Definition
A registered office address is the official legal address of a UK company or Limited Liability Partnership (LLP). It is the address that appears on the public Companies House register and is the address to which all statutory, legal, and government correspondence is sent.
Every company incorporated in England and Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland must maintain a registered office address in the same jurisdiction where it was incorporated. It cannot be a PO box — it must be a physical address capable of receiving mail.
Legal requirement
The requirement for a registered office address is established under the Companies Act 2006, specifically sections 86 to 88. Section 86 states that every company must at all times have a registered office to which any communications or notices may be addressed.
When a company is formed and registered at Companies House, the registered office address is declared as part of the incorporation documents. From that point, it is publicly visible on the Companies House register and must be kept up to date at all times.
The address must appear on all official company documents including business letters, emails, order forms, invoices, and the company website.
What mail gets sent to a registered office?
A wide range of statutory and official correspondence is directed to the registered office:
- HMRC correspondence — including Corporation Tax notices, VAT letters, PAYE notifications, and penalty notices
- Companies House reminders — including confirmation statement notices and filing deadline reminders
- Legal proceedings — court documents, statutory demands, and official notices served on the company
- Regulatory correspondence — from bodies such as the FCA, ICO, or other regulators relevant to your industry
Because of the nature of this correspondence, it is critical that any mail sent to the registered office is received promptly and acted upon. Missing a statutory deadline — such as a Companies House filing or an HMRC payment notice — can result in fines, penalties, or in serious cases, action against the company or its directors.
Consequences of an incorrect address
Failing to maintain a valid, monitored registered office address can have serious consequences:
- Important statutory notices may be missed, leading to missed deadlines and automatic penalties
- Legal documents may be served at the address — if undelivered, you may face judgments made in your absence
- Companies House may initiate compulsory strike-off proceedings if they cannot contact the company
- Directors may be held personally liable in some circumstances where the registered office was deliberately misused
How to change your registered office
A company can change its registered office at any time by filing form AD01 with Companies House. The new address must be in the same jurisdiction — for example, a company registered in England and Wales cannot move its registered office to Scotland.
Form AD01 can be filed online via the Companies House WebFiling service. The change is effective immediately upon filing and will be reflected on the public register within a few days. Until the change appears on the register, correspondence may still be sent to the old address, so it is important to monitor both during any transition.
You do not need to notify HMRC separately — Companies House shares updated address information with HMRC automatically.
Need a registered office address?
Use our London address to satisfy your Companies House legal requirement. All statutory mail received and notified the same day.