What a registered office address is
Every UK company must have a registered office. It is the address the law uses to reach the company. Under the Companies Act 2006, a document may be served on a company by leaving it at, or posting it to, the registered office. Companies House describes it as the address for receiving statutory mail and legal documents, and for storing the company's documents and registers for inspection.
The registered office does not have to be where you work. Many companies trade from a home office, a shop or another country and use a separate address for the register. What matters is that the address meets the rules and that someone deals with the post that arrives there.
The rules since 4 March 2024
The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 tightened the rules. GOV.UK says the registered office must be:
- a physical address in the UK
- in the same part of the UK where the company is registered: England and Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland
- an address where post will come to the attention of someone acting for the company
- an address where the sender can get confirmation of delivery
Royal Mail PO Boxes, and similar services from other companies, can no longer be used. You can use an accountant's, solicitor's or formation agent's address if it meets these rules and you have their permission.
If Companies House decides an address is not appropriate, it can change the registered office to a default address held at Companies House. The company then has 28 days to provide an appropriate address with evidence, or it may be struck off.
What mail goes to the registered office
- Companies House letters, including reminders, queries and compliance notices
- HMRC letters, including the company's Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) after incorporation and notices to file a Company Tax Return
- Legal documents, such as court claims, which can be validly served there
- Other official post from government bodies and regulators
Because legal documents count as served once they reach the registered office, unread post there can cost you. A claim can go ahead, or a deadline can pass, without anyone at the company knowing. That is why the address must be one where someone actually handles the mail.
Using your home address
You can use your home as the registered office if it meets the rules. The drawbacks are privacy and permanence. The address is published on the register, and a Companies House blog notes that previous registered office addresses stay on the public register for the life of the company and 20 years after it is dissolved. If you rent or have a mortgage, check whether your agreement restricts business use of the property.
Directors have a separate address on the register, the service address. If privacy is the concern, use a director service address as well, because a service address on its own does not hide a home address used as the registered office.
What is included
- A UK registered office address that meets the appropriate address rules, for 12 months
- Written permission to use the address, so you can give it to Companies House
- Receipt of official mail from Companies House, HMRC, courts and government bodies
- Scanned copies of official mail uploaded to your portal, with an email alert
- Filing the change of registered office with Companies House, if you are moving an existing company to our address
- A renewal reminder before the 12 months end
Not included
- General business mail, parcels or a trading address. See our business address options or ask before you order.
- A director service address. That is a separate service.
- Replying to letters or dealing with HMRC on your behalf. We tell you what arrived; you or your accountant act on it.
We confirm the exact address, and which UK jurisdiction it serves, before you pay. An address in England can only be used by a company registered in England and Wales.
Government fees
| Filing | Fee |
|---|---|
| Change of registered office (online, or form AD01 on paper) | No fee listed in the Companies House fee schedule |
| Incorporation, if you are forming a new company with our address | £100 online |
| Removing an old home address from filed documents (SR01) | £34 per document |
How it works
- Order. Choose the registered office service on its own or with a company formation.
- Identity checks. Upload ID and proof of address for the directors and main shareholders through your portal.
- Review. Our filing team checks the documents and confirms your address.
- Filing. For a new company, the address goes into the incorporation application. For an existing company, we file the change of registered office once you approve it.
- Mail handling. Official post is scanned and uploaded to your portal, and you get an email when something arrives.
- Renewal. We remind you before the year ends so the address never lapses.
What we need from you
- Company name and number (if the company already exists)
- Passport or other photo ID for each director and anyone who owns more than 25%
- Recent proof of home address for the same people
- A short description of the business
Registered office providers are trust or company service providers under the Money Laundering Regulations 2017, so these identity checks are a legal requirement for the provider, not a formality.
Registered office address in London
A London address has no legal advantage. Any appropriate address in England or Wales works for a company registered in England and Wales. Founders choose London mainly for how it looks on invoices and the public register. A company registered in Scotland needs a Scottish address, and one registered in Northern Ireland needs an address there, wherever the owners live.
Virtual office vs registered office
A registered office is a legal address for the company's statutory post. A virtual office is a commercial product that usually adds a trading address for your website and letterhead, mail forwarding for all post, and sometimes phone answering or meeting rooms. Some virtual office addresses can also be the registered office, but the two are not the same thing. If you only need to meet the Companies House rule and receive official letters, a registered office service is enough.
Changing your registered office
You can change the registered office online using your company authentication code. The paper form AD01 is only for companies defaulted to the Companies House address, in liquidation, being restored to the register, or unregistered companies. The notice must include a statement that the new address is appropriate.
- The change takes effect when Companies House registers it.
- For 14 days after that, documents can still be validly served at the old address, so keep watching it.
- The new address must be in the same part of the UK where the company was registered.
- Companies House tells HMRC about the change, so you do not have to update HMRC separately.
Doing it yourself vs using us
If you have an address you are allowed to use, that meets the rules, and where someone reliably opens the post, you do not need a paid service. Using your own address costs nothing. A service makes sense when you want your home off the register, you live outside the UK, or you move often. You can see the price on the order card below and on our pricing page, or bundle it with formation in the UK Ltd starter bundle. Renewal is part of our UK annual compliance plan.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Set up a private limited company, company address
- legislation.gov.uk: Companies Act 2006, section 1139
- legislation.gov.uk: Companies Act 2006, section 87
- Companies House blog: How to choose or change your company's registered office address
- Companies House: Improving the quality of data on our registers
- GOV.UK: Find your UTR number
- Companies House: Companies House fees
- Companies House: Change a company's registered office address (AD01)
- GOV.UK: Make changes to your private limited company, company address
- legislation.gov.uk: Money Laundering Regulations 2017, regulation 12
Fees, deadlines and rules on this page were last checked on 27 September 2026.