Companies House maintains data about all UK limited companies, including the home addresses of company directors. The ‘service address’ concept affords privacy to individuals who wish to keep their residential address private.
For example, if you use your home address as both your registered office and service address, it will appear on the public record. Most contractors avoid this by using their accountant or a third-party address instead.
- What a service address is (and why it exists)
- Who must provide one
- Whether it has to be UK-based
- How to change or remove an address
What is a service (correspondence) address?
In October 2009, as part of the widespread reforms introduced by the Companies Act 2006, the Government introduced a new requirement for directors and certain other individuals to provide two addresses.
- a usual residential address
- a correspondence address, known as a ‘service address’
Importantly, only the service address appears on the searchable public record, protecting your residential address, if this is required.
You must still provide Companies House with your home address (for use by credit reference agencies and certain authorities such as the police), but only your service address will appear online.
Does a service address have to be a real physical address?
According to the legislation:
a “service address”, in relation to a person, means an address at which documents may be effectively served on that person.
So, it must be a physical address where official paperwork can be delivered.
Does a service address have to be in the UK?
No. While a limited company’s registered office must be in the UK, a director’s service address can be overseas.
Who has to provide a service address?
You have to provide Companies House with a service address (as well as your residential address, if different) if you are:
- a company director
- a company secretary
- a member of an LLP
- a Person with Significant Control (PSC)
- a subscriber (i.e. a shareholder or guarantor)
Can I change my service address?
Yes — you can update it at any time.
Simply inform Companies House of the change within 14 days. You can do this online (WebFiling) or use form CH01 if you’re a limited company director.
What about my company’s registered office address?
Your company’s registered office address is a separate piece of information; it may be the same as your usual residential address, your service address, or another completely different address.
If you’re just setting up, see our guide to forming a limited company.
Many contractors use a third party to provide their registered office and service addresses for directors (see below).
Using a third party address service to provide privacy
Yes, there are various options available to company owners, such as:
- You use your accountant’s address (a popular option). This service might be included in their monthly fee or for a modest monthly charge.
- You use your company formation agent’s redirection service (all official post is scanned to your email).
For obvious reasons, many contractors choose to keep both their registered office and service addresses separate from their home address.
Can I remove my home address from previous filings?
Yes, if you’ve provided your home address previously, you can apply as an individual to have this data updated on the public record, thanks to the Companies (Disclosure of Address) (Amendment) Regulations 2018
It costs £30 to update your home address for each document you select using the SR01 application form.
However:
- Companies House may only partially remove addresses in some cases
- You cannot change your company’s registered office address retrospectively
Find out more here.
Common questions
Can I use a PO Box as a service address?
No — it must be a physical address where documents can be delivered.
Can my accountant act as my service address?
Yes. This is one of the most common options for contractors and is often included in the monthly fee.
Is it free to change my service address?
Yes. Updating your service address with Companies House is free, as long as it’s done correctly.
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