Before You Trade: How to Check Whether a Singapore Company Is Being Wound Up or Has Been Sued

Short answer: No single register shows whether a Singapore company is being wound up or has been sued. Run a free Bizfile entity search, buy the ACRA Business Profile, run the Ministry of Law corporate insolvency search, search the Government Gazette, check the courts’ hearing list and order a cause book search. Each check misses something, so use them together.

If you need to know whether a Singapore company is being wound up before you give it credit, pay a deposit or sign a long contract, you will not find the answer in one place. ACRA, the Ministry of Law’s Insolvency Office, the Government Gazette and the court registries each hold a different slice of the record. This guide explains what each check covers and misses, the official fees, and who does what.

Raffles Corporate Services works with a panel of experienced Singapore law firms who offer cost-effective and efficient legal service and advice. This article is general information only and is not legal advice.

What is a winding up and litigation search, and why run one before you trade?

It is a set of public-record checks that tells you whether a counterparty is in liquidation, facing a winding-up application, being struck off, or involved in court claims. You run it before money or goods leave your hands, because a transaction with a company that is already being wound up can be undone.

The timing rule is what makes this matter. Under section 126(2) of the IRDA, a court winding up is deemed to have commenced when the application was made. Under section 130(1), any disposition of the company’s property after that point is void unless the court orders otherwise. So a payment the company makes to you between filing and the hearing can be challenged by the liquidator, even though no order existed on the day. Once a winding-up order is made or a provisional liquidator is appointed, no action may be started or continued against the company without the court’s permission (section 133(1)). Speak to a lawyer about how these rules apply to a live deal.

What is the legal basis for these searches?

The searches rely on records the law requires to be made public: ACRA lodgements, Gazette notices required by the IRDA and its rules, and court records that the Registrar may open to inspection under the Rules of Court 2021.

Who can run the checks, and when should you run them?

Anyone can run the ACRA, Insolvency Office and Gazette searches, check the hearing list and request a cause book search. Inspecting the documents inside a court file is different: the Registrar may refuse a non-party who does not have an adequate or sufficient interest in the case.

Run them before credit terms, deposits or large orders, and whenever warning signs appear, such as late payment or a sudden change of directors. A clean result is only true for the day you run it, so recheck the Gazette and the hearing list close to the date money moves.

How do you check whether a Singapore company is being wound up, step by step?

Work from the cheapest, broadest check to the narrowest, and record the date and result of each.

1. Run a free entity search on Bizfile (see how to use Bizfile’s search functions). Search by UEN (unique entity number), not trading name, and note the entity status and registered address. ACRA’s own guidance is to confirm the business has a live status and a valid registered address.
2. Buy the Business Profile. At S$5.50 it shows the date of incorporation, the officers and the share capital; you can buy it as a guest, and ACRA says it arrives within 15 minutes.
3. Run the Insolvency Office corporate insolvency search. On the Ministry of Law e-services portal you can search by UEN or company number, winding-up reference number or company name. A public search does not need Singpass, and the fee is shown on the payment confirmation page before you pay.
4. Search the Government Gazette. On egazette.gov.sg, search the company’s registered name and any former names. Look for winding-up, liquidation and striking-off notices. The online archive runs from September 1998.
5. Check the hearing list. The courts’ online hearing list shows hearings for today and tomorrow by default, and you can change the date range and search by party name.
6. Check the small claims case search. The State Courts have said the case search in the Community Justice and Tribunals System (CJTS) lets the public check for pending claims or orders in Small Claims Tribunals and Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals matters without logging in.
7. Order a cause book search. This is how you find a court case when you do not know its case number. eLitigation subscribers search online; others go through the Service Bureau. Each search takes about 15 minutes and the report comes the same day.
8. Run individual insolvency searches on the directors. The Ministry of Law’s search shows whether a person is on the Debt Repayment Scheme, is an undischarged bankrupt, or was discharged in the past 5 years. It costs S$6 per search.
9. Decide whether to inspect a file. If the cause book search shows a live case that matters to your deal, a request to inspect goes to the Registrar with your reason.

What information and documents do you need for each search?

Most searches need exact identifiers; court inspections also need a reason.

What does each check miss?

Every source has a blind spot, so one search is not enough.

Two gaps catch people most: a voluntary winding up never appears in the corporate insolvency search, and an application filed but not yet advertised may show nowhere public. Our guide to court-ordered winding up explains the process those notices come from.

Has the 20 October 2026 change affected what ACRA records show?

Yes, for striking off. Under the second phase of the Corporate and Accounting Laws (Amendment) Act 2025, in force since 20 October 2026, an entity is dissolved on the date and at the time ACRA strikes its name off, and ACRA publishes that name, date and time in the Gazette. For striking-off applications made on or after 20 October 2026, the status changes to “Gazetted to be Struck Off” when the first Gazette notice is published, and interested parties have 60 days to object. Companies that applied before 20 October 2026 stay “Live” while the earlier process runs, so a “Live” status alone does not rule out a pending strike-off.

How long do the checks take, and what do they cost?

The online checks take minutes; a file inspection depends on the Registrar’s approval. Only official fees are shown.

Assumptions: cause book figures are eLitigation subscriber rates; Service Bureau users may pay its own charges on top. Costs grow with the number of courts, years and directors searched, and with any lawyer’s review. Court figures are from the Singapore Courts page on applying for court records.

What does a corporate secretary prepare, and what does a solicitor handle?

A corporate service provider (CSP) can run and record the public-register checks; reading court papers and advising on a live dispute is a lawyer’s work. Court proceedings, including supporting or opposing a winding-up application or filing a claim, are conducted by a Singapore Advocate and Solicitor.

What should you do if a search shows a winding-up application, a strike-off or a lawsuit?

Stop extending credit, keep the results, and get legal advice before any further payment or delivery.

• Application filed, not yet heard. Winding-up hearings are usually heard in open court on Fridays before a High Court judge, as the courts’ company winding up guide explains. A creditor who wants to support or oppose the application serves a Notice of Intention to Appear (Form CIR-15) under Rule 70 of the corporate insolvency rules.
• Winding-up order made. A liquidator, either the Official Receiver or a licensed insolvency practitioner, takes control. Unpaid creditors prove their debts with the liquidator rather than suing. If you also owe the company money, read our guide to insolvency set-off.
• Voluntary liquidation. The Gazette notice names the liquidator. Contact them with your claim.
• Gazetted to be struck off. If the company owes you money, you can object within the 60-day window after the first Gazette notice. Our guide to ACRA’s striking-off gazettes explains the notices. Companies involved in legal cases do not meet ACRA’s striking-off criteria; our Striking Off Eligibility Checker lists the others.
• Ordinary civil claim. A lawsuit is not an insolvency event; weigh the amount, the claimant and whether judgment has been entered. For wider reputation checks, see how to check whether a Singapore business is trustworthy.

What are the common mistakes in counterparty insolvency checks?

The most common mistake is treating a “Live” ACRA status as proof that nothing is wrong.

1. Relying on ACRA status alone. It reflects ACRA’s register, not pending court applications or lawsuits.
2. Assuming the corporate insolvency search covers every liquidation. It covers court winding up, not voluntary winding up.
3. Searching only the current name. Gazette notices and court records may sit under a former name.
4. Searching only one court. Claims are spread across the tribunals, the Magistrate’s Court, the District Court and the High Court according to size and type, so search the books that match your exposure.
5. Ignoring the directors. A director who is an undischarged bankrupt, or who appears in several wound-up companies, is a signal worth weighing.
6. Paying after a filing. Because a court winding up runs from the date of the application, money received after filing is at risk even before any order.

Frequently asked questions

Can I find out if a Singapore company has been sued without knowing the case number?

Yes. The courts direct you to a cause book search when you do not know the case number. The report identifies the case, and you can then ask the Registrar for permission to inspect.

Is the Insolvency Office corporate insolvency search enough on its own?

No. The Ministry of Law describes it as a search of companies compulsorily wound up by the court. Voluntary liquidations and applications that have not yet led to an order fall outside it, so combine it with the Gazette and Bizfile.

What does “Gazetted to be Struck Off” mean?

For striking-off applications made on or after 20 October 2026, ACRA changes the status to “Gazetted to be Struck Off” once the first Gazette notice is published. If no objection stops the process, the company is dissolved on the date and at the time stated in the final Gazette notice.

Can a corporate service provider run these checks for me?

Yes, for the public-register checks: Bizfile, the Insolvency Office, the Gazette, the hearing list and director insolvency searches. Where a result needs interpretation, instruct a Singapore law firm. Our sister site Singapore Secretary Services covers company secretarial support in more detail.

Last reviewed: 23 October 2026. The Editorial Team, Raffles Corporate Services.