Which details, and which are public
Companies House holds two addresses for each director, and treats them very differently.
| Detail | What it is | Public? |
|---|---|---|
| Service address | Where official post for the director goes. It can be the company’s registered office. | Yes |
| Home address | Where the director actually lives | No, as long as a separate service address is given |
| Name | Including a change after marriage or by deed poll | Yes |
| Nationality and country of residence | As at the date of the change | Yes |
| Date of birth | Never changes; used to identify the director | Month and year only |
If a director moves house but their service address is the registered office, only the private home address changes. If they used their home as their service address, both change, and the new home address becomes public. That’s a good moment to switch the service address to the registered office instead.
The 14 days
Report within 14 days of the change1. Use the date the change actually happened: the day they moved, or the date of the marriage or deed poll. Companies House identifies an existing director on the form by their full date of birth, not their name alone, so have it to hand.
Since 18 November 2025 directors no longer give a business occupation2, so there’s nothing to report if a director changes job.
Name changes and identity verification
A director’s personal code is personal to them, not to any company, and they use the same code for every role they hold3. Updating their name on the register doesn’t change the code. If a director has lost theirs, read where to find your personal code.
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.
If the director is also a PSC
Many directors of small companies are also its person with significant control. Their PSC entry is a separate record at Companies House: when their name or address changes, the PSC details need updating as well as the director’s. The same 14 days applies to changes to a PSC’s personal details1.
When it isn’t the director’s details
If the company’s own address is changing, that’s a registered office change, not a director’s: read registered office address rules. If someone is joining or leaving the board, read adding a new director or when a director leaves.
Filing the change
Fileyear’s director details update picks the director from the register, asks for their date of birth and only what changed, and files form CH01, or CH02 when a company is the director. Anything you leave blank is not sent.