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August 27, 2026
Does a UK Limited Company Need a Registered Office Address?
Yes. Every UK limited company must have an appropriate registered office address from the date it is incorporated and throughout its existence.
The registered office is the company’s official legal address. It is recorded at Companies House and used for receiving government correspondence, legal notices and other official documents.
A limited company is a separate legal entity. It therefore needs an official address where documents can be delivered to it.
The registered office may receive correspondence from:
The company’s directors are responsible for ensuring that documents delivered to this address are received and handled promptly.
The address must be:
Companies House describes this as an appropriate address.
A Royal Mail PO Box—or a similar mailbox-only service—cannot be used as a company’s registered office.
The current rules are explained in the official Companies House address guidance.
Yes. The registered office must remain in the company’s jurisdiction of incorporation.
The relevant jurisdictions are:
For example, a company incorporated in Scotland must maintain a registered office in Scotland. It cannot move its registered office to England without changing the company’s legal structure through another appropriate process.
No. The company does not have to own or rent the property.
It may use:
The address must satisfy the legal requirements and the company must be authorised to use it.
Yes. A director or shareholder’s home can be used if it is an appropriate physical address in the correct UK jurisdiction.
However, the address will appear on the public Companies House register. Previous registered office addresses may also remain visible in the company’s filing history after an address is changed.
Anyone who does not want their residential address made public should consider using a professional address service.
A non-UK resident can form and own a UK limited company, but the company must still have an appropriate registered office in the relevant UK jurisdiction.
The director does not have to live at the address. A non-resident owner can use an authorised registered-office provider, accountant, solicitor or formation agent.
The service should reliably receive and forward all official company correspondence.
Yes, provided the service supplies a genuine physical address that meets the appropriate-address requirements.
The provider should:
A service that supplies only a PO Box or does not reliably handle correspondence may not qualify.
Yes. The registered office appears on the public Companies House register.
It may also need to appear on company communications, including:
The company should therefore choose an address suitable for public disclosure.
Not necessarily.
The registered office is the company’s official legal address. A trading address is where the company carries out its business.
A company may:
The company does not need to conduct business or meet customers at its registered office.
No.
A director normally provides:
The director’s service address may be the same as the company’s registered office, but it does not have to be.
The director’s residential address is generally kept on a private Companies House register unless it is also used as a public address.
Yes. A company must provide an appropriate registered email address to Companies House.
The email address:
The company must maintain both.
Yes. The company can change its registered office at any time, provided the new address:
The company must notify Companies House, normally within 14 days. The new address does not officially take effect until Companies House registers it.
If the registered office does not meet the legal requirements, Companies House may change it to a default address.
The company may then have to provide:
If the company does not correct the position within the required period, it could face:
No. An appropriate registered office must be supplied as part of the incorporation application.
Companies House will not normally incorporate the company without an acceptable address.
Before using an address, confirm that:
Every UK limited company must maintain an appropriate registered office address. It must be a physical address in the company’s jurisdiction of incorporation where official correspondence can be received and acknowledged.
The company may use a home, business premises or professional address provider. However, the address is publicly available, so directors and shareholders should consider privacy before using a residential address.
This article provides general information and does not constitute legal advice.
