Department of the Registrar of Companies Sri Lanka (DRC)

History and Founding

Company registration in Sri Lanka dates to 1861, when businesses were registered under the Joint Stock Companies Ordinance during British colonial rule. The formal Department of the Registrar of Companies was established in 1938 under the Companies Ordinance No. 51 of 1938 to administer corporate registration and related statutory functions. This ordinance also assigned to the department the administration of the Trade Mark Ordinance, Business Name Ordinance, Cheettu Ordinance, and Societies Ordinance. In 1980, the National Intellectual Property Office was separated and established under the Intellectual Property Act No. 2 of 1979. The current legislative framework is provided primarily by the Companies Act No. 7 of 2007.

Collections and Holdings

The department maintains statutory records for all registered companies, societies, and associations in Sri Lanka. Public records include incorporation documents, annual returns, and statutory filings for private limited liability companies, public limited liability companies, foreign companies, offshore companies, unlimited companies, public quoted companies, guarantee companies, and associations. The department also registers auditors and company secretaries, and maintains records under the Societies Ordinance No. 16 of 1891.

Access and Usage

The department provides public access to corporate information through its electronic Registry of Companies (eROC) online system, accessible at eroc.drc.gov.lk, which allows searches by company name or registration number. Physical services are available at the department's offices in Colombo.