What is a registered office address?
By DormantFile · Updated 28 March 2026
A registered office address is the official address of a UK limited company. Every company incorporated in England, Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland is legally required to have one. It is the address where official correspondence is sent and it appears on the public Companies House register.
What it is used for
The registered office address is where your company receives:
- Official letters from Companies House (including authentication codes)
- Correspondence from HMRC
- Legal documents and statutory notices
- Any formal communication addressed to the company
It is also the address displayed on the public register, which means anyone — customers, suppliers, creditors — can see it by searching for your company on Companies House.
It must be a physical address
The registered office must be a physical address in the same part of the UK where the company is registered (England and Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland). It cannot be a PO Box. Many directors use their home address, though some prefer to use a registered office service for privacy — since the address is fully public.
Why it matters for dormant companies
Even if your company is dormant and has no trading activity, the registered office address remains important. Companies House posts your authentication code to this address, and you need that code to file dormant accounts online. If you have moved and not updated the address, you may miss important deadlines or fail to receive your code.
How to change it
You can change your registered office address by filing form AD01 with Companies House. This can be done online through the Companies House WebFiling service at no cost. The change normally takes effect within a few hours of filing.
Make sure any change is genuine — a company's registered office must be a real address where post can be delivered and acknowledged.