Compliance
How to file your first confirmation statement
Filing your first confirmation statement? Follow a practical checklist covering company details, identity verification, filing fees and acceptance checks.
Registered Office Address: What It Is and What Address You Can Use
Learn what a registered office address is, Companies House requirements, whether you can use your home address and the alternatives available.
By Hugo Brooks27 September 20265 min read
Every UK limited company needs a registered office address. It's the company's official address and the place where Companies House, HMRC and other government bodies can send formal correspondence. You need to provide one when you register your company and, importantly, it will appear on the public Companies House register.
That last point makes choosing the right address particularly important if you're starting a business from home.
What is a registered office address?
A registered office is the official legal address of a limited company. It isn't necessarily where you actually work. You might run your company from home, a co-working space or entirely remotely while using a different address as your registered office.
The important thing is that the address meets Companies House requirements and official correspondence can reliably reach the company.
What are the registered office address requirements?
Choose a physical address in the part of the UK where your company is registered. For example, a company registered in Scotland needs a Scottish address. A company registered in England and Wales can use an address in either England or Wales.
The address must also be appropriate. In practice, someone acting for the company must be made aware of post delivered there, and the sender must be able to obtain confirmation of delivery. You cannot use a Royal Mail PO Box or a similar PO Box service.
You’ll also provide a registered email address when you incorporate. Companies House uses it to contact your company and keeps it off the public register.
How to Register a Limited Company in the UK
What address can you use for a limited company?
Option | What to check before you use it |
|---|---|
Your home | Make sure it meets the address requirements and you’re comfortable with it appearing on the public register. If you rent, check your tenancy terms and any permissions you need. |
Your business premises | Confirm you can use the address and someone will reliably pick up or receive official post. |
An accountant or solicitor | Ask for permission and check what the service costs and how quickly they’ll pass on official letters. |
A coworking space | Check that your membership explicitly includes registered office use and how the team handles deliveries. |
A registered office service | Check the company jurisdictions it covers, which mail it accepts, the renewal price and whether a director’s service address is available separately. |
Can I use my home address as my registered office?
Yes, provided it meets Companies House requirements.
For many founders, it's the obvious option. If you're starting a company from your kitchen table, you might wonder why you need another address. The trade-off is privacy. Using your home as your registered office means putting that address on the public Companies House register.
Get a London registered office and digital mailbox
If your company is registered in England and Wales, you can use FOUNDRS’s London address as its registered office. Official mail is scanned and sent to your FOUNDRS account and email inbox within one business day. The service costs £60 upfront for the first six months, then £15 a month.
You can choose the address when forming your company with FOUNDRS. If your company already exists, FOUNDRS can file the registered office change for you.
Get a London registered office and digital mailbox
Registered office, trading address and director’s address
Address | What it’s used for |
|---|---|
Registered office | The company’s official address for formal correspondence. It appears on the public register. |
Trading address | Where the company does business or deals with customers. It can be different from the registered office. |
Director’s service address | The public correspondence address for an individual director. Check whether your provider includes it or charges separately. |
Director’s usual residential address | The director’s home address supplied separately to Companies House. It is generally kept off the public register unless the same address is also used in a public role, such as the registered office or service address. |
Do I need a registered office before forming my company?
Yes. You'll need to provide the registered office address as part of your incorporation application. That means it is worth deciding whether you're comfortable using your home address before submitting your registration.
You'll also need to decide your company name, director, shareholders, share structure and SIC code.
Is Your Company Name Available? How to Check Before You Register Understanding Shareholders and Share Structure in a UK Limited Company How to Register a Limited Company in the UK
Can I change my registered office later?
Yes. Companies can change their registered office and notify Companies House and you can do this through FOUNDRS.
The new address must remain within the relevant jurisdiction of registration. Remember, however, that changing your address later is not the same as ensuring a home address never appeared publicly in the first place.
What happens if Companies House can't contact me?
Don't treat your registered office as an address you can simply set and forget. Companies House requires companies to maintain an appropriate registered office. Whatever address you choose, make sure someone is actually monitoring the correspondence.
This is one reason digital mail handling can be useful: FOUNDRS can receive company mail at its registered office service and scan it into your account, rather than leaving official correspondence dependent on you checking a second physical location.
Choosing your registered office is one of the decisions involved in forming a limited company. FOUNDRS guides you through your company name, registered address, directors, shareholders, share structure and SIC code before filing your application with Companies House.
About FOUNDRS
FOUNDRS is a registered Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), authorised to provide Companies House services including identity verification. We help UK founders form and manage limited companies.
