To change your company’s registered office address, arrange a suitable replacement address and notify Companies House online or using form AD01. You must report the change within 14 days, but the new address only becomes official when Companies House registers it. Do not wait until your next confirmation statement.
The filing itself is straightforward. The important work is checking that the address qualifies, keeping official post accessible and updating the other records affected by the move.
1. Check that the new address meets the rules
Your new registered office must be a physical UK address in the correct jurisdiction. For example, a company incorporated in Scotland must keep its registered office in Scotland. A company registered in England and Wales can generally use an address in either England or Wales. Companies registered specifically as Welsh companies have additional requirements, so check their status before arranging a move into England.
The address must also be “appropriate”. This means:
- Documents delivered there should reach someone acting on the company’s behalf.
- Someone sending documents must be able to obtain acknowledgement of delivery.
- The arrangement must work in practice, rather than simply providing an address for the register.
You cannot use a PO Box or equivalent mailbox service as your registered office. An accountant’s address can qualify, provided you have permission and it meets the requirements.
Before paying for an address service, confirm the exact address, when you can start using it and how incoming post will reach you. Ask who handles urgent correspondence and what happens when the service ends.
2. Prepare the company details and approval
Have the following information ready:
- Your company’s full registered name and company number.
- The complete new address, including the postcode.
- Access to the relevant Companies House filing account.
- The company authentication code.
Check the company’s articles and follow its decision-making procedure. Keep a written record of the approval, including the agreed address and who will submit the filing. Where directors approve the change at a meeting, retain the minutes.
The company authentication code authorises online filings. It is different from an individual’s Companies House personal code used for identity verification. Follow any sign-in or identity checks requested by the service.
Check your access before leaving the old address. If you cannot access the registered office, Companies House provides a process for requesting the authentication code at a home address.
3. Submit the change to Companies House
Changing the address online
For a standard online filing:
- Sign in to the Companies House filing service.
- Select the correct company and authenticate access.
- Choose the registered office address change option.
- Enter the complete new address.
- Confirm that it is an appropriate address.
- Check the details carefully and submit.
Pay particular attention to building numbers, suite details and postcodes. An incomplete address can cause delivery problems even when the street name is correct.
Save the submission acknowledgement, then check that the filing has been accepted and the public register displays the intended address. A submission receipt alone does not prove that the change has taken effect.
Changing the address by post
For a paper application, complete form AD01 and send it to the address stated on the current form. Provide the company details, new address and required authentication.
Certain situations require paper filing, including companies in liquidation, companies applying for restoration and companies whose registered office has been moved to a Companies House default address. Follow the specific requirements for those circumstances.
4. Keep access to post at the old address
Do not cancel your existing mail arrangements immediately after submitting the change.
Documents can still be validly served at the previous registered office for 14 days beginning with the date Companies House registers the new address. Arrange forwarding or collection during that period, and consider a longer overlap for ordinary correspondence.
Agree the handover with your landlord, previous accountant or address provider. Confirm:
- Who will check for remaining post.
- How quickly they will notify you.
- Where documents should be forwarded.
- When the arrangement will finish.
Nominate someone within your company to monitor incoming correspondence during the move. A forwarding arrangement is only useful if the person receiving the documents knows who must act on them.
5. Review HMRC and other address records
Companies House tells HMRC when your registered office changes. However, this does not mean every contact address used by your business has been updated.
If your trading address or other business contact details also change, notify HMRC through the relevant process. Check the records used for Corporation Tax, VAT and PAYE, particularly where correspondence goes somewhere other than the registered office.
Also review directors’ service addresses, details for people with significant control and any separate records inspection address. A director’s service address recorded as “same as the registered office” can follow the change automatically; a separately entered address needs checking. The company’s registered email address is updated separately.
Tell your bank, insurer and relevant suppliers where their records need updating. Keep customer delivery and returns addresses clear if those remain different.
6. Update your website and business documents
Your registered office address must appear on business letters, order forms and your company website. Update these when the change takes effect.
Check website footers, contact pages, letterheads, quotation templates and email signatures. Review invoice and contract templates wherever they show the old registered office.
Search your document system for the previous postcode. This can uncover overlooked templates that would otherwise continue producing outdated correspondence.
If you use an address provider, make sure everyone preparing company documents uses the same approved address format. Interface Accountants’ registered office address service includes mail forwarding and submission of the address update to Companies House.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Does Companies House charge for changing a registered office?
No. Companies House does not charge a filing fee for changing the registered office address. An accountant or address provider may charge for its services.
2. Will changing the address remove my home address from old filings?
No. Updating the current address does not automatically remove it from historical documents. You can apply separately to remove an eligible home address. An active company must first replace it as the current registered office.
3. Can I use my home as the new registered office?
Yes, if it meets the address requirements. However, it will be publicly visible. Consider whether you are comfortable publishing it before submitting the change.
4. Can I change the registered office more than once?
Yes. You can change it whenever necessary, provided each replacement meets the requirements and you notify Companies House. Consider a stable address if your business premises change frequently.
5. Can an accountant submit the change for me?
Yes. An authorised accountant can handle the filing. Interface Accountants offers this support through its registered address service. Agree who will confirm acceptance and manage the mail handover.
Make the change work beyond the filing
A successful registered office change combines an accepted filing, reliable mail handling and accurate business records. Prepare the replacement address first, verify the update and complete the handover before closing old arrangements. For future moves, choosing an address you can retain as the business grows can reduce repeated administration and help keep official correspondence within reach.