A director service address is the official correspondence address a director gives to Companies House for publication on its public register. It differs from the company’s registered office address and the director’s private residential address. It provides a physical location where that person receives correspondence related to their role or other matters unconnected to the company. The service address cannot be a PO Box number.
- A service address is a director's public correspondence address at Companies House, distinct from both the company's registered office and the director's protected home address.
- Documents posted to a service address count as legally served even if the director never reads them, so poor post handling risks missed deadlines and default judgments.
- Using a home address as the service address makes it publicly searchable, and PO Boxes are not permitted.
- Registering a new address doesn't scrub the old one from past filings — removal requires form SR01 at £34 per document.
- If documents repeatedly fail to reach a director, the registrar can publish their home address and bar changes for five years.
The Three Important Company Addresses
When a person becomes a company director, they must provide Companies House with a service address and a residential address. The company itself must also have a registered office address.
| Address | What it is used for |
|---|---|
|
Registered office |
The company’s official address used for statutory communications and legal documents. It must be a physical address within the UK in the same jurisdiction where the company is registered. |
|
Director service address |
The public correspondence address for a company director where formal documents are delivered and recorded. It can be the registered office or another address in or outside the UK. |
|
Residential address |
The director’s usual home address in or outside the UK. You must supply it to Companies House, but it is held on a secure, private register with restricted access. |
For example, a person may operate a business from home but use a commercial address as both the registered office and service address. If they receive a court claim, it counts as validly served, even if the director does not live there.
Under section 1140 of the Companies Act 2006, documents can be validly served on a director by posting them to their registered service address held on public record at Companies House. If the claim names the director and the company, each must be served separately, even if they share the same physical location.
Who Needs a Service Address?
What constitutes a service address is defined in section 1141 of the Companies Act 2006. It must be an address where statutory and legal documents can be effectively delivered to an individual. Regulation 10 of the Companies Act 2006 (Annual Return and Service Addresses) Regulations 2008 (SI 2008/3000) sets out further conditions. A service address must be able to accept the physical delivery of important documents and acknowledge their receipt.
All key individuals connected to a company must provide a service address:
- Company directors: directors must provide their full name, home address, date of birth, nationality and country of residence upon registration. Companies House withholds the home address and the day of the date of birth from the public register.
- Company secretaries: a company secretary has to provide their current legal name but is not required to disclose a home address or date of birth.
- Persons with significant control (PSCs): a PSC can have a publicly registered address located anywhere in the world. The details required are the same as those of a director, with additional information detailing the date they became a PSC and the nature of their control. The public register does not show the home address or the day of the date of birth.
- LLP members: members must provide their name, date of birth and country or place of residence. They must also state whether they are a standard or designated member. A home address is mandatory but stays hidden from public view, and the register shows only the month and year of birth.
How a Director Service Address Differs from a Registered Office Address
A registered office address is the company’s official address for legal and government correspondence. Companies House requires the registered office address to be a physical location where someone legitimately acting on the company’s behalf can receive documents.
A director service address relates to a person in their capacity as a director. A director can change a service address at any time. An authorised person from the company must inform Companies House within 14 days of the change. They can complete an online version of form CH01 on the Companies House portal or return a completed paper copy.
A company can have one registered office while its directors use different service addresses or share the same service address.
Can a Service Address and Residential Address Be the Same?
A director can use their home address as their service address. However, because the service address appears on the public register, doing so means their private home address will become accessible to the public.
Another option is to use a virtual office address. Whether one is suitable depends on its capacity to meet the legal test of receiving documents delivered in person and recording delivery by acknowledging receipt.
What Happens to Post Sent to a Service Address?
The service address must be a complete postal address and can belong to an accountant, solicitor, formation agent or another service provider. In this case, arrangements should be in place for someone to receive correspondence and pass it on.
Under UK law, a document delivered to a service address counts as legally served, and the rules of deemed service govern deadlines for time-sensitive responses. The deemed date can fall before a director has read or even received a document.
Poor handling therefore exposes a director to missed deadlines and the risk of default judgments. It can also lead to criminal prosecution under corporate law for failing to maintain an active service address. A provider must ensure it offers services such as same-day digital delivery or a staffed front desk during business hours to mitigate such risks.
If evidence suggests documents are not reaching the director, the Companies House registrar can put the director’s home address on public record under sections 245–246 of the Companies Act 2006. The director cannot generally register any other service address for five years.
Should a service address be invalid or fail to act as an address where documents can effectively be served, section 1097B of the Act and the Service Address (Rectification of Register) Regulations 2024 (SI 2024/235) give Companies House the authority to use a default address on its own initiative or upon receipt of a third-party application. In this event, the person concerned must take all reasonable steps to register a valid address within 28 days. Failing to do so is an offence, unless an appeal is brought in that time.
What Does Companies House Publish About Directors?
Companies House maintains an official government record that makes information on UK companies accessible to anyone in the world. Business owners benefit from limited liability, and so information about the people involved in companies is publicly available to provide transparency on company officers.
The public register includes information on directors such as their name, nationality, month and year of birth and service address. Part 10, Chapter 8 of the Companies Act 2006 protects their residential address, so it remains confidential. Instead, Companies House displays their service address as part of the personal information on the public register.
Companies House retains and publicly displays information on company officers for as long as the company exists, including details of officers who have resigned. These details remain on the public register for 20 years after a company is dissolved. After this period has elapsed, selected records are transferred to public archives and the rest are destroyed. Companies House announced on 12 May 2026 that it is reviewing whether to extend this and what happens after 20 years. Until this is complete, the transfer and destruction of records have been temporarily paused.
Removing a Director’s Personal Details at Companies House
Individuals can apply to have certain personal information removed from the public register. This includes the day of their date of birth in documents filed before 10 October 2015 and their occupation, where recorded. A person can also request to have their signature removed.
An application to remove a home address used as a service address from filed documents uses form SR01 and costs £34 per document. A serving company officer must provide a replacement address. Registering a new service address does not remove an address held on documents filed previously.
The same route is available to individuals running an active company that has previously used a home address as a registered office. This can be relevant where a person has operated a company from home and now wants to protect their address. In this instance, the company must first change its registered office to a different address before the person applies. If a business has been dissolved, the applicant must wait six months.
A person can make a separate application to withhold a residential address from credit reference agencies if they or someone who lives with them is at serious risk of violence or intimidation linked to the company’s activities. Applications currently cost £100 and require a paper copy of the correct forms sent by Companies House upon a request made through its online service.
Companies House currently has no legal power to remove a home address from the register if it is still a company’s current registered office, forms part of the company’s name or is the subject of a mortgage charge.
If someone registers a company at an address without permission, the person affected should alert Companies House using the online form.
The House of Commons Library has highlighted concerns around company address fraud and the misuse of publicly available company information. In a research briefing, it discusses how people can report companies using their names and addresses without consent. It also explains how to complete identity verification to ensure only the correct people appear on the Companies House register.
Protecting a Director’s Position and Privacy
A director’s service address must meet all legal and statutory requirements. It can also separate a person’s work life from their home life by distinguishing public company details from private information.
The address provided to Companies House must remain suitable for receiving and forwarding correspondence. Choosing an appropriate address helps reduce the risk of missed documents and ensures the public register reflects a person’s current position. If circumstances change, the Companies Act 2006 and Companies House provide steps to review and change a registered service address so it continues to meet new professional and personal requirements.
Tags: Service Address, Directors
