How to Change a Registered Office Address with Companies House

It's one of the quickest filings a director will ever make, but the rules about what counts as an acceptable address tightened under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act. Get it wrong and Companies House can move your company to its own default address and start strike-off action.

Here's the process, the address rules and the privacy point most small business owners only think about after their home address is already public.

How to change the address online

1. Find your company authentication code. GOV.UK says you can ask for it to be sent to your home address if you can't get to the registered office.
2. Sign in to the Companies House online service and choose to change the registered office address (AD01).
3. Enter the new address and check it meets the rules below.
4. Submit the change. Companies House says you must tell it within 14 days of the change taking place.
5. Update everywhere else that shows the address: your website, emails, letterhead, invoices and HMRC records.

You'll need a paper form instead if the company has been moved to the Companies House default address, according to the AD01 page.

What counts as a valid registered office address

Rule	What GOV.UK says
Physical address in the UK	Required. Directors can live abroad, but the company needs a UK registered office
Same country as registration	A company registered in Scotland needs a registered office in Scotland
Appropriate address	Documents sent there should reach someone acting for the company, and delivery can be confirmed
PO boxes	No longer allowed, including similar services from other companies
Accountant or solicitor address	Allowed if it meets all the same requirements and you have permission

The catch: Companies House can move you to a default address

This is the bit people miss. The Companies House blog says that when it identifies an inappropriate registered office address, it'll change it to a default address held at Companies House. The company then has 28 days to provide an appropriate address with evidence of a link to it. If that evidence doesn't arrive, Companies House starts the process to strike the company off the register.

So an old PO box or a virtual address that doesn't meet the rules isn't just untidy. It can put the company itself at risk.

Keeping your home address private

GOV.UK warns that if you use your home address as the registered office, it'll be available to the public. It suggests using a different address instead, such as an accountant's or solicitor's (with their permission), or appointing an agent that provides an address service.

If you already registered with your home address, changing the registered office stops it being the current public address going forward. Older filings may still show it, and there's a separate GOV.UK process to ask Companies House not to publish an address in some cases.

Other changes that often go with a move

• Registered email address: since 4 March 2024 every company must give Companies House a registered email address, which isn't published.
• Directors' service addresses: these are separate from the registered office and are also public.
• Identity verification: GOV.UK now asks directors and people with significant control to verify their identity and use a personal code for filings. My guide to Companies House identity verification explains the steps.
• Your next confirmation statement: check the address there too. See my confirmation statement guide.

Registered office versus other company addresses

A company can end up with several addresses on public record, and mixing them up is common. The registered office is the official address for legal post and documents from Companies House and HMRC. A director's service address is where that director can be contacted, and it's also public. Your trading address, where you meet customers or run the business day to day, doesn't have to be either of those.

GOV.UK also reminds new companies to check the registered office is correct before setting up for Corporation Tax, because that's where HMRC sends its letters, including activation codes. So if you're moving the registered office, expect HMRC post to follow the new address once the change is filed.

Why the 14 days matters

Companies House sends reminders and important letters to the registered office. Its own blog noted that its post room had over 500,000 pieces of returned mail in 2016. Miss a reminder about accounts and a late filing penalty can follow, so file the change as soon as you move.

My verdict

Change the address online the same day you move, and use the moment to check you're not on a PO box or an address that fails the new rules. If you work from home, don't put your home on the public register: an accountant's address or an address service is worth it for the privacy alone. Setting up a new company instead? My guide on how to register a company in the UK covers the address rules from day one. For anything unusual, such as a company already moved to the default address, speak to your accountant.

Frequently asked questions

How do I change my registered office address with Companies House?

Use the Companies House online service to file the change (form AD01). You'll need your company authentication code.

How long do I get to tell Companies House about a new address?

Companies House says you must tell it within 14 days of the change taking place.

Can I use a PO box as a registered office address?

No. Since 4 March 2024 you can't use a Royal Mail PO box or similar service as a registered office address.

Can I use my accountant's address as my registered office?

Yes, if you have their permission and the address meets all the rules for an appropriate address.

What happens if my registered office address isn't appropriate?

Companies House can move the company to a default address. You then have 28 days to give an appropriate address with evidence, or it starts the strike-off process.