What’s a registered business address and how do I get one?

So, you’re thinking about setting up a limited company — congratulations. This is a huge step for you and your business!  

While you’re probably most keen to prioritise your idea, brand and trading processes (let’s face it, the more fun parts), there are a few simple admin requirements you need to get sorted. Don’t worry, none of it is tricky. 

One of the things you’ll do is get your limited company’s registered office address sorted. Think of this address as your company’s official front door for all things legal and official. It’s a simple requirement that’ll keep your business running smoothly, and we’re here to walk you through what it is, why you need it, the options available and how to choose what’s best for your business.

Key takeaways:

• Your registered office address is the official, public address where Companies House and HMRC send vital legal and tax mail 
• You can use your home address, an accountant’s address, or a professional virtual office, but consider privacy before choosing the best fit
• A registered office address must be a physical location — a PO box without a street address isn’t enough
• If you change your registered office address, you must notify Companies House and update all your official company records

A registered office address isn’t necessarily where you do your actual, day-to-day work. It’s your limited company’s official address that Companies House and HMRC use to send all your formal and official company mail, like annual accounts reminders and tax letters. 

Every limited company (and also limited liability partnership) in the UK is legally required to have a valid registered address for company formal and official mail. 

Key things to know about your registered office address:

1. It must be a physical address: Your registered office address can’t just be a PO box number with no street address (more on this below)
2. It must be in the same country as your company: For example, if your company is registered in England, your registered office address must also be in England 
3. It’s public: Your registered office address is visible to everyone because it’s stored on the Companies House public register

The most important thing is you choose a physical address that’s super reliable — where your official mail can always be received and handled promptly. You don’t want to miss any tax deadlines or get a fine. 

Luckily, Companies House is quite flexible when it comes to what you can use as your registered office address.

The most common options that business owners choose are: 

• Your accountant’s address: Many accountants let their clients use their address, which is a reliable and convenient option (if you like your accountant)
• A dedicated service provider: These are specialist companies that provide you with a professional, non-residential registered business address 
• Your home address: Yes, you can use your home address but there are some important privacy decisions to consider before going down this route — more on this later 
• PO box: You can use a PO box if it’s a fully serviced PO box, with a physical street address. In this case, you must include the PO box’s full address so it’s verifiable 

During your company formation journey, you may come across the terms ‘correspondence address’ and ‘service address’.  These terms are interchangeable and both refer to the same thing: the official mailing address for your company directors. 

However, a correspondence address is not the same as your registered office address. The main difference is who is receiving the mail. 

Your registered office receives official and formal mail for the company itself (like from HMRC), while your correspondence address is for the people running the company. 

In many cases, both addresses are the same. But you might choose to use a separate correspondence address if you want a director’s mail sent to a private home address instead of the publicly visible registered office address. 

SAIL stands for Single Alternative Inspection Location (and has nothing to do with boats!) A SAIL address is a less common option but can be really useful for companies that have a lot of physical paperwork and records. 

Essentially, a SAIL address allows limited companies (and also LLPs) to keep official company documents like meeting minutes, shareholder information and register of directors at a different location from their registered office address. 

This is important for one big reason: Companies House. They must know the official place you store these documents, should they ever wish to inspect them. 

For example, if your registered office address is in London, but all your physical company records are kept securely in your accountant’s office in Birmingham, you would need to register your accountant’s address as your SAIL address.

A virtual office is a paid service that gives your business a physical, professional street address and mail support without requiring you to rent the actual office space.

Virtual offices are becoming really popular with modern businesses that work remotely or don’t need a traditional office space.  As part of the service, you usually get a registered office address in a prime location — for example, in a city centre — which makes your business look more established. 

Packages can vary, but most virtual office UK options include these business support features:

• Mail handling: Receiving, sorting, scanning and forwarding your mail 
• Professional phone answering: Where a receptionist answers your calls (via a dedicated phone number) in your company name
• Meeting rooms: You may be able to book meeting rooms on an ad-hoc basis
• Registered office services: You can nominate the virtual office as your registered office for your formal mail 

The main benefit of a virtual office is that it allows many founders and entrepreneurs to keep work and home life separate. Plus, you usually get a prestigious office address — without the cost or the commute, which is a huge win.

Short answer: yes, it can. 

Long answer: using your home address as your registered office address is often the cheapest option, which can be appealing to sole traders and fledgling limited companies, but there are drawbacks to consider. 

Ideally, your registered office address should be a non-residential address. Let’s look at why in more detail:

• Public disclosure: We’ve already talked about how your registered office address is publicly available on the Companies House register. This means that clients, customers, and anyone just curious about you can look it up
• Perception: A dedicated registered office address looks more professional and established than a home office 
• Marketing mail: Because your address is public, you might start receiving unwanted marketing or spam mail — a definite drawback

There are also other practical benefits to using a non-residential office address, too, like extra admin if you decide to move house. Take some time to weigh up what’s important to you from a privacy and perception perspective before making a decision. 

It’s common to confuse a business address and a registered address as the same thing. 

But they serve two different purposes: one is for legal use, and the other is for day-to-day business activities. 

Here’s how they differ:  

• Registered office: This is the address HMRC and Companies House send your official company documents and filings to
• Business address: This is the address you use to run your business. It’s where you might meet clients and receive general business mail like bills, invoices and customer correspondence 

You would have a different business address and registered office address if, for example, you use a virtual office as your public-facing registered office address but run your business from your home, a co-working space, or studio. The choice depends on how you run your business and how you want to present your business to the world. 

The ideal choice for your registered office depends on your budget, the level of privacy you need and the kind of business (and brand) image you want to create.

Below, we’ve weighed up the pros and cons of each option to help you make the best choice possible. 

Ultimately, if privacy is a motivator and you’d like to present a more professional and established business image, a registered office or virtual office is probably your best bet. But, if keeping costs down is the priority and you’re comfortable with your home address being public, then your home address can work — you can always get a registered office down the line when there’s more budget to play with.

If you do choose to get a registered office address, it’s important to know that it’ll be one of the most accessible pieces of public information about your business. Literally, anyone with an internet connection will be able to find it and see it. 

We’ve touched on this a little already, but your registered office details can be found in a few places:

• Companies House Public Register: Anyone can visit the Companies House website anytime, type in your company name or number, and see your registered office address 
• Your website and email signature: If you have a website, it’s a legal requirement to display your company’s registered name, registered office address and Company Registration Number (CRN) 
• Company stationery: Your registered office must also appear on any official company letters and invoices, order forms and emails

Because it’s public and easy to find, many business owners choose to use a registered office address, rather than a home address. It means your details are kept private but you’re still meeting your company’s legal requirements.

If you’ve decided the home address route isn’t for you, getting a professional registered business address is a really quick and easy process. 

Here’s our step-by-step guide to walk you through it: 

Step 1: Choose your option 

Decide if you’d like to use a professional registered office address service, a virtual office service package or another option like a PO box with street address. 

Tip: If using a professional service provider or virtual office, look for reputable companies, compare features, prices and what’s included in their offer (like mail scanning or phone answering)

Step 2: Sign up

You’ll typically sign up with providers online, where they’ll ask for your basic information and personal details so they can verify you as a real human.

Step 3: Tell Companies House (if already a registered company) 

If you’ve already set up your company (woo!), you’ll need to file an official change of address form on the Companies House web filing service. This is a free service and is usually processed in a few hours. 

Step 4: Set up a company, using your address 

If you’re just starting out and haven’t yet registered your company with Companies House, you can use your new registered office address during the company registration process. 

Step 5: Update your marketing and branding

Make sure your new registered office address is displayed correctly on your website, invoices, email signature and wherever your company details are required. 

And that’s it. Well done on ticking another box off the list. You’re really nailing this!

It’s completely normal to feel a bit overwhelmed or confused by formal tasks like this. But getting it right at the start saves you time and money in the long run. 

If you’re ready to set up your company, you can use our company name availability checker to secure the name you want.

Once your company is formed, you’ll need to separate your personal and business finances — a dedicated business current account is a great way to manage your limited company’s money, taxes and accounting. 

For more business support, head over to our Resources hub, where you can find guides on company formation, finance, as well as tools to help make running your small business easier. 

Yes, you can. But while a PO box can be used as a correspondence address for general business mail, it cannot be your company’s registered office address on its own. It needs to be accompanied by a full physical street address.

Yes, absolutely. A virtual office is a very popular and perfectly legal option for your company’s registered office address. It provides a professional street address and keeps your personal home details completely private and off the Companies House register. Great for business owners who want privacy. 

Yes, you can. If you decide to change your registered office address at any point, perhaps after moving house or changing your service provider, you simply need to notify Companies House. This is a straightforward process, usually done by submitting a form online.

Yes, you certainly can. Registering your business to a virtual office allows you to use their professional address as your official registered office address for company filings with Companies House. It’s a great way to get a prestigious address and benefit from business services like mail scanning without paying for physical office space. 

Generally, no. A reputable virtual office UK service that provides a physical address, mail handling and other features will come with a monthly or annual cost. While your home address is free, a virtual office offers specific, paid benefits like privacy, reliable mail forwarding and a more established company image.