Director Service Address: Keep Your Home Address Private

Quick answer

A director service address is the correspondence address shown for a director on the public Companies House register. Your home (usual residential) address is also filed, but kept on a private register. Using a separate service address keeps your home off the public record. It can be the registered office or another address, and people with significant control give one too.

What a director service address is

Every director gives Companies House two addresses. The service address is the public one. Companies House guidance describes it as an address a director can use to receive communications from third parties about the company. It can be the same as the director's home, the company's registered office, or somewhere different.

The service address has legal weight. Under the Companies Act 2006, documents may be served on a director by leaving them at, or posting them to, the address shown on the public register. So whatever address you give must be one where post reaches you.

Service address vs residential address

Point	Service address	Usual residential address
Purpose	Correspondence and legal documents about the company	Where you actually live
On the public register?	Yes	No, it is kept on a private register
Who can see it	Anyone searching the register	Credit reference agencies and specified public authorities, such as the police
Can it be the registered office?	Yes	Only if you live there

If you give your home as your service address, your home becomes public. That is the main reason directors use a separate service address.

What appears on the public register

For each director, the public register shows their name, service address, nationality, occupation and the month and year of birth. For directors appointed after 10 October 2015, only the month and year of birth are shown, according to a Companies House blog. The full date of birth and the home address stay on the private register.

The register also keeps history. Past appointments and old filings stay visible, so an address used in the past can still be found even after you change it. That is why it pays to choose a service address before you form the company.

Protecting your home address

For a new company

Give a service address that is not your home, and do not use your home as the registered office. Your home address is then only on the private register from day one. Both addresses can be set up at the same time as your company formation.

For an existing company

Change your service address to a new one. Companies House does not list a fee for this.
If your home is the registered office, change that too. Companies House cannot remove a home address that is still the current registered office.
Apply to remove your home address from documents already filed, using form SR01. It costs £34 per document, and you must list each document.

Companies House shares residential addresses with credit reference agencies. You can apply to stop this only if you are at risk of violence or intimidation because of the company's work, with evidence. That application costs £100.

Rules for people with significant control

People with significant control (PSCs), such as anyone holding more than 25% of the shares or votes, give Companies House the same two addresses. The PSC guidance says the service address is disclosed publicly and the home address is kept confidential. The register also shows how the PSC controls the company, for example "more than 25% but not more than 50%" of the shares.

Changes to a PSC's details, including a new address, must be reported within 14 days.
PSCs must also verify their identity with Companies House. Our identity verification guide explains when.
A director who is also a PSC can use the same service address for both roles.

What is included

A UK service address for one director or PSC, for 12 months
Permission to use the address on the Companies House register
Receipt of official mail addressed to you at that address, scanned to your portal with an email alert
Filing the change of service address for an existing director or PSC, once you approve it
A renewal reminder before the 12 months end

Not included

SR01 applications to remove your home address from old documents. We can explain which documents to list, but the £34 per document fee is paid to Companies House.
Personal mail, parcels or a trading address.
Replying to letters or legal documents. Get legal advice if you receive court papers.

Government fees

From the Companies House fee schedule and the personal details guidance:

Filing	Fee
Change a director's details (online, or form CH01)	No fee listed
Change a PSC's details (online, or form PSC04)	No fee listed
Remove a home address from a filed document (SR01)	£34 per document
Stop your home address going to credit reference agencies	£100

How it works

Order. Choose one service address per director or PSC, on its own or with a formation.
Identity checks. Upload ID and proof of home address through your portal.
Review. Our filing team checks the documents and confirms the address you will use.
Filing. For a new company, the address goes into the incorporation application. For an existing company, we file the change for you to approve.
Mail handling. Official post for you at the address is scanned into your portal.
Renewal. We remind you before the year ends. If you stop the service, you must give Companies House a new service address.

What we need from you

Company name and number, if the company already exists
Your full name as it appears on the register
Passport or other photo ID and recent proof of home address
Whether you are a director, a PSC, or both

Address providers are trust or company service providers under the Money Laundering Regulations 2017, which is why we ask for ID and proof of address.

Changing a service address

You must tell Companies House within 14 days when a director's or PSC's details change, including a new address. Most changes are made through the online service; the paper forms are CH01 for directors and PSC04 for PSCs. For 14 days after the change is registered, documents can still be validly served at the old address, so keep an eye on it during that time.

Doing it yourself vs using us

You can use any address where you reliably receive post, such as a business premises you control or your accountant's office with permission, and it costs nothing. A paid service helps when you have no suitable address other than your home, or when you live abroad and want official post handled in the UK. See prices on our pricing page or start your order. Non-resident founders often combine it with formation for non-residents.

Sources

Fees, deadlines and rules on this page were last checked on 27 September 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is a director service address the same as a registered office address?

No. The registered office is the company’s official address. The service address is the director’s public correspondence address. They can be the same address, but each has its own place on the register.

Can I use my home address as my service address?

Yes, but it will then appear on the public register. If you want your home kept private, give a different service address and keep your home on the private register only.

Can I remove my home address from documents already filed?

Yes, by applying on form SR01. It costs £34 for each document, and you need to list the documents. Change your service address first, and your registered office too if it is your home.

Does each director need their own service address?

Each director must give a service address, but several directors can use the same one, such as the registered office. With our service, each director or PSC who wants our address needs their own subscription so mail is matched to the right person.

Will a service address hide my home address from credit checks?

No. Companies House shares residential addresses with credit reference agencies. You can apply to stop this only if you are at risk of violence or intimidation because of the company’s work, and the application costs £100.

What happens to my service address if I resign as a director?

The appointment is marked as ended, but your past details stay on the register as part of the company’s history. That is one reason to use a service address, rather than your home, from the start.