公司註冊處負責實施及執行《公司條例》與相關法例的規定。該處的主要職能是為本地及非香港公司（即在香港以外成立而在香港設立營業地點的公司）辦理註冊；為該處執行的各項條例所規定提交的法定申報表及文件辦理登記事宜；為公眾提供服務以查閱並取得法定登記冊所載的公司資料；撤銷不營運但有償債能力的公司的註冊；並就與公司法和相關法例、企業管治，以及關乎商界的有關政策、規管及立法問題，向政府提供意見。
The Companies Registry (“the Registry”) is responsible for administering and enforcing the provisions of the Companies Ordinance and related legislation. Its primary functions include the registration of local and non-Hong Kong companies (i.e. companies incorporated outside Hong Kong which have established a place of business in Hong Kong); the registration of statutory returns and documents required by the various ordinances administered by the Registry; the provision of services for members of the public to inspect and obtain company information held on the various statutory registers; the deregistration of defunct solvent companies; and advising the Government on policy, regulatory and legislative issues regarding company law and related legislation, corporate governance and other matters affecting the commercial sector.
截至2015年6月30日，登記冊上共有1 279 819 間本地公司，其中公眾公司佔611間，擔保公司佔12 477間，私人公司佔1 266 731間。以電子形式成立一間本地公司所需的時間少於1小時，而以印本形式則為四個工作日。在2015年6月30日，共有83個國家的9 850間非香港公司在香港註冊。註冊一間非香港公司所需的時間為13個工作日。
As at 30 June 2015, there were 1 279 819 local companies on the register comprising 611 public, 12 477 guarantee and 1 266 731 private companies. The time required for online registration of a new local company is less than one hour. It takes four working days for applications delivered in hard copy form. As at 30 June 2015, 9 850 non-Hong Kong companies from 83 countries were registered. The time required for the registration of a non-Hong Kong company is 13 working days.
在2015年1月1日至6月30日期間，公司註冊處共收到1 323 914份供登記的文件，其中最常見的是周年申報表、註冊辦事處地址、董事及公司秘書更改通知書。
From 1 January to 30 June 2015, a total of 1 323 914 documents were received for registration, of which the most common were annual returns and forms notifying changes of the address of registered office, directors and company secretaries.
公眾人士可登入該處的網上查冊中心（www.icris.cr.gov.hk），或前往該處位於香港金鐘道66號金鐘道政府合署13樓的公眾查冊中心，查閱註冊公司的最新資料以及所有登記文件的數碼影像。市民亦可以英文或中文查閱五種電腦化索引：公司名稱索引供成立新公司或更改公司名稱之用；文件索引記錄公司交付該處登記的文件；董事索引 載有一份註冊公司董事及備任董事擔任的所有董事職務一覽表；取消資格令紀錄冊記錄所有被法院取消擔任公司董事或其他資格的人士；押記登記冊則提供公司已登記的押記名單，以及每項押記的基本資料。
Members of the public can conduct searches on the current data of registered companies and digitised images of all registered documents at the Registry’s Cyber Search Centre (www.icris.cr.gov.hk), or at the Registry’s Public Search Centre on the 13th floor of the Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong. Searches on five computerised indices can be conducted in either English or Chinese: The company names index helps one with the incorporation of new companies or changing company names; the document index is a record of all documents companies delivered to the Registry for registration; the directors’ index provides a list of all the directorships held by the directors and reserve directors of registered companies; the register of disqualification orders provides a record of all persons disqualified by the court to act as company directors or other office bearers, and the register of charges provides a list of the registered charges of a company and basic information on each charge.
公司註冊處的電腦化資料庫可供查閱的資料範圍廣泛，包括公司的基本資料，例如成立日期、是否仍在登記冊上或正在辦理清盤手續，另加有關註冊辦事處地址（只適用於本地公司）、在香港主要營業地點的地址及獲授權代表的資料（只適用於註冊非香港公司）、股本結構、現任董事及備任董事（如有的話）的資料、公司秘書資料、接管人、經理人和清盤人的資料（如有的話），以及公司有否設定押記。
Information available on the Registry’s comprehensive computerised database includes basic company information such as the incorporation date and whether it is live or subject to winding up procedures together with additional information such as registered office address (for local companies), address of principal place of business in Hong Kong and particulars of authorized representatives (for registered non-Hong Kong companies), share capital, particulars of current director(s) and reserve director (if any), particulars of company secretary, particulars of receiver and manager and liquidators (if any), and a charges indicator.
公司註冊處是一個以營運基金形式運作的政府部門，即該處全部開支須由所得收入支付。公司註冊處處長是公司註冊處營運基金的總經理，負責管理和處理公司註冊處的事務，以達到該處所訂下的工作及財政目標。處長亦須就這些事務向財經事務及庫務局常任秘書長（財經事務）負責。營運基金的年報載有審計署署長就其帳目所作出的報告，年報每年均提交立法會省覽。
The Registry is a government department which operates on a trading fund basis; meaning that it is required to fund all its expenditure out of the revenue received. The Registrar of Companies is the General Manager of the Companies Registry Trading Fund. She is accountable to the Permanent Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Financial Services) for managing and operating the Registry’s business and achieving its performance targets and financial objectives. The trading fund’s annual report, containing the Director of Audit’s report on the accounts, is tabled in the Legislative Council each year.