In a Nutshell…
Wondering how to change address on Companies House? It’s done through the official ‘Find and Update Company Information Service’, using form AD01. Your new address must be an appropriate address, somewhere documents will reach a real person who can acknowledge them, and in the correct part of the UK. Leaving an outdated address on record risks missed HMRC correspondence and financial penalties. There’s no fee to change your registered office address. You’ll need your email address and authentication code, but the filing itself is free.
Moving or getting a new office is a big step; it’s exciting, and certainly something to shout about on LinkedIn. Changing your address on Companies House? Not quite as glamorous.
But if your business has moved, you’ve changed office, or you’re ready to stop using your home address, knowing how to change your address on Companies House is one of those jobs people put off – but you really shouldn’t.
Your registered office isn’t just a placeholder on the Companies House register. It’s your company’s official address; it’s publicly available, and it’s where any important legal documents can be sent.
Leave an old address on the register, and you’re creating more admin for yourself than the change itself would have taken. If HMRC or Companies House send something important to an address you’ve moved away from, you could miss it entirely – including a missed confirmation statement or filing deadline, which can escalate into strike-off action.
Separately, keeping your registered office at an inappropriate address is itself an offence. Under the penalty framework Companies House introduced through the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, the Registrar can fine a company or officer directly instead of pursuing prosecution:
Financial penalty amounts
| Offence Level | First Offence | Second Offence | Third Offence | Fourth or More Offence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minor Offence | £250 | £500 | £750 | £1,000 |
| Serious Offence | £500 | £750 | £1,000 | £1,500 |
| Very Serious Offence | £750 | £1,000 | £1,500 | £2,000 |
The maximum civil penalty for any single offence is £10,000, and if the same serious offence is repeated three times within five years, Companies House may pursue prosecution instead.
What Is a Companies House Registered Office Address?
The registered office address is simply the official address recorded against your company on the Companies House register. It’s where official correspondence and certain legal documents can be sent.
It’s also worth making a distinction between your registered office and your everyday business address.
Your registered office doesn’t necessarily have to be the place where you work every day. You could run your business from home, work remotely or use different premises while having a separate registered office address.
The important thing is that your registered office meets Companies House requirements.
It must be an appropriate address, which means documents sent there should be expected to reach a human who can act on behalf of the company, and the delivery can be acknowledged.
It also needs to be in the same part of the UK in which your company is registered. And there’s another important point: your registered office is public. Anyone can search the Companies House register and see the company’s registered office address; it’s useful when you’re checking a business, but it is something to think about if the address currently listed is your home.
What Counts as an Appropriate Address?
Before you start looking at how to change address on Companies House, you need to make sure the address you’re changing to is suitable.
Legally, an address is “appropriate” if, in the ordinary course of events, a document sent there would be expected to reach a person acting on behalf of the company, and delivery there can be acknowledged.
On top of that, Companies House applies a few further rules:
- It must be in the same part of the UK your company is registered in – England and Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland. You can’t move between jurisdictions; doing so would mean re-incorporating the company entirely.
- You must have permission to use the address.
- PO Boxes alone aren’t accepted – it must be a real, physical location.
A Step-by-Step Guide: How to Change Address on Companies House
So, once you’ve got an appropriate address, how do you change your address on Companies House? Thankfully, it’s a relatively simple process.
1. Go to Find and update company information
If you’ve searched for “Companies House Direct,” that service closed in November 2023 along with WebCheck. The official replacement – and the one to use – is the Find and update company information service.
Search for your company by name or company number, and check you’ve selected the right one before making any changes. This is the same register you’d use when checking a company.
2. Find your company
Search for your company using its name or company number.
You’ll be shown the relevant company information, so check that you’ve selected the right company before making any changes.
This is also the same register you may have used when checking a company.
3. Log in
You’ll need to log in to make the change. Companies House completed its move to GOV.UK One Login in October 2025, so WebFiling and the online filing service now require a One Login account alongside your company’s six-character authentication code.
Separately, if you’re a director or person with significant control, identity verification is now a legal requirement. Directors and PSCs appointed before 18 November 2025 have until 18 November 2026 to verify – after which you’ll be issued an 11-character personal code, distinct from your authentication code. It’s worth sorting this before it becomes urgent, since it can hold up other filings too.
If you’ve never dealt with Companies House before, don’t confuse this with incorporating a business. Registering a company on GOV.UK is a separate process from changing the registered office of an existing one.
4. Select the registered office address change
For a limited company, the relevant form is AD01. This is the filing used to tell Companies House that your company’s registered office has changed.
Note: AD01 is for limited companies only. If you’re changing the registered office of an LLP, you’ll need form LL AD01 instead.
5. Enter your new address
Enter the new registered office address carefully.
Before submitting it, check:
- You’ve entered the correct address.
- It’s in the correct part of the UK.
- It meets the appropriate address requirements.
- You have permission to use it.
It sounds obvious, but this is one of those jobs where checking the details twice is probably worthwhile.
6. Submit the change
Once you’ve checked everything, submit the change to Companies House. The change takes effect once Companies House has registered the notice.
Once the change has been approved, Companies House will notify HMRC, and that’s your address changed!
What Happens to Your Old Address?
Changing your registered office doesn’t mean your old address simply disappears from your company’s history – Companies House retains historical company information on the public register.
There’s also an important point to consider immediately after making the change: under section 87 of the Companies Act 2006, the change takes effect once the notice is registered, but for 14 days after that, documents can still be validly served at your previous registered office.
So don’t forget about your old address the moment you submit the form. Make sure important correspondence is redirected or dealt with during that window, especially if you’re moving away from a home address.
Changing Your Registered Office Doesn’t Mean Moving Office
Your registered office is the official address for your company. Your trading or working address can be somewhere else; that means you could:
- Work from home.
- Meet clients elsewhere.
- Use coworking spaces.
- Work remotely.
- Travel between different locations.
This is one reason professional registered office services can be useful for smaller businesses.
At Grosvenor House in Birmingham, businesses can use a professional registered office address without taking on a full-time traditional office. For a business that has outgrown its home address but doesn’t need permanent premises, it can be a practical middle ground.
Final Thoughts on How to Change Address on Companies House
Knowing how to change address on Companies House is useful, but choosing the right address in the first place is essential.
Your registered office needs to be appropriate; it needs to be in the correct part of the UK, and someone needs to be able to receive and deal with important correspondence sent there.
If you’re using your home address, there’s another question to consider: are you happy for your home address to be publicly associated with your company?
If the answer is no, you don’t need a full-time office to solve this. What you need is a registered office you can trust to actually do its job – reliably capture your mail, tell you when it matters, and keep your home address off the public record.
That’s exactly what Grosvenor House offers. Our registered office service in Birmingham gives your company a professional, permanent address without the overhead of a physical office – so you can run your business from home, a co-working space, or anywhere else, while your official correspondence is handled properly and on time. If you’re ready to stop using your home address, or your business has simply outgrown it, get in touch with Grosvenor House to set up your registered office address today.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to change my address on Companies House?
Once submitted, the change takes effect as soon as Companies House registers the notice. Processing times can vary, so it’s worth allowing a short window before treating the change as final.
Do I need to tell HMRC separately?
Not for corporation tax – once Companies House registers the change, they notify HMRC on your behalf for that. But if you’re VAT-registered, run PAYE, or deal with any other HMRC scheme, you’ll need to update those separately; Companies House only passes on the corporation tax record.
What happens if Companies House decides my address isn’t appropriate?
If Companies House finds your registered office isn’t an appropriate address, it can change it to a default address it holds itself. That starts a clock: if you don’t move to a valid address within the period given, the company can be struck off the register.
Can I use my home address as my registered office?
Yes, as long as it meets the appropriate address requirements. Bear in mind it will then be publicly visible on the Companies House register.
What happens to documents sent to my old address after I change it?
Documents can still be validly served at your previous registered office for a period after the change is registered, so it’s worth keeping an eye on the old address or arranging redirection while the change goes through.
Can I change my registered office without moving my business?
Yes. Your registered office is separate from your trading address, so you can update it without changing where you actually work.
Important information
This article is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal, tax, or professional advice. Companies House requirements, forms, and penalty frameworks can change, and the consequences of getting your registered office wrong – including fines, missed statutory correspondence, or strike-off action – will depend on your company’s specific circumstances. Before making any changes, we recommend checking the current guidance on GOV.UK or speaking to a solicitor or accountant. Grosvenor House is not affiliated with Companies House or HMRC. All information was accurate at the time of publishing (September 2026) but should be independently verified before you rely on it.