountant is not specifically required. The incorporation declaration and SPICe+ certification can be given by a Company Secretary or Cost Accountant in practice, and the Section 7(1)(b) declaration can also be given by an advocate. What the law requires today is that at least one such practising professional engaged in forming the company signs the declaration alongside the proposed director.

Is the rule requiring a professional for Company Registration changing?

The Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, introduced in the Lok Sabha in March 2026 and reviewed by a Joint Parliamentary Committee, proposes that the incorporation declaration be given by the director, with a professional's declaration needed only where a professional is engaged. Until the Bill is passed, notified and the MCA forms are updated, the existing requirement continues to apply.

Can I register a proprietorship without a CA or CS?

Yes. A sole proprietorship is not incorporated with the MCA, so no professional declaration is needed. The owner can apply directly for Udyam Registration on udyamregistration.gov.in, GST Registration on gst.gov.in if required, and the local shop and establishment Registration. Many proprietors still use an accountant for bookkeeping and tax returns, but the Registrations themselves can be done alone.

What are the risks of registering a company without professional help?

Common problems are rejected names, mismatched PAN and Aadhaar details, weak registered office proof, a badly drafted objects clause, and authorised capital set higher than needed. These lead to resubmissions and delays. Directors also sign the incorporation declaration and are responsible for its accuracy, and they must remember post-Registration deadlines such as the first auditor within 30 days and Form INC-20A within 180 days.

Learn the full topic, step by step

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