What Companies House holds about a secretary
| Detail | What it is |
|---|---|
| Name | Forename and surname, or a title for a peer or someone usually known by one2 |
| Former names | Names used for business purposes, except those changed before 16 or not used for 20 years2 |
| Service address | Where official post for the secretary goes; it can be the registered office2 |
A secretary has less on the register than a director: no home address, no date of birth, no nationality. So most changes are one of two things: a new surname, after marriage or by deed poll, or a new service address.
The 14 days
The notice must be given within 14 days, beginning with the day the change occurs, and must give the date of the change1. Use the actual date: the day the secretary moved, or the date of the marriage or deed poll.
A worked example
A secretary who uses their home as the service address moves on 5 February 2027. The 14 days begin that day, so Companies House must be told by 18 February 20271. If the secretary would rather their new home stayed off the public record, this is the time to give the company’s registered office as the service address instead2.
Check your company’s dates and set a reminder
Search the Companies House register. Your company page shows its filing dates, what to file next and a reminder you can set.
When the secretary is a company
A company or firm can act as secretary. Its details change in the same way, when it changes its name or its registered office, and are reported on its own form, CH04, rather than CH034.
When it’s a different filing
If the secretary is leaving rather than changing their details, read when a company secretary leaves. Since companies no longer keep their own register of secretaries5, only the Companies House record needs updating: read whether a company needs a secretary for the wider rules.
Filing the change
Fileyear’s secretary details update picks the secretary from the register, asks only what changed and the date it changed, and files form CH03, or CH04 when the secretary is a company. Anything you leave blank is not sent.