What are the legal requirements of a registered office?

Companies incorporated in the UK must have an address that is recorded by Companies House as the official address. This is called the companies registered office and there are legal requirements that company directors need to adhere to.

The Companies Act 2006 provides the legal requirements for a UK company address. The latest act that came into effect in 2009 provides the rules that need to be followed for all UK companies.

The address must be effective. This simply means the address must be accessible and people should be able to post formal notices to the company at the address. Most PO Boxes are not suitable for this as they do not provide a detailed address with building number and street name.

If a company wants to change its registered office address they must give notice to Companies House. This is done using form AD01. You can file this form online or by post.

Once registered, a company must remain within the UK country of registration. A company registered in Scotland will always be a Scottish Company. You cannot move a company’s address from Scotland to Wales or vice versa. Companies are registered in either Scotland, Northern Ireland, or England & Wales. This is due to the differences in law in each region.

The company registers must be held at the registered office for inspection unless an alternative address has been provided to Companies House. This is called a SAIL address.

The company name must be displayed at the registered office. It is common for a brass name plaque to be used for this purpose. However, you can use your own signage or simply put a sticker near the entrance to meet this requirement.

The registered address must be displayed on the official stationery, websites and email communication. Company name

If you are concerned about using your address as the company’s official registered office then we can provide one of our business addresses for you. This will keep your address private and protect your home address from being placed on the public register.