Registered Office

What is a registered office?

A registered office is the official address of a limited company or limited liability partnership. This address is where official letters, filing reminders, and legal notices are delivered.

A legal requirement of company formation, the registered office address must be in the UK jurisdiction (England & Wales, Wales only, Scotland, or Northern Ireland) where the company is formed.

Why do I need a registered office?

A registered office is legally required by all incorporated companies and partnerships, serving as the official delivery address for written communication from Companies House, HMRC, the courts, and other government agencies and public bodies.

Additionally, statutory company registers and records should be stored and made available for inspection at the registered office address, unless they're kept at a SAIL address.

Can I use my home or business address as a registered office?

It is possible to use your home or business address as your company's registered office, on condition that the address meets the requirements of a registered office. However, do bear in mind that this address will be displayed on public record and must be stated on company documents and stationery, which could jeopardise your personal privacy.

Does a registered office address have to be in the UK?

You must provide and maintain a registered office address in the same UK jurisdiction where your company or partnership is incorporated, which will be England & Wales, Wales only, Scotland, or Northern Ireland.

You can change the address of your registered office at any time, as long as it stays in the same jurisdiction and you inform Companies House.

What is the difference between a registered office and a business/trading address?

A registered office is a company's official address, which is recorded at Companies House, displayed on the public register, and used for the delivery of written communication from Companies House and other government agencies. A business/trading address is where a company conducts its main business activities, which may or may not be the same as the registered office.

Whilst you may have only one registered office address at a time, which must be in the same part of the UK where the company is formed, you can have multiple business/trading addresses and they can be situated anywhere in the world.

Will my registered office address be displayed on public record?

By law, all registered office addresses must be recorded at Companies House and displayed on the public register of companies. This information can be accessed free of charge online by everyone.

Given the public nature of this data, we advise against using your home address as a registered office.

Where should I display my registered office address details?

In accordance with the Companies Act 2006, you must display your registered office address on all forms of official company documents and stationery, including letters, invoices, order forms, promotional material, emails, and websites.

Can I change my registered office address?

You can change your registered office address at any point during the lifetime of your company or LLP. The new address must be in same jurisdiction, and you will need to report the change to Companies House, either online or by post, on form AD01 (for limited companies) or form LL AD01 (for LLPs) within 14 days. Additionally, you will have to update the address on all official company documents and stationery.

Do you offer a registered office service?

Rapid Formations offers a prestigious registered office address service in London or Glasgow, suitable for companies and LLPs incorporated in England & Wales or Scotland, respectively.

This service can be purchased as an add-on to any of our company formation packages. Alternatively, you can purchase the service for an existing company or LLP by registering a free account on our website.

Please call our support team on 020 7871 9990 if you require more information on our London Registered Office or Glasgow Registered Office services.

Can I move my registered office address to a different country?

A company cannot move its registered office address to a different country. The law requires that a registered office is always situated in the country (or ‘jurisdiction’) where the company is incorporated (i.e., England & Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland). The only exception is that a company registered in the jurisdiction of England & Wales can move its registered office between these two countries.

Do you provide a registered office service?

Rapid Formations offers a registered office service in London for companies and LLPs set up in England & Wales, and a registered office service in Glasgow for companies and LLPs formed in Scotland. Both services are available for £39.00/year.

How do I change a registered office address?

If you change your registered office address, you are legally required to notify Companies House on form AD01 within 14 days of the change of address taking place. You can complete and file this form through Companies House online services or Rapid Formations free Online Client Portal.

Can I use the same registered office address for more than one company?

The same registered office address can be used for more than one company, if it meets the requirements of a registered office, and you have permission to use the address for such purposes. Indeed, Rapid Formations provides registered office services in London and Glasgow, which means that multiple companies use our addresses as a registered office.

What’s the difference between a registered office and a SAIL address?

A registered office is the official address (i.e., headquarters; head office) of a company, limited partnership, or limited liability partnership. It is used as a mailing address for official correspondence and (usually) for the storage and inspection of company registers.

A SAIL address (Single Alternative Inspection Location) is an optional address where a company may choose to keep it registers for inspection purposes, instead of storing them at its registered office.