COMPANY SEALS
Under UK Company Law there is no requirement for documents to be signed under seal. In fact there is no requirement in law for a company to have or use a seal at all. Any document formerly requiring the official seal of the company can be signed “as a deed” by two officers of the company, or where there is only a director and no company secretary, the director’s signature must be witnessed by an independent person.
However, a company may elect to use a seal if it prefers. Some companies prefer to do this so as to execute documents in a more formal manner. There may also be circumstances when a seal can be required, especially if conducting business overseas, or entering into contracts with overseas customers. It is possible that foreign lawyers or local regulations may require that a company execute documents under an official seal particularly on legal documents, contracts or lease agreements.
Many companies as a matter of choice still use a seal for executing documents in the UK such as formal contracts and lease agreements. Use of a seal helps to prevent any question of irregularity in the execution of a document as there is usually only one seal available to the signatories and it’s use is closely controlled by the directors or the company secretary.