What counts as an appropriate address
The law asks more of a registered office than being somewhere on paper. Section 86 says a company “must ensure that its registered office is at all times at an appropriate address”, and it defines that in two parts1:
- a document addressed to the company and delivered there by hand or by post would be expected to come to the attention of someone acting for the company; and
- delivery there can be recorded by getting an acknowledgement of delivery.
That second part is why a PO box alone fails: nobody can sign for a letter at a box. A home address, an office, or a registered office service at a real building can all meet the test, as long as post really does reach the company. Since 4 March 2024, the notice changing the address must also include a statement that the new one is appropriate2.
Staying in the same part of the UK
A company registered in England and Wales keeps its registered office in England and Wales, a Scottish company in Scotland, and a Northern Irish company in Northern Ireland. The new address “must be in the same part of the UK that the company was registered”3.
When the move takes effect
The change happens when Companies House registers your notice2. Two rules soften the switch-over:
| Rule | What it means |
|---|---|
| 14 days of overlap | For 14 days after the change is registered, a document can still be validly served on the company at the old address2. |
| Records and stationery | Where you must keep records at the registered office or show it on documents, you can switch to the new address on any date you choose, as long as it is within 14 days of giving notice2. |
So keep collecting post from the old address for at least two weeks after the register changes, and don’t cancel a mail-forwarding service on the day you file.
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.
Before you file
You’ll need the company’s authentication code to file online. Companies House posts a replacement to the registered office, so if you have lost it, request one before you leave the old address: it can take up to 10 working days to arrive4.
If the company also keeps its records at a separate inspection address, that address doesn’t change when the registered office does. Read an inspection address for your company records if you use one.
Who else to tell
Companies House and HMRC keep separate records, and HMRC wants to know when the company’s business contact details or trading address change3. Update your bank, insurers, letterheads, invoices and website too, since the registered office is one of the details a company shows on its documents.
Filing the change
Fileyear’s registered office change asks for the new address, has you confirm it is an appropriate address under section 86, and files form AD01 with Companies House. Companies House’s fee list has no fee for this change5.