Choosing the right registered office address for your limited company is an important decision. It must be a verifiable physical address – a real street address with a building number and postcode. Generally, a PO Box does not meet the criteria of a registered office, unless you provide the full physical postal address at which the PO Box is located.
Even then, however, using a PO Box as a registered office is not the best decision. There are far better alternatives that will be of benefit to your limited company, enabling you to create the kind of trustworthy, professional image required to succeed in business.
Difference between a PO Box and a physical address
A PO Box (Post Office Box) is a rented, numbered mailbox within a Post Office branch or Royal Mail sorting office. They are most often used by individuals who want to maintain their privacy or who travel often, as well as certain types of businesses that do not want to disclose all of their trading locations (e.g. banks, call centres, mobile and utility providers).
A physical address is a valid brick-and-mortar street address (residential or commercial) that is able to receive unrestricted deliveries of letters and parcels. It is a complete address, which includes a building name and/or number, an apartment or suite number (if applicable), a street name, a post town, and a postcode.
By law, a limited company must provide a physical address as its registered office, ensuring openness and transparency on the public register at Companies House.
The best type of address to use as a registered office
Whilst many individuals and small businesses make use of PO Boxes, this type of address is not a good choice for a limited company registered office. It may appear unprofessional or suspicious to some people. You should also avoid using a residential address, or a remote address in an area that is difficult to access.
Ideally, you should use a commercial address situated in a reputable area that most people are familiar with, like a big city. This will make a good impression on prospective customers and business associates, who will feel confident that they’re dealing with a legitimate and established company.
Set up a registered office in London or Glasgow
At Rapid Formations, we know how important it is to create the right business image. To help you achieve this, we provide commercial registered office services in London and Glasgow for £39.99 per year, which are suitable for limited companies and limited liability partnerships (LLPs) incorporated in England & Wales and Scotland, respectively.
Whether you’re running a home-based business and want to protect your privacy or you’re simply looking to improve your corporate image, a professional registered office address in a prime location is the perfect solution.
Our registered office address services are also included at a discounted rate within our company formation packages.
